Discovering Your Interior Design Style

Unless you’ve been lucky enough to buildto another. Photographing or sketching this accurately
your house from the ground up, you will at somewill be the only way of reproducing this later. The
point be stuck with somebody else’s ideasancient Greeks were very keen on geometry and
of interior decoration. You may decide to live withused it extensively in their buildings. Try to analyse
the royal blue living room and daisy wallpaper in thewhy a particular room or building looks and feels right
kitchen, or you might feel a sudden urgent desire toto you. What are the proportions? Is it symmetrical
paint the house magnolia. Neither solution is ideal, as inor asymmetrical? Are there a lot of decorative
neither case are you permitting your own stylefeatures, or is it very plain? By finding answers to
preferences and creativity to find expression. Butthese questions, you are finding your own style.
just how do you pinpoint your style? One way is toOnce you have a store of inspiration, you are then
turn yourself into a sponge. Absorb everything youready to source materials, chose colours and buy
come into contact with even if it doesn’tfurniture that fits your style. Perhaps
seem relevant at the time. I was once asked toyou’ve been inspired by a holiday on the
design a bright, colourful and "fun" kitchen for aEnglish seaside.
family with young children.You’ve taken photos of the flint houses
I poured through design magazines, and visitedwith their maritime blue trim, the long stretches of
countless shops for inspiration.sandy beach with its tufts of marsh grass, the
But it wasn’t until I found myself watchingcolourful beachhouses lined up along the shore.
a 1950s Tom & Jerry cartoon on television that theTranslate these images and feelings into your own
idea struck. The turquoises, blacks, yellows and pinksenvironment by sourcing sofas and chairs in a relaxed
of the cartoon looked fresh and fun. A 1950s-styledesign, upholstered in sandy neutrals; paint your walls
kitchen with all mod cons was the answer! There iswith a creamy wash; let the sun stream into the
very little in modern design which is completely new.room with modern voiles, linen blinds or plantation
Most styles and changes in fashion areshutters; accent it all with those beautiful sea blues
amalgamations, adjustments and improvements onand greens.
previous designs and trends. Today’sKeep your accessories natural - wood, stone, shells,
stream-lined contemporary look harks back to 1930sflowers. If you stay true to those elements which
modernism combined with a dash of 1960s spirit. And,gave you a sense of pleasure on your holiday, you
yes, today’s turquoise, yellow and pinkwill create a happy space in your home.
toasters, kettles and lemon squeezers have theYou may prefer a more formal environment. Perhaps
1950s to thank for their design. No one shouldyou live in a Georgian house and want to highlight its
blatantly copy the work of others as this is anelegant proportions. Visit stately homes of the period,
empty exercise, but rather mulch together sights andwalk through areas of your town where Georgian
sounds from your environment to create the stylearchitecture exists.
that suits you.Visit Brighton with its light and airy Regency and
Actively seek out inspiration from museums, statelyGeorgian buildings, or Edinburgh with its solid grey
homes, art galleries, show rooms, furniturestone Georgian terraces. Consider combining elements
catalogues, magazines, books, films, TV programmesof historic Georgian style with contemporary accents
and nature. Remember the colours, sounds and sightsto add freshness and wit to the interior.
of your last holiday. Why did they make you feelThe more you explore and make a conscious note of
happy? How can you use these elements to recreatethe things that inspire you, the more confident you
that contented feeling in your own home? Start a filewill become with your own style preferences. Always
in which you can put magazine cuttings. Take photosstay open to new influences. Keep your eyes and
or buy postcards of places, buildings, furniture,ears open. Your style is something which should grow
beaches, sunsets… anything that inspires you.as you grow.
Carry a small notebook in which you can sketchYour style is part of who you are. Why not make it
ideas. Often the secret to why an architecturalpart of your home environment?
feature works is hidden in the proportion of one part