{ Indentifying Your Style } Step-By-Step

It can be hard to identify what your personal style is when it comes to the home. This lack of certainty is often the first hurdle to overcome before re-decorating, or even purchasing a single piece of furniture. Hiring an Interior Designer is a great solution for people who would rather have someone else help them through the process of re-design.

However, some enjoy tackling this task on their own without the help of a professional. If you choose this route, here is a simple method that can help you along.

Step One. Gather as many magazines as you can get your hands on.

Step Two. Go through the magazines and mark any images that jump out at you.

Step Three. Scan and print the images.

Step Four. Arrange all the images together on a table or on the floor.

Step Five. Observe. Make notes about common themes you see. Are there common textures present? Perhaps there are a few special colours that stand out consistently? You may spy a little detail that you never noticed before! (When doing this with a friend of mine, we noticed that all the pictures she selected had coloured trim – there wasn’t a single picture with white trim!)

Step Six. Make a plan of action. Look around your home and determine what will stay and what will go based on the style cues you received from the previous step – sometimes what you get rid of is half the battle. Make a list of to-do’s based on a time-line or an overall budget. Knowing what needs to be done and when means you can take on each task step by step.

Step Seven. Make a mini style-inspiration-card and keep it by the door. When you go out shopping use it as a guide for your purchases.

Step Eight. The main rule for creating your own look in the home is:
                                 Go With What You Love.

Images:
Better Homes and Gardens April/May ‘09
Better Homes and Gardens Winter ‘08
Better Homes and Gardens Winter ‘09
Country Living – March ‘09