Do you know your interior-design style? Or better yet, do you have a design style?
Or maybe you don’t have a design style but want to aspire to one.
I can relate with you.
Glitz and glamour
When I planned the style for my new home, I envisioned Hollywood Regency.
The glamorous lifestyle from Southern California, circa 1920s through 1950s. Think movie stars sipping cocktails in luxurious loungewear. The style is opulent and rich.
My love for this style started several years ago when I discovered the Hayworth Collection at Pier 1 Imports, smoky mirrored furniture pieces that pack a stark punch in my living room and master bedroom.
Rich textures and bold colors round out the look with black-and-white striped rugs, throws and accent pieces.
Declutter
But as time has gone on, I’ve evolved into a mix of Hollywood Regency and Minimalist. I still love the glitz and glamour of the furniture, but I have held back on flashy wall mirrors and velvet finishes.
Besides a few crystal pieces I keep in a curio cabinet, the decor items I go for now are faux plants to add some nature to the mix. Some green to the sea of grey. I have found affordable plants at Target and have had fun setting them around the house.
Find your style
But back to my original questions. How would you find your style? Well, it’s easier than you think.
Let’s start with furniture and home-decor stores that sell the items you’re drawn to. If you said Ikea, your style may be Scandinavian. Simple and functional furniture pieces.
If you said Ethan Allen, you may be modern or contemporary. Heavy wood or metal furniture, matching rugs and throw pillows, and sensible artwork.
If you said Pottery Barn, you may be coastal. Tall lanterns on the porch and patio. A sea foam color palette. Nautical decorations.
If you shop online at Wayfair, Bohemian may be your style. Colorful area rugs, furry throw pillows and white-upholstered sofas.
Other ways to find your style include flipping through design magazines or replicating the sets you see in movies or on TV shows.
If you have friends or family members whose styles rock, you may resonate with one of their themes.
And while decor is all about the visual, it also should be about the feeling. In other words, how do you want to feel in your home? If you say relaxed, Zen could be your vibe.
This and that
But to be honest, homeowners these days are gravitating toward a mix of styles. I rarely see a staunch French Country or a true Modern in real life. These looks only exist on TV or in magazines.
This may be because most everyone I know cannot afford to execute one style from floor to ceiling. The main components of a look may be there, such as stainless steel appliances and exposed ductwork for the Industrial loft.
But the sofa, dining table and artwork may be contemporary pieces from the popular furniture warehouse down the street.
If you’re following my instagram account, @designing_goldilocks, you’ll notice that my account name is Farmhouse Glam.
I came up with that name because the exterior of my house resembles a farmhouse, which happened to be the elevation the builder pre-selected for the lot I chose. But the interior of my house has the glam furniture from Pier 1.
Farmhouse craze
While farmhouse ends at my front door, the farmhouse style is arguably the most popular design style today. Think white kitchen cabinetry, shiplapped walls and wooden signs with comforting messages like, “Blessed,” and “Home Sweet Home.”
The style is light and bright with virtually every flat surface decked out with hydrangeas in vases, stacks of books, and baskets upon baskets. Farmhouse homes are cozy and inviting with the upkeep to match.
So what design style are you?
I’ve provided you a lot to think about. Whether you know your style or not, interior design is always evolving. Like me, you start with one vision and morph into a mix of them. Or maybe you’re one style through and through. But whatever it is, the discovery phase can be as fun as the execution.
Designing Goldilocks 