7 things you can do to develop your personal design style
What began as a short video script has turned into this week's newsletter.
There is so much writing on developing personal style (clothing-specific) and much less on personal interior design style. I hope to bridge that gap. I wish there were a better term for this - it should really be "Personal Style," but of course, that is immediately associated with clothes.
While I believe I've written about most of these in a longer capacity, my hope is that presented collectively, they are useful and outline a bit of a process you can engage in.
So here goes:
Become an Intentional Observer
Go on walks, collect magazines, read interesting books, watch films, art, galleries, flea markets, etc—notice what grabs you. Go around with your antenna up and notepad out, and document what catches your attention. You will learn a lot.
This is a different way of living. It's very analytical. By observing and especially documenting, you will start to build a little design library of ideas. You may get a great idea and not be able to use it for a decade. That's ok; it will be there, in the library, waiting to blossom.
Always feed the library.
See Things as Component Parts
A living room is not just a living room. It's a series of decisions. Study photos of spaces you love and reverse engineer them. Furniture style, colors, windows, floors, walls, molding, lighting, negative space, and hardware. Good spaces rhyme.
Photo: Christopher Simon Sykes for House & Garden
I am very much self-taught, and this was my primary method. Aesthetic paraphrasing. Copy rooms you like, and the natural constraints of budget, architecture, and sourcing will force yours to be its own thing.
Experiment Boldly
Try out pieces (perhaps just a lamp or small art to start) to see what fits; don't worry, flops are how you learn and grow. Slight discomfort is a positive signal.
Facebook Marketplace has opened up a universe of low-stakes experimentation. If you were patient and had a pickup or van, you could easily do a whole house from Facebook.
This is for sale in my neighborhood for $25. I already have too much stuff like this but would be really fun
Seek Coherence
What theme are you trying to create in your home/project? Try to establish 5 things you'd like to be part of your theme (ex: dark wood, brass, red fabric, matte tile, stone) and carry this out in each room. You don't need every single item in each room, just a couple.
All great hospitality does this. There should be visual communication between the front desk and the door to a suite in a good hotel. It's the idea of a "signature look."
Hotel Chateau d'Eau in Paris - Lobby
Hotel Chateau d'Eau - Room
Tell a Story
It doesn't have to be as explicit as family pictures/heirlooms, but those are great. A chair you found in an alleyway 15 years ago is still a story worth telling. Hopefully, your story is more than "he bought what was on trend in 2023"
My grandparents loved midcentury brass reading lamps, which I also loved as a kid. I found some about 12 years ago at Goodwill for $20. Now I have two stories - my grandparents & Goodwill.
via Chairish
Trust Your Gut (after a few reps)
Good taste is what delights you, not others—go with what feels right. Everyone's eye is drawn to different things, so what do you actually really like? Not what people tell you to like, what you like.
Your house should reflect who you actually are. Not everything, but some unadulterated "you" is good here and there.
Armchair - Lauren Gonzales
Ask for Help
You probably have a stylish friend or two. Someone who dresses well or has a great office or living room. Invite them over and ask them what they would do - you'd be surprised and will 100% get ideas you've never considered.
There is essentially an unlimited set of different configurations you could make in any given space. My wife is great for this - a sounding board for bouncing ideas off. She can always see what's working and what's not.
Every creative needs a sounding board.
