Today, there seems to be a lot of the same “look” on design shows, Pinterest boards, and even old-fashioned print magazines. If the masses love the trend, and designers are making a killing with licensing, then the “look” must be the style we should put into our homes too, right?
But what if your personal style doesn’t jive with gray paint or interior barn doors?
Here’s the simple answer. It’s your style and your home. Design as you wish.
Of the millions of people who actually care about decorating, none have the same experiences throughout their lives. These experiences translate into what makes a house a home--for them. When the time comes, you’ll have your own ideas of how to decorate your space.
Details of an individual or family’s journey seep into their design tastes over a lifetime, starting with childhood. Whether or not they hated the family home’s minimalist décor or they loved the coziness of a country kitchen, these psychological elements of design and style form personal tastes that either remain true for years on end or evolve with exposure to new surroundings, especially through travel. Military members will find this especially true given our nomadic lifestyles.
These variables and so many more (ever heard of “recession decorating?”) influence what we like to see and feel throughout the space we live most of our life in.
Having said all of this, there are a couple of caveats to championing individualistic home design.
- Interior design at its best is a skill and an art form. Professionals train to achieve creative goals for their clients. These pros are hired for a reason—to help individuals create the home they’ve always wanted, either because they don’t have the time or desire to learn the task of perfecting the combination of functionality and beauty.
- Rentals and base housing units limit, but don’t exclude, changes to the property that is yours strictly temporarily. Factor in cost and labor vs. personal satisfaction for a couple of years.
- Buying a home with the intent to sell within a few years’ time probably isn’t the optimal situation to try an intricate plaster finish on the dining room walls. Resale value should remain a focus, and catering to future buyers is likely the driving force behind decorating choices.
- A home with forever in mind, or at least many years, is a great place to be with regard to decorating choices. Considering the preferences of your household and budget are really the only limits to what is possible.
However, if you have a feeling the home fashion elements you love might be dated or out of style, here are a couple of suggestions to update and include them in a modern way:
- Don’t overdo one theme. Too much of a good thing is just too much. Every surface doesn’t need to be covered with Americana (or whatever) décor. Consider starting with a neutral background and style with pieces that evoke the look or feeling you want for the room.
- Stick to basic design principles for everyday people. Keep concepts like scale, proportion, and furniture placement in mind; they work for many reasons.
- Search catalogs and online publications for the design components that resonate with you and understand how they’ve been added to an of-the-moment room.
Without Pinterest pressure to decorate like the rest of the population, you’ll have many more options to pull personal design features into your own space successfully.
Are you still looking for more help achieving your decorating dreams? Read on. MilitaryByOwner has got you covered with our home decorating resource articles!