In a world of Instagram and Pinterest, where design trends spread like wildfire, it's easy to get caught up in the "it" style of interiors. Our spaces are a reflection of the people who live in them, our memories, our personal tastes, and how we like to present our home to others. There's no right or wrong personal design style, but understanding your preferences can lead to a more aesthetically harmonious, and ultimately, more personal home.

Step 1: Find Visual Inspiration Without Overthinking

One of the parts of our process at AGI is to study inspirational images we ask our clients to provide at the beginning of a project. Pinning, dog-earing, or screen-grabbing images based solely on an instinctual connection to them - i.e. without overthinking what it is exactly you like about the image - is a great way to collect data points.

Step 2: Determine the Common Thread Between Each Image

From those collected images, common colors, style periods, or materials can be identified, and patterns will emerge - common threads that link the images. Once you have a good amount of images, organize them based on those common elements. It could be things like "blue wall color", "simple marble fireplaces", or even an overall style, like "Modern Coastal." Once you collate the images, you can develop a language that can be used to direct a design concept.

Step 3: Begin a Concept Board Based on Theme & Style

Using those common elements, narrow down details you love to develop a loose design concept for the space you're working on. Using the above examples for a living room, you could conclude that your concept should involve blue paint, a simple marble fireplace, and Modern Coastal elements like driftwood and white finishes. Getting an overall concept down will help you make final selections that are consistent with the images you were drawn to.

Start exploring with various media - design books and magazines, as well as digital platforms. Getting a handle on your design style before you jump into a project will give you more confidence in your choices, and contentment with the final results!

Warmly,

Alison

Need help sorting out your saved images to make a plan for your project? Book a virtual consultation with Alison via The Expert!