How to Find Your Home Decor Style — Pretty Little Lawyer

Recently I did a blog post on decorating on a budget. One of my suggestions was that you find your home decor style before you start making purchases. As someone who took 6 months to settle on a design aesthetic, I know that’s easier said than done. So to help you cut down on that, I’ve put together a list of tips that will have you deciding decisive decisions in no time.

Start with Pinterest

But don’t stop there

I just realized that I have been using Pinterest for nearly a decade!! And while I still haven’t put my insanely organized wedding board to use, my “Home” board is finally getting some action. I first started pinning random ideas to my “Home” board in the winter of 2013. I had secured my first job in New York and was planning to decorate my studio apartment. Not only did I wildly overestimating the amount of space that would be a available to me, but the board completely lacked any sense of cohesion.

It’s amazing to look back and see my style evolution live and in color. But what’s most interesting is that the basis of my style hasn’t really changed that much over time. While the color pallets or dominate textures are different, the truth remains that I like a little bit of everything.

Pinterest is the land of possibilities. It’s a great place to start, but it isn’t the best place to establish a concrete vision. One of the best ways to put Pinterest to use is to start looking at the descriptions of your favorite pins. After you’ve been pinning for a while, you’ll start to notice a theme in your pins. When you get to that point, start reading the descriptions and looking for repeating words. For me, those words were “eclectic” and “regency.”

Image Credit: Create Perfect on Pinterest

Search Instagram Hashtags

Now that your equipped with your themes from Pinterest, you can start plugging those words into Instagram’s hashtag search. Here, you’ll start to find accounts that feature your design style and you can see how it would play out in a full house, as opposed to one room. You may find that while you fancy plants and macrame, an entire bohemian bachelorette pad may not be exactly what you’re looking for. Or…you may learn that your affinity for moody color palettes and gaudy gold frames is not a phase.

Consult an Interior Designer

If all of this sounds incredibly time consuming, that’s because it is. I’ve mentioned that it took me several months of living in my home to narrow down my design style. But there are some people who just know. Those people are either very lucky and decisive or…they’re interior designers. While it is perfectly fine and acceptable to give your home time to speak to you (encouraging myself here) it is also perfectly fine to enlist the help of a professional.

Professional designers offer a range of products to help you find your design style. Some offer virtual consultations where they will walk you through everything from a quick refresh to a complete overhaul of your space. Others have pre-designed mood board templates for as little as $20.

One of my favorite Influencers @athomewith savvy offers one-time consultations for DIYers for $99. Having followed along on so many of his projects, I can’t wait to have his insight on some of the things I have going on in my place.

Take a Quiz

If you’re not ready to talk to an interior designer just yet, you can take advantage of the free quizzes online designed to help you narrow down your desired aesthetic. Havenly offers an excellent quiz that is structured almost like Pinterest. You go through and select photos of rooms you like until you get tired lol. When you decide you are done, Havenly will let you know your top design styles. Then, if you’d like, they can pair you with an interior designer that specializes in that style. Or, you can take your new found knowledge into your own hands and begin your design journey!