This post was written several years ago, but has continued to be one of my most read. It was time to redo it and dig a little deeper. Let’s talk about Ten Tips to Finding and Mastering Your Own Decorating Style.
TEN TIPS FOR FINDING AND MASTERING YOUR OWN DECORATING STYLE
I often think about the relationship between one’s decorating style and their fashion sense and vice versa. Finding your own style goes much deeper than just decorating. From the clothes you wear to the books you read and the activities you enjoy, style encompasses your entire life. What kind of music do you listen to? Which movies, books, and artists inspire you? Where do you enjoy traveling to? Your answers to these questions can help you define your own style. Are you unsure where to start to create a home that really reflects your personality?
Maybe you’ve made some decisions and purchases for your home that you regret, and now you second-guess yourself and overthink everything. We have all been there and done that. Everyone is creative and has originality. The challenge for all of us is to reign in those qualities and become confident in expressing them. Style is fluid. Your likes, needs, and wants will change over the years. Don’t let anyone tell you they won’t. This is the process of growing and developing your own personal style.
THINK ABOUT THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING YOUR STYLE LIKE A LONG TERM PROJECT
The learning process is extremely valuable in establishing your personal sense of style. embrace the process of adding things one at a time, learning as you go. This process will help you trust your instincts and give you confidence in your choices
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH INSPIRATION
Search Pinterest, Instagram and Shelter magazines for spaces that speak to you. you will see unifying themes and have a better understanding of what you like and dislike. Take note of designers’ work that appeals to you.
Jill Sharp Weeks is someone that constantly inspires me. My aesthetic is not quite as refined as hers, but I learn something from every single vignette she creates. You can follow Jill on Instagram here.
WALK AROUND YOUR HOME AND EVALUATE YOUR DECOR
INCORPORATE YOUR TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES INTO YOUR DECOR
Think about the colors and textures and styles of the places that have inspired you. They say a lot about your personality and should translate easily into your decor. Integrate treasures from your travels into your decor.
In our former family room the mantle holds a folk art wood sculpture, a modern print, an antique bag from Istanbul and a vintage house vent & cupboard doors.
CONSIDER FUNCTION AND AESTHETICS
Think about how you will use the space in conjunction with the overall beauty. I am sometimes guilty of favoring beauty over function.
GET PERSONAL
MIX AND MATCH
START WITH NEUTRALS
This will give you a solid foundation on which to build your style. Keep your foundation pieces neutral. You can always add more colors, patterns and textures in your accessories.
In our den I started with a neutral sofa and added ethnic pillows, antiques and treasures from our travels.
LOOK AT YOUR WARDROBE
Only Splurge on Things you Truly Love
Developing your own style is about understanding yourself, gaining the confidence to unleash your creativity. Consider what attracts you most to objects (shape, color, pattern, material?) and once you get your own preferences clear in your head, you can sort through your deccor easily and create a more cohesive look.
Through life changes, we become wiser with age. Finally understanding what is really important makes us realize that we’ve come full circle. Knowing our style is all part of settling into our home space. Don’t be afraid to copy – If you see something someone has done that you admire use it as a starting off point. Your own style will evolve as you collect ideas from others. Start to collect looks — Tear photos out of magazines, peruse Instagram, organize and pin your ideas on Pinterest. As you collect images you love, you’ll start to see your style evolve.
Remember defining and developing your style is a process. Be selective. Often, less is more when it comes to successful decorating. If you can identify your personal style and eliminate the excess, your home will be fabulous. Do you have a hard time defining your own personal style? If you have been reading this blog long, you know I favor a Collected Look. You might enjoy my post The Collected Look and How to Get It.
Thank you for reading Ten Tips to Finding and Mastering Your Own Decorating Style. What would you call your decorating style? Do you dress like your home?
SHOP THE POST
~ Howdy Cindy H. Thank you for revisiting this post. I have often pondered this same query; of my personal style in relation to our home. Having been a former New Yorker for 30 years, my taste in clothing and interiors has changed.
Since marrying my wonderful husband, we live in the mountains. When I lived in New York, my style was more corporate. Now, it consists of Double D Ranch, Ralph Lauren & Chico’s jackets, tees, cowgirl hats/boots and turquoise jewelry. Although I’d love more texture in our home e.g. stone walls, palladium windows and a fireplace), we work with what we have. My home furniture aesthetics are Hooker Furniture’s Chatelet Collection and Restoration Hardware’s Maxwell Italian Destroyed Leather Collection. My interior home style is definitely Spanish Colonial/Renaissance with some vintage pieces thrown in and lots of colour. I strive to allow these two mediums to blend into a beautiful mix of colours and textures. ~
Hi Mrs M
I love Double D and RL as well. Your home sounds wonderul!
I DO DRESS LIKE MY HOME!
A TOTAL JUNKIE ADD MORE!
