Home decor is everywhere these days. From thousands of stores, both brick & mortar and online, dollar spots and high end, to television shows specializing in the most on-trend designs, and social media posts on every platform, there is literally every resource one could imagine when it comes to decorating the home. So why is it that so many of us still struggle to get it “right” in our own homes?
I‘ve been interested in and learning about interior decor since I was in middle school, and while I’m no “expert”, I do know I’ve had some pretty significant realizations over the years about decorating that I continue to see others struggle with. So follow me along as I share all of my best lessons learned and decor advice in this Decor Style Series.
Today we’re going to tackle the two most misunderstood decor styles and then we’ll end with a little homework. So let’s get into it!
The Two Most Commonly Misunderstood Decor Styles
There are currently what feels like an infinite number of decor styles, and every year or so, they come up with a new one. So here is a list of some of the most common ones : Traditional, Transitional, Modern, Glam, Mid-Century Modern, Scandinavian, Bohemian, Farmhouse, Industrial, French Country, Tuscan, Minimalist, Contemporary, Rustic, Shabby Chic, Coastal, Eclectic and Art Deco. Now this isn’t an exhaustive list, and this doesn’t include sub-categories to these styles.
I know it sounds like a lot, and it can feel overwhelming and confusing, but stick with me, I’ll break it down to how you can discern soon enough in later blogs.
Now, I‘m not going to go through these styles one by one and what they each generally look like. There are a plethora of blog posts online you can search to learn about that. But one thing I am going to do is clear up two of these styles that are commonly misunderstood.
The first commonly misunderstood decor style is Eclectic…
I often hear people describe their style as “eclectic“, when, in fact, it’s typically a fusion of several other decor styles. While the word eclectic means ”deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad or diverse range of sources” (New Oxford American Dictionary), Eclectic Decor actually does have its own design structure and formula to create the look. Typically the look includes some traditional or transitional components, curated antique or vintage pieces, modern finishes, bright pops of color, global influences and bold pattern mixing. Texture and quirky decor add even more visual interest, and the heavy use of tropical indoor plants are the cherry on top of this design style.
The next most misunderstood design style is Transitional Style…
I’ve heard Transitional style referred to as starting with one decor style and transitioning it to incorporate another decor style. So you could have a Rustic, log cabin home, and decide to bring in Farmhouse elements, creating a Rustic-Farmhouse look. And that isn’t completely wrong, however, like with Eclectic decor, Transitional also follows a bit of a formula. My understanding has always been that Transitional decor is the blending of Traditional and Contemporary styles.
To me the most obvious modifications from Traditional to Transitional is the design changes in upholstered furniture. Lose the t-cushions, the skirt on the bottom, and swap out the roll arm for a track arm and voila! You have the quintessential transitional sofa. Not too formal and stuffy, not too cold and contemporary. And it’s a very adaptable starting point that can merge well with many other decor styles. If you don’t want to get stuck being “married” to one style, this is the base furniture you want to look for.
Now let’s move on to the Big Question: How do you find your decor style??
Well, I wish I could send you to a decor quiz, or create a formula for you to figure it out easy peasy, but let’s face it, many of us have taken those decor style quizzes, and if you’re like me, the “answers” fell flat. Or better yet, when given the examples and told to “choose one”, none of the room choices were something you liked, let alone defined your “style”. Well, I’m not going to make you choose from a limited array of photos, or ask you
leading questions that drive you into one or even a few categories. What I am going to do is give you some home-work. And it’s nothing that I don’t already do, myself.
First, I want you to look at your space and identify what style your home is. Not your decor style. Your home.
What year was it built? What colors are the flooring, the finishes, the paint? What style are the light fixtures? Are they traditional? Contemporary? Farmhouse? Is it inconsistent? Write it all down. Start taking photos of each space.
Then ask yourself about the actual design in your space. Do you have awkward areas in your home? Are any areas lacking symmetry? Doors or windows in awkward places? Take photos of those, too. File these photos into an album on your phone.
Next, I want you to ask yourself- do you like the style of your home? Write down what you like about it and what you don’t like about it.
And the last part- take a look at your current furniture and decor, including the state of your home. Do you like your furniture? Is the layout efficient? Enough seating? Too much? Is it always messy? Cluttered? What season of life are you in- babies, kids, teens, empty nest? Does your home fit that season of life?
I really want you to think about all of these things, and while doing this, start thinking about what you’re working with. What IS working, what’s NOT working- and I mean visually and functionally. If there’s anything I have learned, it’s that sometimes we think we need something to make our home look or function better, the new trend, the new refrigerator container system- getting that one thing home just isn’t the solution that we hoped for. It’s often because we aren’t taking the big picture into account, and creating an order of importance.
Taking notes of what the current situation in our home is, and what we think we’d like improved can give us clarity on what really is a priority.
If we keep seeing that not enough storage is coming up on our list, we may need to
consider decluttering and focusing on functional but attractive storage solutions for the specific clutter our family struggles with. Or perhaps it’s that the rooms seem too dark, or simply feel “unfinished”, or maybe the kitchen and bathrooms feel out of date and need a minor refresh.
Ultimately, there are no amount of trips to Homegoods or Target than are going to create the home you love if you don’t have an intentional direction and a plan first. Once you’ve gotten all of this down and really thought about the intentions you truly have for your home- new furniture, reworking what you have, bringing a “homey“ feeling in- whatever it may be, only then can you start considering what style you really want to see in the space.
Most of us don’t have huge budgets to turn a Colonial style home with oak hardwood everywhere and chair rail and mouldings into a sleek and minimalistic contemporary home. Ultimately we need to work with what we have and still come out enjoying our space. Being intentional and purposeful can help avoid these traps we get in that lead us to confused styles and a lack of general flow and cohesion in our homes.
So we have gotten some common decor misconceptions out of the way and started our observations and notes about our home. It may not seem like much, but it’s a very good place to start. Going forward when I bring up those decor styles, you’ll know exactly what I mean. And over the next few weeks I’m going to be writing about all of the road blocks we hit when trying to decorate, explain the best approach to shopping, discuss trends, what to do with antiques and vintage items, and how to be intentional when putting your home together.
And that whole “Decor Style” dilemma? Oh yes, we are going to dig deep into that, too.
Be sure to comment down below your biggest decor struggles and don’t forget subscribe so you don’t miss out on new posts :)
~Jill