How to Define Your Home's Style
Whether you realize it or not, you have a personal style. It may be clearly defined and fit compactly in a well-established category. Or, your style may be a bit more eclectic, borrowing from a mix of influences.
Refined Renovations owner, Matthew Jahns, says bringing your style to life in your home remodeling project starts with understanding your tastes and knowing what you want out of your home.
“When I meet with clients I take some time to look at their current home and ask about why they chose to display certain art pieces, and what went into deciding on a certain color scheme. Even if it’s not something that’s directly tied to the area of the home we’re working on, their answers can be revealing and help inform our recommendations,” Jahns says.
For instance, displaying a family heirloom may not necessarily mean that you happen to love antiques from the 1800s, but it does point to family and tradition being important to you. That’s something Jahns and his team would take into account when designing for your renovated space.
Home is where life meets style
How you actually live in your home should be a major consideration when you embark on a renovation project. If you live to entertain, a highly functional space that feels welcoming and inviting rather than severe and edgy might suit your style best.
“The flow of daily life in and out of your home plays a large role in design and renovation decisions,” Jahns says. “How you spend your time there matters, and a good designer figures out how to integrate your personality and how you like to live into the space to make it a place that truly reflects your style.”
Another major consideration is the original home itself. All homes have influences and pieces that should be accentuated and embellished. Some of these might be detailed and minute as window trims, or more obvious such as the type of floor, to the layout and rhythm of the rooms. All of these should be considered and factored into a future remodel.
Finding your style
So how do you know which design style fits best with your home? First, let’s take a look at some categories and what defines them.
Traditional can include an array of elements, but generally think of pieces like understated, elegant wall coverings, wingback chairs, antique pieces, and subtle textures. This style can sometimes be written off as outdated, but the right lines, artwork, and color schemes can ensure it’s feeling classic rather than past its prime.
Contemporary favors sleek lines and seeks a understated, sophisticated vibe. Rounded yet clean lines paired industrial design elements such as metal, glass, or concrete make this style feel fresh. Minimalism is right at home in this ever-evolving category where neutral and bold pops of color create memorable spaces.
Transitional is a progressive push from traditional with a nod toward contemporary, walking the line between stuffy and stiff. It’s clean, and you’ll often find rustic or industrial features incorporated in this style along with softer colors or textures. “It’s the style homeowners we work with ask us about the most,” Jahns says.
If none of the above quite fit you, don’t worry. “Pulling elements from different categories our clients love to make a beautiful, eclectic blend is always an option,” says Jahns.
Is it a style or a fad?
It’s natural to worry that the design choices you make today might feel a little dated in a few years. Let Jahns put that fear to rest “All of us are influenced by fads whether we realize it or not. Some ‘fads’ will age better than others.”
Generally, the bolder the selection, the more likely it is to age out faster and feel trendy. But, what we recognize as design categories now almost certainly had elements that were written off as trendy when they first gained popularity.
“If you truly love something, don’t worry about how much you’ll love it in 5 years. If it makes you happy now, do it,” says Jahns. “In the end we want to help create a home that feeds your soul, and that’s what makes a style your own.”
Tags: Design Styles