How to Know Your Interior Design Style

End up with a look you will be happy with for years to come.

Don't let decorating your home overwhelm you. Starting may intimidate you, but you can make it enjoyable by being prepared and having a good plan. The first thing to do is find out exactly what your design sensibilities are. Once you have a decorating style in mind, you will have a solid foundation from which to exploit your creativity. The process of finding your interior design style consists mainly of research and reflection.

Things You'll Need

• Interior design books
• Journal
• Scissors
• Glue
• Interior design magazines
• Interior design software

Instructions

1. Ask yourself what inspires you. If you are inspired by nature, incorporate plant and animal forms and natural materials into the design. If you are inspired by a particular historical period, consider including antiques as part of your style. If your passion is modern art, adopt a minimalist aesthetic with an emphasis on simple, geometric shapes and use more industrial materials.

2. Look through interior design books and bookmark pages that catch your attention right away. Go back through the images and look for recurring elements in the spaces. Possible books include "A History of Interior Design," by John Pile; "Decorating with Color," from the Martha Stewart Living Magazine; "New Classic Style: Mixing Modern and Traditional for a Fresh New Look," from Better Homes and Gardens; and "Color + Design: Transforming Interior Space,"

   by Ronald L. Reed.

3. Start a visual journal. Write about and make drawings when you are in other places and see interior design elements that you like. Copy or cut out pictures of components of a decorating scheme that attract you from interior design magazines such as Elle Décor and Architectural Digest. Print images of interior spaces, materials and furnishings from the Internet. Paste the images into the journal. As the journal fills, flip through, and, again, look for those recurring elements that are obviously appealing to your tastes.

4. Walk through the world with increased lucidity. Look all around you. Take note in your journal of attractive textures, lines, shapes, colors and patterns. Having awareness of what attracts you will prepare you to identify and better pin down possible furnishings and decorations.

5. Experiment with a wide assortment of colors, flooring types, furnishings, light fixtures, window treatments, wall linings and more, using interior design computer software. Interior design software allows you to play with elements, using three-dimensional models. Examples include Home Designer, HGTV 3D Interior Design, Punch! and Chief Architect. Print those combinations of elements that you feel are most successful.

References

• My Interior Decorator: Decorating Articles; Rhonda Morin