By now, we are all aware of Allison Bornstein’s 3 word method for finding your personal style. As I venture into my interior design phase of hobby-hood, it occurred to me that using the three word method can apply to home style as well.
We all want our homes to look like our Pinterest boards, but sometimes they don’t translate well into our day to day and practical lifestyle. So if you’re in any phase of decorating/designing your space, let this method help guide you.
1 | Architecture
For your first word, I’d consider the bones and soul of your home. This could also include location, as inviting the outside into your home usually bodes well for design and overall feel. Of course, just because you have a Spanish Colonial build, doesn’t mean you have to go all in with tiles and arches everywhere, but generally speaking, we choose homes where these types of features stand out to us, so there must be something we were drawn to about these architectural qualities. The key is not feeling so boxed into these categories that you lose your individual sense of style and feel like you have to adhere to certain “rules”.
Some words in this category include: craftsman, mid-century, Spanish, cottage, Victorian, and colonial.
If you are unsure, or feel like your house is a pretty blank slate, then choose which one you aspire your home to be and aim toward adding some features on the exterior to achieve that look.
My current home is considered a Cape Cod. Though we are in the Mid-Atlantic, the low, broad type of housing is popular around here. We added shutters in the front to accentuate the big bay window and add some character to the otherwise blank exterior of the home.
2 | Feeling
Now, focusing on the inside, let’s choose a word to describe how you want to feel in your home. This is probably hard to narrow down to just one word! When people come over how would you like them to describe your place? And how do you translate that into what furniture and design choices to make?
Some words in this category include: cozy, inviting, tasteful, natural/organic, feminine/masculine, maximalist, high-end, and cultured
Examples: If I wanted my home to feel cozy, I would have candles on the mantle, a lot of seating options in the gathering space, throw blankets and pillows, and lamps instead of recessed lighting.
If I wanted my home to feel organic, there would be minimal sharp lines and minimal decor in general, a lot of plants, earth tones, natural textures, big open windows, sage or santal incense, and wood features.
I aim to make my home as inviting as possible. Both my husband and I love to host. We have 4 young kids and a dog, so space is a bit limited, but we prioritize having a large dining table as well as a picnic table outside, seating options in the main rooms, accessible items for kids of all ages on hand, and music playing all the time.
3 | Lifestyle
The first two words focus on the look and vibe of the home, so for the last word, let’s consider what actually goes on in the home through daily routines and behaviors. A house that holds a young adult just starting in their career will look and feel vastly different from a house with two working parents and their teenage children. Obviously these dynamics change, especially if you know you will be in this same house for many years to come, so try to think ahead a little bit. What are the high touch and traffic points in your home? What spaces in the home do you cherish as sacred?
Some words/ideas in this category include:
compartmentalized - maybe you work from home and need a designated work space separate from the kitchen and relaxing living room.
social - you like to have a lot of people over for gatherings or host events in your space, therefore you’d probably need a large living area with an open floor plan.
entertainment - you come home from work and like to veg in front of the TV. You love movie nights and aim to create an almost theater experience. And/Or you have an epic sound system for your record player and have tunes spinning at all times.
Examples: If I were single and lived in a smaller home, I would want my space to embody wellness. The bathroom and vanity area of my room would be my sanctuary, so I would make sure I had a big bathtub with all the accoutrements for my skincare routines. I would have natural materials throughout and air purifiers and aroma therapy, plants, calming and muted colors, and plenty of storage space so no clutter is visible.
I try as hard as I can to keep my current home streamlined. I have 4 kids that need to get out of the door, ready for school, by 7:15 AM. We have their lunchboxes hanging off the kitchen island, backpacks hanging in the mudroom for them to grab as we leave, and a big calendar in the kitchen. It’s not perfect all the time, but we try our best to have a spot for everything, even if that means baskets in several rooms as a “dump pile”, and every few days the dump pile gets distributed to their correct spots.
So as of right now, my home style is Cape Cod, inviting, and streamlined. As I consider things for the house in the future, whether it’s picking out new furniture or decor items, or planning a kitchen reno, I will stick to these words as my guide and inspiration.
A big part of what makes a house a home is putting your own personal character into it. Up until now, I used to scour the internet for specific design related photos. “Organic modern meets industrial rustic” or “Coastal transitional” was my top Pinterest search of 2019. What I’ve come to realize is whatever I like, I will find a place for in my house. I had to stop caring about names of styles and just do what felt good to me for our space. I love my home now, and while looking at a lot of inspiration online is always fun, I’m trying to focus on letting my actual home inspire me.
I’m training to run a 10-miler in October. Snagged these running shoes on Amazon Prime day and I am loving them so far.
Nothing beats a custard swirl on a hot summer day.
Love my new tattoo by Jules!
Digging this playlist to cool down to after running.
This week we start a small renovation to our kitchen. Can’t wait to share.
Until next time,
T.