Inspired Design Monday: What’s Your Design Style?
Do you know what your style is? Are you Traditional? Or Transitional? Are you Boho Chic or Shabby Chic? Maybe you are Industrial with a Touch of Vintage? Maybe you are totally lost and have no idea what your style is?
If paralyzed by decorating fear is your current style, hopefully I can shed a little light on your situation. Determining your style is the first step in decorating a great space.
Look around your house as it is right now. What do you have that you love? Is it your couch? Maybe a picture frame or a pillow on your bed? Ask yourself what do you love about these items? Is it the shape or the color? Use the answers to your questions as a jumping off point to finding your style. If the lines on your couch are clean and crisp maybe you are a Modernista. Maybe your favorite pillow has a Contemporary graphic print. If everything that you love is white and floral your style just might be Shabby Chic.
When you know your style and what you like, it can help make decorating less overwhelming.
Here are a few key terms that get thrown around the design world.
Traditional: When I think of traditional, I think of darker woods, colonial inspired furniture and antiques. Things you might find in an old plantation home or estate.
(Pinterest)
Modern: Think clean lines and no clutter. Modern style is stark and neutral. You are not going to find lots of family photos in a modern design scheme. You will find metals, sharp lines and geometric patterns.
Contemporary: Contemporary is a good mix of traditional and modern wrapped into one. It’s where you will find some sleek lines and shiny metal mixed with warm traditional woods. That graphic pillow you love might fall into this category. If you drool over the West Elm catalog you are probably loving contemporary style. It’s a little bit trendy and classic all in one. You still have the sleek lines but there is a warmer feel than a modern style home.
Transitional: I think this style is probably where most people fall on the design spectrum. This is Pottery Barn style. Cool stuff mixed with functional, comfortable living. This is the home where you can get cozy on the couch with the kids and the dog. There are still some modern elements in the accessories displayed and some traditional elements to the furniture. But they are all combined in a happy mix.
(Pottery Barn)
Shabby Chic: If your furniture has white or pastel paint that is literally falling off because it is so chippy, then you are definitely Shabby Chic. Shabby Chic is soft and floral with rustic flea market finds.
(Nobswall.com)
Coastal: You will find a lot of the same elements in Coastal Style as you will in Transitional. Just add some seashells! Cooler colors, textures like seagrass and ocean inspired wall colors bring the beach to your home.
(Pinterest)
Knowing your style is one of the first steps in decorating a space. It helps you to narrow things down a little when making choices for your home. And when you can narrow things down, decorating becomes less overwhelming.
