How to understand what you like, so u like what you see and how you live.
Hi and welcome to my first Blog 😊.
So, trying to think of what topic I should choose to write about, my thoughts shifted to what I have been asked from a few clients recently. And that is, advice on how to find and create a style they will be happy to live in and grow with.
They've asked;
‘How do I find my style?’
’How can I style and accessorise my home to a look I like?’
'Does my whole house need to look the same?
‘I know what I don’t like, but how do I find what I do like?’
So, there are a few questions you need to answer…
Do you like colour? Or do you like more of a neutral/safe/classic palette?
Do you like clean lines, minimalism with no fuss or are you a stickler for details?
How will the space be used and who will be using it?
Do you think you will still love this look in 5-10 years? Or is it just because it’s a style that's 'in' at the moment and is in your face so to speak?
Are you always drawn to a particular look when you flick through magazines, Pinterest etc.?
Will you be happy walking into your home every day and seeing the style you are hoping to achieve and then to actually live in it?.. or you do you like it but in somebody else home?.. or perhaps it's for that 2nd home you dream of, where you don't need to see it all the time but is nice to holiday in?
I recently went out with a client who was struggling between a modern (clean crisp lines) and a traditional (classic ornate elegant) style. Her husband loves the traditional look, but with an emphasis on more of the ornate traditional look and she likes the cleaner lines. But, after our 2-hour shopping excursion her mind was opened to the way her home would look if she went down one path (as the kitchen is being totally gutted and refitted with a wall removed, an island, new cabinets etc..) compared to the other.
She came to the realisation that she actually liked a twist of the classic thrown in with the modern…but as her major renovation will include a total overhaul of the kitchen being opened up into the lounge/dining area, I suggested we look at what she liked in a kitchen. She was drawn to a classic looking kitchen with detailed cutouts in the doors and not the flat glossy modern style she thought she wanted to achieve. She'd wants handles, but rather than a classic black knob or handle, she'll be mixing it with a silver pull typed handle to give it the modernist feel she likes.
We looked at accessories like lampshades, paint colours and cushions. What we looked at for instance were $30 light shades that would go over the island. I said to her, if by any chance you get sick of looking at these it’s $90 that you will be swapping, as the big ticket items (kitchen cabinetry, counter tops, appliances and electrics) are done and in place. These are the things you will need to get right, as they cost the most and a hassle to change. She then came to the realisation that these things do not need to be forever, which opened her mind into looking into accessorising with an open mind.
I gave the analogy of dressing up the ‘little black dress’… it’s all in how you accessorise the dress that will give the overall look in the end. So, by swapping out the big silver bangle for a diamond or pearl bracelet you have taken your look from modern to classic elegant. So, worrying about getting the paint colour or lampshades or vases etc. right may take time, as long as you get the body and structure and layout of what you are working with (the little black dress and the shape it's covering) these $90 light shades, the $40 paint colour, the $20 vase and other accessories can always be changed if and when you are wanting to create a different feel.
Styling the lounge, bed, walls and floors is the fun part. The availability of cushions, throws, rugs and artwork is huge and always replaceable or easily moved into a different room of the house.
Understanding that it is fine to mix a couple of styles is Ok, but of course its how it is put together. Don't choose bold patterns or colours that will be fighting for attention in a space. Your eyes will hurt from trying to concentrate on too many things. Go for a statement piece if you find something that you just cannot live without, and build around that.
I suggested to just keep looking at sites like Pinterest, Instagram, Houzz etc and make your own inspiration/mood board of what you like. See the pattern of things that draw your attention and see if you can understand why, and overtime a style of your own will evolve, and no doubt will continue to evolve as the options for decorating a space is continually changing.
So, don't see it as daunting, rather as an exciting process to see what you can actually create and achieve. You may surprise yourself in what you find out about yourself and what you actually like rather than what you thought you liked. Have fun with it!