Finding Your Design Style

“Her hat is a creation that will never go out of style; it will just look ridiculous year after year.” Fred Allen

Finding your ‘style’ may feel impossible as you flip through the pages of home design magazines; there are so many beautiful rooms and furnishings!  With my clients I use mood boards that reflect five general styles; this eliminates some of the confusion and reduces the number of overwhelming options created by all those pictures.

Instead of confusing my customers with the intricacies of what might differentiate a French Country room from a Neoclassical room, or fussing over whether a Ming Dynasty vase belongs in a Japanese-influenced room, I keep the categories simple and broad so we can get down to the business of creating the new look.

Let’s begin with what we’ll call the “Classical” style.

CLASSICAL style feels timeless and honors history and tradition.  A classical room looks balanced and polished, features rich, luxurious fabrics and finishes, and exudes an air of quality.   You might like this style if you enjoy a clear feeling of antiquity and balance, and prefer old world treasures and marble floors with luxurious draperies.

Next consider the “Contemporary” style.

CONTEMPORARY style feels clean and open.  A contemporary space leans toward a minimalist feel, shunning clutter in favor of clean, crisp lines and a few key features that focus the room.  In contrast to the Classical style this leans towards the modern and new and tends to have an edgy, avante-garde look.

Perhaps you enjoy the natural, well-traveled look of the “Global” style.

GLOBAL style honors the world traveler and cultural collector.  A global room features natural fibers, varied textures, and colors common to nature.  It invites the viewer to take a journey.   This style can reflect one culture (such as a japanese-styled dining room or african-styled family room) or reflect a more general feeling of global travel.

For the fearless, perhaps a “Dramatic” style. 

DRAMATIC style feels fearless.  A dramatic room is far from ordinary and always leaves a lasting impression.  Built through drama, theme, and color, it is ‘extreme design’ and not for the faint of heart.  A dramatic room frequently begins with one of the other design styles, but that style is pushed beyond the ordinary to the spectacular.  This style is where theme rooms come into play - maybe a medieval castle for your basement media room, or an adventure filled jungle room for the kids!

For the hearth and home, “Country” style.

COUNTRY style speaks to tradition and family.  A country room embraces visitors with warmth and might feature family treasures, flea market finds, and cheerful, patterned, often mismatched fabrics.  It invites the visitor to sit and stay awhile.

And finally, you might find that you feel most suited to a combination of all the above.  This has become a very common in decorating, and we call it “Eclectic” style.

ECLECTIC style feels fun and vibrant.  Within an eclectic room all five styles may coexist harmoniously.  A well designed eclectic room showcases collected treasures and creates a jewel box of a room.

I find that while any room can reflect a given personality, an eclectic room will most fully represent its owner.  This style of room is most like a treasure chest and is filled with varied objects that may not all ‘match’ but that each speak to it’s owner I find that while any room can reflect a given personality, an eclectic room will most fully represent its owner.  This style of room is most like a treasure chest and is filled with varied objects that may not all ‘match’ but that each speak to it’s owner on a personal level.  The eclectic style is also well suited to the modern concerns for ecological friendly design because it allows for a viable combination of already-owned furnishings, consignment store finds and antiques, and new purchases.  

These are very broad categories, but are a wonderful starting point for figuring out the kind of room and home in which you’d like to live.  Try applying these style categories to the rooms you are drawn to as you flip through the magazines - you might be pleasantly surprised to find a common theme, and then suddenly you have a starting point for your new design!