How to Determine and Achieve the Right Home Style for You

The home is a place that reflects your personality, so it's important to select a decorating style that speaks to you and makes you feel comfortable.

What are home decor styles?

Home decor styles are different ways to design your home and that speak to your personality. There isn't a set of rules for home style, but there are ideas that can be followed if you want a specific look and feel. Some of the different styles for interior decorating include; modern, traditional, rustic, shabby chic, minimalist, farmhouse, contemporary and coastal.

How can I make my house look stylish?

There are many ways to make your home look stylish. For a streamlined and sleek modern design, choose neutral colours and clean lines. If you like a more traditional feel with a splash of contemporary, then include texture, patterns and richer tones.

A great trick to spruce up your interior design and work toward your ideal home style, is to simply remove clutter - create a blank canvas into which you'll bring pieces to obtain your personal style.

What is a traditional home style?

The traditional home style gives the feeling of comfortable elegance with rich colors and dark woods. It's an elegant look, and evokes feelings of tradition through carefully chosen furnishings, often including antiques and family heirlooms.

Traditional style can be described as symmetrical with a warm and calming feel and is perfect for those who wish to achieve a classic, understated design with a casual, yet predictable look.

What is a modern style house?

Modern houses are characterised by simple, sleek lines and clean spaces. They feel streamlined and fairly minimalist. Modern houses will generally have a feeling of spaciousness that is also reflected through the design's use of open floor plans, which allow for uninterrupted sight-lines throughout each space. It's a broad, yet simple design and emerged in various forms during the 20th century.

What are the latest trends in home decorating?

Although it's true that sustainable and affordable styles of design with natural elements throughout are very much on trend, these ideas can be applied to any home interior. Just because a particular design is currently popular, it doesn't mean it will outdate if it's something you find inspiring. Modern boho is strongly emerging as a 'now' trend since it incorporates several designs into one very personal style, but isn't overpowering.

What is the most popular home decor style?

There are many popular home decor styles, but some of the more current and on-trend decorating ideas are those including:

• Scandinavian style, known for its hygge - a quality of comfort, friendliness and conviviality
• Industrial style, which uses things like bare brickwork, metal and concrete, and evokes a minimalist, yet slightly rustic feel
• Modern boho style - a more free-style form of decorating with no hard and fast rules.

It's best to try and find a style that reflects who you are and if 'popular' isn't what you like, then don't feel a need to use it.

Can you mix decorating styles?

Yes, absolutely! Mixing decorating styles is a great way to put your own stamp in your home and is a fun way to change up your interior.

It's all about cohesion and not blending too much together. Be selective with a minimal colour palette, so some core details remain consistent.

For example, if you have one particular piece, say, an antique grand piano, then make this the feature addition to help your industrial concrete-floored room sing. Place a luxurious sheepskin beside it, and you have a wonderful combination of mixed styles.

How do I decide my home style?

Determine what inspires you and makes you feel good. Ask some questions such as:

What kind of budget will I need to create the styles I'm drawn toward?

What things do I already have that may lend themselves to a particular interior feel?

What colours draw me in?

What themes capture my vision and speak to me?

Look online, visit show-homes and do some research to find inspiration for the style(s) that most please you.

What are the steps to decorate a room?

Sometimes the thought of decorating can be overwhelming. Here's a short checklist to help you get started:

• Plan a budget - does it only include paint? Or, large pieces like a new sofa?
• Determine your style and the overall look you're going for
• Create a layout of the room and garner a 'big picture', and vision of your completed room
• Clear the room of furniture to provide a blank working area
• Begin with painting or wallpapering - do this before flooring updates
• Order large items ahead of time - it won't be fun waiting weeks for that dining table or accent chair that you were counting on
• Tie the room together with things like wall art, sheepskin area rugs, lamps and throw cushions

How do you make a room aesthetic?

Aesthetic is essentially a description for the appreciation of beauty. Making a room aesthetic is about creating something that feels pleasant and beautiful. Hence, this can mean different things to different people. For home decor, you can't go wrong with bringing in warmth and texture through items like sheepskin floor rugs and throw blankets. Greenery, soft-lit decorative lamps and scented candles are great additions to turn a room into a pleasing aesthetic.

How do I decorate my first house?

Decorating a first home is an exciting prospect. Find the home style you like and research tips and design techniques so you can easily create a home you love. Highlight features that inspire you and think about floor plans, traffic flow and how you'll arrange furniture in the rooms.

Start with deciding on a colour scheme since this will help tie the whole design together. Begin with one room at a time and be sure to completely finish a room before moving on to others.

The devil is in the details so don't be tempted to skip the little things - paint the ceiling if it needs it, replace the baseboards/ skirtings if they're looking tired, buy new light switch covers - you get the idea.

What is the first thing to do when you decorate a room?

Begin with a budget, plan and vision for your chosen style, and move forward from there.

Your room should reflect your personality and lifestyle and ideally tie in with the overall home style of the house. You will then simply start by clearing the space, so you have a safe place to get to work.

How can I decorate my home on a low budget?

Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to decorate the interior of your home. If you're willing to learn some tools of the trade, you can repurpose existing pieces and renovate second hand items with ease. Have family and friends help and don't be afraid to incorporate thrift store finds and flee market bargains.

Often, it's worth putting some of your limited funds into quality pieces that will last forever. Think about timeless, inspiring, luxury items such as, a sheepskin Shaggy Bean Bag, that will add warmth, texture and style.