The Days of Summer: Design for Beginners

If y'all didn't know I love interior design! I am in no way a professional, but I am constantly stalking my favorite designers on their blogs or reading their books to gain more knowledge. I was going to go to school back when I was preggo with Shane, but they ended up canceling the class because of lack of interest. I have a feeling if they offered it now there would be more than enough interest. I still from time to time look to see if they are offering the course. In the meantime I try to cram in as much design goodness as I can. Looking through magazines is a classic way to develop your eye for design. Back before Pinterest, I use to tear out magazine pages and store them in a binder. Now most of the images are available online.

I thought it would be fun to talk about a few ways you can sharpen your design skills. First off, you need to know your style. You don't have to have just one. I have many and they change year to year. My home is Mid Century Modern. I have always loved antiques and vintage furniture but I was not an expert on this style. Over the past six months I have just fallen in love. There are even different design styles within Mid Century Modern design. For instance, there is a more funky and vibrant style called "Atomic". I am not super into bright colors so this style scares me a bit. I like the more muted tones MCM design offers. I love the warm wood tones of teak wood and the tapered legs that many MCM pieces boast.

So, how do you figure out your design taste? You probably have a pretty good sense already. There are many different styles but most of those fall into these categories: Modern, Contemporary, Traditional,Transitional and Eclectic.

A great way to figure it out if you are completely lost is to take a quiz. There are so many, but HGTV has a good one http://my.hgtv.com/style-finder/stylefinder.esi. I like this quiz because it has many options to choose from(except I didn't like any of the kitchens!). I took it and surprise my style is:

Your style is Mid-Century Mod

Open, airy, organic spaces, all about form and function. Sophisticated and sleek yet approachable, alluring. My home is Mid-Century Modern.

Now, before when I took this, years ago, it is was Modern Coastal. I like clean lines but not hard/sharp lines. I do not like contemporary design because it tends to be cold and has bright vibrant colors which I usually do not care for(unless in a child's room). I do like a clean simplified look which is more Modern...with a splash of vintage. I think that is why I feel in love with MCM because it is Modern and Vintage!

So.......what design style are you? I love all design....truly! Well, that is a lie...I despise Victorian...but I can appreciate the craftsmanship of a Victorian house. Once you have figured out your design style...start slipping through a magazine or search that design style on Pinterest. A few sites I highly recommend are HGTV and Houzz. They are filled with so much information. If you lean more towards warm colors and comfy furniture pieces you are most likely going to fall into one of the Traditional design styles like: Beach/Coastal or Farmhouse/Country/Rustic. If you like a more vibrant look with unique pieces you most likely will be more Contemporary or Eclectic. Some eclectic styles can even tend to be more of a world traveler look which can be Contemporary or traditional.

It may seem confusing but it really is about what you like. I have always had a wide variety in my home but Coastal pieces had a big presence in my home. My bathroom now is the only place you will see two lonely starfish that made the cut into my new favorite style of MCM.

Hope you gained a little more insight into the design world. Up next I will be talking about my favorite designers and share links to their blogs/websites!