What makes design so special?
What' is "my style"?
What inspires me.?
M Y S T Y L E . . .
I always knew that my style has never been just one specific type of design. However, I could never pinpoint that one style that jumped out at me every time I saw it because there were a bunch!
As a child one of my family's favorite things to do together was touring historical mansions. Whether it be a mansion we discovered on one of our trips upstate or a mansion located on the island, spending the day touring these castle like homes and learning about their histories always proved to be a magical day. Due to this part of my life, I found myself always appreciating traditional design. However, I also find myself drifting towards contemporary/ transitional designs.
Going into this school year, my sophomore year of college, I always was captivated by beachy designs- soft furniture with a combination of rich/ pale blues, yellows, peaches and so on. I loved the airiness of this design style. To me it created spaces that were a fresh of breath air which promoted relaxation and high spirits. From this design style, the one aspect that I have noticed to stay with me in my "design bag" are plants. In any interior I design I feel it's important to incorporate nature. Whether it's palm leaves, banana leaves, moss walls or flowers in a vase, some sort of nature can always be found.
Moving toward the middle of the semester I discovered my interest in the modern rustic style (all credit due to Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper). The way Joanna creates spaces that are timeless and elegant while keeping the "livable" aspect of design present is something I strive for as a designer. From this, reclaimed wood and shiplap are two design materials that I absolutely LOVE and, can be added to my "design bag". At this point I knew I had a thing for nature-like design; plants in every room, and dark, grainy woods.
The other side of me- the very feminine side, also liked the “glam” aspect of design. Rooms with high gloss finished floors, lacquered doors, bold accents and marble ANYTHING were definitely on my list of favorites.
As I studied History of Furniture and Design I deepened my love and appreciation for traditional design. I realized I don’t like it so much in excess but I like spaces that pull out a few forms and key features and incorporate them into a room. Anytime I see a room with dark oak walls or large pieces of furniture I immediately gain a sense of warmth and hominess which I think is an important part of design. I also began to appreciate and focus my eye onto the architectural details used in a space. Robert Adam’s plaster ceilings had me in awe the first time I saw pictures of them and this is when I also added the Neo-Classical style to my long list of “loves”. Other styles I appreciate are French Rococo rooms with light, delicate features and Victorian rooms, both light and dark features.
Overall, I am still all over the place with what “my style” is. If I were given the opportunity to create my DREAM home it wouldn’t be one style, but rather a mixture of all different styles- a sort of eclectic style. I would have plasterwork on my ceilings accompanied with crisp white walls, delicate gold and marble accents, ionic columns with fluting and furniture with soft curves and touches of wood pieces. Another room would have dark, sturdy wood work on the walls with deep velvet couches and big palm leaves in the corner matched with intricate chair designs.
I am all over the place but I think that is the beauty of design- you don’t have to like just one thing. You can pull ideas from different styles, whether historical or modern, and create a space that evokes its own feeling.
I N S P I R A T I O N
DISCLAIMER: The pictures featured in this gallery are not my own designs. I have selected a few of my favorite designs from Pinterest and Tumblr.