Style or Feel?

What is the first thing you think of when you want to change up your room?

I recommend considering decluttering or completely removing all furnishings and décor if you can.  Now you have a blank slate and possibly a blank mind!  What to do?

There are numerous tests you can take online to find out your style. They can be a fun start, but keep in mind they have been programmed for the masses.  If you google images of a particular style like farm house, industrial, or contemporary, you WILL find pictures that incorporate elements of those styles.  Do you ALWAYS like ALL the elements?  Chances are the answer is 'No'.

"So now what, Brenda?", you ask.  Let's talk 'Feel' or 'Mood'.  What do you want the room to feel like?  What mood do you want it to take on?  Here are three mood boards I designed to start envisioning what I wanted in three different spaces...

Of course, these are just images like those you find when you google a style.  You may not like all the items on the mood board your designer presents to you. That's okay.  It is a communication tool. Your interior designer will ask you a ton of questions about what you like and don't like. Even then, she will not run out and order the exact item you approve (unless you can't live without it!). The skills a professional designer brings to you is knowing how to translate the elements that make up the mood into furnishing and accessorizing your space. 

I encourage you to start a collection of your own images using whatever you are used to - pictures on your phone, Pinterest boards, Houzz idea boards, etc. Get some old magazines from a thrift store and tear out pictures. Don't just collect pictures of furnishings you like.  Collect images of ANYTHING that invokes the feeling you want your space to have.  That might be a flame, a feather, a rock, a book, a color, whatever.  The sky is the limit.
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Gather your pictures into one place and try to analyze what is common about the pictures.  Toss out or move aside pictures that take away from the feel you want to end up with.  Take a picture or paste those magazine pics onto a large sheet of paper in a way that tells your story. That story will go miles in helping your designer know the direction to take toward providing you with a space that will give you joy for years to come.  If you take the DIY route, be sure to take your mood board with you when shopping and don't be afraid to show it when asking a salesperson for help in picking out items for your room.  Although there are many other design considerations to making your space look cohesive and getting every piece to work together, this method is tried and true for getting inspired and leading you in the right direction.

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It's your turn, now!  I invite you to comment on your method for collecting inspiration for decorating a space.