How to Find your Interior Style

Make your home timeless and personal

The world of Interior design, with the advent of pinterest and social media, has dipped into the realms of fast fashion. So many high street brands now have an interior section (H&M, Zara etc) and while this is great in terms of affordability, it is not great in terms of sustainability, longevity and good style choices.

Your home is not something that should have to keep up with seasonal trends. The furniture you buy should not be ending up in the skip because it has gone out of style. Which is why it is important to design your home in your own style so you will love it for many years to come.

Think of your home a bit like your CV; it is built up over many years. The furniture, like your skills and achievements, are with you for a lifetime. It should reflect who you are, where you are from, your relationships, and what makes you happy. However, unlike a CV, try not to think of your home as something to be used to impress anyone, your home is for you, to bring you joy.

So how to make these wise purchases that you will love forever? These are my top tips.

1. Make it personal

Think about where you have come from, places you have lived, places you have visited. Do any of these hold particular significance for you? Were you very inspired by any of these places? Often designers with the most original and creative styles have tapped into their heritage and personal experiences. Think about those times in your life and what were the visual memories that remain; were they for example, bright colours? interesting prints? particular shapes? based in nature? Items you have bought on holidays that could be used or displayed?  Are there any of these aspects that could be incorporated into your home?]

2. Avoid trends to avoid regret

To do this, try and be aware of what the current trends are. These will be the styles that keep cropping up on your Instagram,  Pinterest, or advertising. It is totally fine to take the odd thing from trends provided you really love it. However, it is easy to think the things you really like are just things that have subconsciously been repeatedly fed to you. If you can’t distinguish the two one simple way to avoid this is to not buy all your furniture at once so that it doesn’t look too “now”. While you wait to find the right thing accept certain pieces may be stand -ins (e.g. second hand items).

3. Collate images you like

This can be on pinterest or Instagram, but try to get your ideas from a wide range of sources. Ideas can come from anywhere, colour combinations can come from art, fashion, nature etc. I personally love old interior design magazines and books, that show interiors from different places and past fashions.

4.Try second hand

 This is great particularly if you are on a budget, you will get a far more interesting  and unique look if you buy second hand pieces instead of generic new furniture which is only available in the current style. Even the odd vintage piece can add so much depth to a modern interior. There are two ways to approach second hand. One is to buy as you go and make purchases as and when you see things that you love. You can do this by visiting antique shops, markets etc. The other, if you have an idea of what you are looking for, is to actively search for it. For example, I needed a specific piece of furniture for my narrow hallway, that needed to have storage. So for several months I searched for consoles, sideboards, storage units on Ebay, Gumtree, Vinterior and Etsy until I found a vintage set of wooden lockers with a very small depth that fits perfectly. Vinterior is great because you can search by dimensions if you need something with a specific size. Ebay, I would recommend for getting something at a good price. Although you need to know what you are searching for and what search terms will bring that up (a bit of trial and error here!). Gumtree is perfect for getting things locally, and for a good price as most people on there are trying to get rid of things quickly.

5. Make a mood board

Worried as to how all your inspirations will come together? Make a mood board of your inspiration images and items you’re considering buying. Items that don’t work tend to stand out, but it can take a bit of playing around to get the right combination that looks right to you. Keep referring back to this when considering new purchases to check if it fits with your moodboard. Finding your style gives you confidence in your purchases and a happy home that will bring you joy for many years.

Good luck!