XX
Cindy! I love this post! I always say this about you…that you are so consistent with your look in fashion and home. It’s who you are, what you love, what you collect, the places you go….Such great advice for finding what you love.
xx
Thank you so much Annie. You have always inspired me!
Cindy,
I love reading your posts and absolutely love your variety of pillows you use. Can you refer me to an older post that listed some of the pillow cover companies you like, including interior and outdoor pillow covers.
Hi Lori
I think you just gave me an idea for a post!! I will email you!
Cindy:
I am TRYING to find my style and have been futzing and futzing over styling a console. Yes, I did go on Pinterest and it gave me a number of ideas. There is one question that I need help answering and that is: Can you have more than one mirror in an open plan living room? The two mirrors would be kitty corner from each other.
I have gone on “what do decorators think” and the general consensus is “No”, should use one mirror and art for the other area.
I know they say rules are meant to be broken but it’s hard for a unsure decorator. What are your thoughts?
Thx
Paula
Hi Paula
That is a tricky question, and one many “experts” (I am not one). Another decorator and I were just discussing this the other day. I would say two large mirrors are too much unless the room is enormous. One mirror, and then a smaller one in a gallery wall would be fine. If you don’t really want art, find something architectural that adds texture, and or color without being too much. If you want to email me, with a picture, I might be of more help.
So enjoy reading your Posts Everyday!
Thank you!🧡🕶🦋
Hi Deborah
Thank you so much. I so appreciate each and every one of you!
Cindy I look forward to your posts every day! I am taking a long shot here, but my husband and I are visiting Santa Barbara from Texas in the fall. I loved your post about Santa Ynez and hope to visit there while we are visiting. Would you have any suggestions for places to stay in SB? I know you aren’t a travel agent but was wondering!!
I’m not Cindy, but I would suggest the Inn on Summerhill in Summerland. The rooms were lovely, the included, sit down breakfast excellent, and the inn very pretty. They have great complimentary appetizers in the afternoon as well. There is a highway out front but you don’t hear it at night and it didn’t bother us at all. It was a short drive to SB, and the the beach across from the inn is a great place to unwind and look for sea glass. One of our fave trips ever. If you are an older traveler, at the time we booked we got a substantial AARP discount.
Hi Linda
Great suggestion. We have stayed at the Inn on Summerhill many times.
Hi Darlene
Yes! It depends on how much you want to spend of course! We have been spending time in Santa Barbara for years. Of course the Martin Bullard designed Hotel California is fabulous but very pricey. We have stayed at the Inn on Summerhill per Linda’s suggestion many, many times. Summerland has the best shopping in the area (in my opinion) as well. The Harbor View is another good choice with a great location right across from the beach (great breakfast place next door). The Bacara, El Encanto Rosewood and Palihouse for more luxury accomodations. The Mar Monte looks wonderful but have not stayed at the property. The Kimpton Canary downtown is nice but the downtown area is currently suffering in my opinion. Feel free to email me if you want to know about a particular property. I am sure many others will chime in.
Thanks so much.to you and Linda. This trip is for our This trip is for our 55th anniversary and 3 weeks before I have knee replacement surgery so I am really looking forward to is!
Hi Darlene
Have a wonderful time!
Thank you, once again, for an inspirational post. I always learn from you. No wonder you have 100K Instagram followers! Congratulations on that, by the way! I started following Jill Sharp Weeks on recommendation from you in an earlier post. I can look through her pictures, and tours too, for hours. I have “copied” from both of you. Fortunately, I live fairly close to Santa Fe and visit there fairly regularly – a city that very much represents the same aesthetic that you portray in many of your own pictures of your home. Love the post! Thank you!
*yours* not tours 🙁 I should have proofread
Hi Denise
Tried to find the error but couldn’t…I will keep looking! Thanks!
The error was in my post, not yours. I should have made that clear. I would never ever point out an error in someone else’s post. 🙂
Hi Denise
Oh well I do appreciate when people let me know. Sometimes when I am “burning the midnight oil” I miss some!
Hi Denise
This comment did not come through my email for some reason. Thank you! I am so jealous that you live close to Santa Fe. We have not been for quite some time but once Steve gets his boot off, I think it would be a fun roadtrip!!
Love your posts and I’m all about copying the looks of many bloggers like you. Just sold a 4100 sf home and am in temp 2BR, 2 bath apt for 3 months till new ranch home is ready. Smaller everything, parting with lots of things and it feels great. Please do continue the idea boards with links to where to buy. Many of us act on these or at least consider it!
Hi Carol
We are getting close to downsizing as well. I need to get to work sorting through all of my stuff!!
