Finding your decor style

Have you ever looked for similarities in rooms you are attracted to in magazines or online?
That's one of the best ways to determine what you like for your own decor.  If you don't know where to start here are several suggestions to set you on your way to finding your personal decor look.

Develop a vocabulary for your style 

Initially you may not have the words to describe  why you are attracted to a space or why you find it interesting, but you will over time if you do enough looking and comparing.

1. Start with some rooms you  don't like at all. 

When you have about 10 or so look at them and decide what you don't want in a space.  This is just as important as what you do want.

Here's a room that doesn't  particularly ring my chimes because it has too much glitz and materialism.  It reminds me of  a woman who has on too much makeup and bling,  but there are lots of people who love a glam look.  I'm not judging, just saying it's not for me.

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 2. Have a category for rooms that you like aspects of


     It might be the furniture or the fabrics or layout.  It could be how it is accessorized. It could have one thing you like or a number of things.  Identify what you like and don't like.

Caleb Anderson 

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You can be attracted to a space and not like all the components of it. I appreciate that this space is dramatic and artfully conceived.  Dark wall colours are not part of my aesthetic nor is traditional decor, but I find myself drawn to this space. Why?

• mix of  some traditional and modern (furniture and art)
• accessories in vignette combine colour, texture, form and  different styles
• the perfect intersection of chair back with art  making the chair an integral part of the vignette
• there is nothing cookie cutter about this space; it's totally individual /unique
• the variety in the vignette arrangement takes my eye back again and again
• it is the opposite of what I like usually (light interiors, clean lines and more minimal look) 

3. And most importantly find rooms you love

 

 Here are some spaces I love from recent pins on Pinterest.

Room #1

House and Home

 This room couldn't be more different than the one above!  It is a space that I think is timeless even with the bold tile choice.

Here's what I like about it:

• simple geometric patterning in neutrals 
• simple lines in flat panel doors
• mix of open shelves with doors to provide some visual relief
• mix of wood,  white and geometric to add interest 
• this would be in style for years

Room #2 

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There are similarities to the kitchen above if you really look. Here's why I find this appealing:

• mix of warm wood and neutrals
• a room has to have at 3-5 different patterns for me to find it interesting
•  a touch of the outside is important to me (plants and wood) 
• lots of textures
• pared down but inviting because of the rug and the pillows

Room #3

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Such a great space:

• white, black and wood
• it looks like a well composed abstract painting
• very geometric in layout, especially the vertical window and cube lights
• the mirror connected everything visually 
• like how the sink is like a piece of furniture, not hidden
• this is a unique space

 Establish a my style and not my style boards on Pinterest 

I find it useful to have one board on Pinterest that focuses on my style. I am selective in what I put in there and often go back and delete things until I am left with what I find pleasing. If you don't want to have it open for all to see, set up a secret board and record negatives and positives without insulting anyone!

Find your look/style by doing quizzes online 

The Decorist 

This is a short quiz and was spot on for my style when I completed it.  You have to provide your email address to get your answer. 

7 Quizzes to check out 

There's a range here from Houzz to Lonny and  Better Homes and Gardens. 

I hope these simple suggestions will help you define your decorating style.  We are all unique and that's what you should aim for in your home.   Go for it!

Canadian Designer Spotlight: Brent Comber

Brent Comber   is an  innovative  Canadian furniture maker  who uses local woods to produce a variety of designs.  I first became aware of his work through his Alder series.  He dries and fastens alder branches and then carves the piles into cubic shapes. By combining organic materials with geometric lines he produces furniture with a very dynamic aesthetic. I particularly like the idea of using alder - a sustainable wood- that growns like a weed in most places in Canada.  My husband is always battling alder bush growth near our summer house in Newfoundland. Alders grow quickly  into dense stands and left alone they will overtake an area. 

Brent Comber  alder stools and bench

Round alder stools

54 inch Alder disk at White Horses Spa

This  54” Alder Disk  hung in  White Horses Spa at Doonbeg Golf Lodge,  Ireland.  While the same materials used in Comber's furniture pieces are used in the disk, the viewer is  engaged in a different way, looking  directly at the patterns and rhythms  that emerge at eye level. The piece is convex in shape and the light changes depending on time of day and the viewing angle similar to the way the light is filtered in a forest.  

Baumkuchn Cafe, Tokyo, "log cake"

In German, Baumkuchn translates literally as “tree cake” or “log cake”. This European dessert is also popular in Japan, and is the namesake for this cafe in Tokyo.  The 120 foot feature wall, texturally stunning and  simplistically beautiful, serves as a cohesive element in the design of this small space.  

T  Cup stool

 This simple design speaks of the strength and stability of wood while referencing its passage and growth.

And there's so much more... 

Aperture table

Horizon Dining Table

The man behind the design....

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 Check out Brent Comber at Jennifer Kostuik Gallery.

This fall  Brent Comber was awarded Western Living's Furniture Designer of the Year.

Accenting with wood

  There are so many ways you can make your space inviting .  My recommendation today is to  consider wood because it can add both warmth and architectural interest to any space.  Choose a little or a lot, there's something for every space. If you don't  like the warm tones of wood but love the grain and texture, think about white washing or gray washing it.   How about using  wood  in......

Accessories 

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A few twigs or pinecones as part of a table display or sliced wood attached to board or a recessed box shape can add instant interest to small areas.

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These houses cut from weathered 2 x 4 are the essence of simple, but when massed together they provide big impact  when displayed on simple white vertical  shelving  attached to white painted board. 

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If you find beautiful wooden boxes like the ones above grab them.  They not only provide extra storage but they look great in any application.  You can tuck them away or use them out in the open as an end table in a living room or as a night table in a bedroom.  They are so versatile. 

Room Dividers 

 I am not overly fond of room dividers, but some are so well done they look like an art installation rather than a functional aspect of a home. Here are some of my favourite ones.....

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This  divider is attached to the ceiling and floor with rods but it appears to  float.  It also allows the homeowner to place a piece of furniture in front of it.   I think I would like to see the buffet a different colour so it stands out from the wood, but there are just as many arguments for having it the same colour.

 

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I just love this divider because you can move around it on both sides and it is so substantial looking and works well with the flooring.  

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 This is perfect in every way, but the addition of a concrete sphere against all those horizontal and verticals is inspired. 

 Bathrooms  

All of these bathrooms have a mix of wood and other surfaces.  Each provides relief for the other and in this way work together to create a stronger aesthetic statement.

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 There is just enough wood spread around this room to create a wonderful balance with the abundance of marble. 

 

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This is both an accent wall and an integrated storage space.

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Sliding doors and drawer and open shelving.  This space has it all.

 

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Isn't the asymmetrical placement of this wood strip just a prefect balance for all the white and glass on the left of it?

Fireplaces

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 Rough hewn logs in an asymmetrical placement work really well .  Chunky and demanding they make quite a statement.

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While this is probably rough wood that is stained, it looks like charred wood.  It is this quality that is so appealing in this application.

 

I guess you are getting the message that I love asymmetry.  This delicate shelf that extends beyond the fireplace on one side is the perfect resting place for two white vases that reference the colour of the fireplace surround.

Accent Walls  

And don't forget the power of wood for an accent wall.  Either natural or stained, you can't beat the  warmth of real wood.  I especially love it paired with white walls and furniture.

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 emily jagoda  Houzz