Cindy, I’ve never had problems identifying my style. I’m a minimalist who like neutrals but I need at least one “wow” factor and/or a pop of color. That goes for an outfit I’m wearing or a room in my home. My current problem is finding the right color for my bedroom. The walls in the rest of my home are neutral white from F&B, but it makes everything in my BR look washed out. I’ve already painted the BR three times but that was two years ago. I think I’m ready to take another crack at it but even with Kilz and a base coat of white, any color I put on the wall doesn’t turn out right. Very frustrating. xoxox, Brenda
Hi Brenda
If you need any color ideas email me and I can try and help!
Oh my goodness, bayboxwood said it perfectly in that last sentence, words to live by.
Cindy you are a blogger extraordinaire, so diverse in all of your postings and so willing to share. I especially love the fashion posts, you are my inspiration. I also have you to thank for my letting the locks go gray, I am loving it and the freedom from always coloring, who knew it would look this good? (LOL at least to my eyes) Always looking forward to your next posing
“Through life changes, we become wiser with age. Finally understanding what is really important makes you realize that you’ve come full circle. Knowing your style is all part of settling into your home space. ”
That’s perfectly said. It’s a learning curve, to be sure. I spent a couple of decades trying to wedge in assorted pieces and ideas that really didn’t suit our way of living. It was frustrating and expensive. These days I find a trifecta in a quiet palette, antiques that meet the meaningful and useful criteria, and layers of natural elements. Holidays and even the occasional trend are easily incorporated, and things are joyful but peaceful.
I love just about every decorating style, however, and spend plenty of time staring at magazines, books, and blogs that make the mixes of pattern, color, and objets all play so nicely together. It’s a treat to escape to those pages, but it’s more fun now that I understand I can appreciate lots of things without feeling the need to own them myself.
Hi Cindy,
It took me some time to find my style. But for the past several years I’ve focused on the very things you suggested. I realized when we downsized that I didn’t need all of the stuff and pared down my most favorite furniture pieces and accessory items. What a great post. I loved all the rooms you showed us.
Karen
I love all the photos. My problem is we are getting older and I want to sell our large home, toss everything, and buy a smaller tiny home by the water. If this ever happens you will need to come back to Florida and help me decorate. Great article. I love reading your blog and following along.
Thank you, T J England
Here’s my problem. I like all of the pictures. I’m all over the place! I’m told my home is beautiful, comfortable, etc. but not sure how I got there!! You should see my Pinterest boards! This is a fun post and you have encouraged me to think about what my “style “ actually is!
i loved the inspiration to look at the connection between my wardrobe and my home. For my home I stay with neutrals for the big pieces – furniture and carpet. My couch and chairs are dark brown. The couch has a little hole I have never fixed and is from a consignment store that I bought for staging 10 years ago and still have. The chairs are leather from Costco and same story. My style is to change the rest of the decor twice a year for the seasons. I change pillows, art and abjects, including my own mosaics. It satisfies my need for change on a small budget. I just got new more boho style pillows at Cost Plus that give me a big smile. Whereas for fashion I like a huge variety to choose from so I can have tribal chic, color blocking, and other styles at my whim. Not many neutrals there. see @sheilamerle1.
“dresses just as she lives with lots of color, pattern and layers.”
YOU NAILED ME!
I have never thought about this topic BEFORE and it fascinates me!IT IS SO TRUE in MY CASE I do dress exactly like my home with COLOR and LAYERS!I have never been able to give a name to the way I dress;I just know what I like and what looks good according to me!Years ago I wanted my LOOK to be long gowns to the floor with Sweatshirts!Because I was a Busy MOM of two BOYS and lots of animals.I never REALLY OWNED THAT LOOK as it was HARD finding LONG skirts………..the best place was consignment shops, but they were few and far between.Maybe with FALL HERE I will pull those skirts out (still have them)and try try AGAIN!
I decorated our home with Thrift store,Consignment shop and Antique store finds.I do not think my house would have turned out this way if I had had the money to hire a decorator.What was THAT vision if I had hired an Interior Designer…………..A CLEANER SLATE with Less Objects de ARTE!
XX
Great post. I think I’ve finally settled in to the “real” me style-wise. I think I knew more of what was my true style but I was veered off the path by trends and what everyone in my neck of the woods had – I was hesitant I guess to move out of that box. And then 15 years ago I looked at our “stuff” and thought would I take this with me in 20 years if I moved into my dream home in my dream place to live out the rest of my life and very few things (except family pieces and some art) made the cut. After that I was liberated by that thought and the rest is history as they say!
Hi Marcie
I think I finally have as well. I think as we age we gain confidence and don’t feel the need to chase the trends. Family pieces and art are always keepers I agree. I need to get liberated and get rid of some of my stuff as well!!
I love that photo from Elle Decor. That is so gorgeous to me. I want more color and fabrics. But the fabrics I want are just outrageously expensive!!! So I’ll get a few pillows instead. Sob. Lol.
I do too Joni. Stephen Gambrel is a genius in my book. He always knows when to edit, nothing shouts, and his spaces always appear effortless. Thanks for weighing in always love hearing from you. You are right fabrics have gotten outrageous!!