Name Your Style
Use this guide to identify your own unique style
Pour yourself a nice big cup of tea (or wine!) and get comfortable because this is a BIG, free post for you all.
Have you ever dived head-first into a kitchen renovation or you just can’t get your living room to look ‘right’?
It could be because you’re not sure of your style.
Now before you say, ‘but I don’t have a style’ well if we dig down a bit, we can find it. And don’t worry if you don’t fit neatly into one box, I mean we’re a little more complex than that aren’t we!
Different seasons of life may see us lean into one style more heavily than others. That is OK, this is not a life long commitment to one style.
I hope that this guide helps you identify your own unique style and have a bit of fun too.
ALSO…. I’m offering a course to help you with your own home.
This is the STYLE STUDIES FOUNDATION course.
This course will help you make confident decisions for your renovation and interior design in your home.
Join the WAITLIST to be the first to jump on in!
If you have already received this style quiz in your inbox, apologies for the repetition. In any case, it’s always interesting to take the quiz again and see if it changed depending on your mood or if your situation has changed.
01. Why Name Your Style?
In my work with clients, they find it reassuring to be able to put words to their style. So I thought it might help you too.
Get Clarity
When you can name your style, you have a roadmap for your project.
Naming your style helps with developing the initial concept but it also guides you along the whole project. Knowing your style helps with selecting the finishes for your renovation and also when sourcing furniture and lighting.
Move Forward
Your space will feel cohesive because it doesn’t feel like areas are conflicting and fighting for attention.
When you know your style, you can continue to make informed decisions that stick within your chosen style.
Your home feels comfortable, curated and complete, rather than disjointed and confusing.
And if you want to break the rules,
well you gotta learn them first!
02. Name Your Style
No Pressure!
Grab yourself some time, a notebook and a glass of wine.
This quiz isn’t like doing a maths exam! There is no right answer. You might actually get slightly different answers if you take the quiz now compared to in six months time.
The key is to not over-think the answers to the quiz and not feel boxed-in by the result.
Sometimes you will be able to pin-point your style by knowing what it IS NOT.
Grab a pencil and notepad. Don’t overthink your answers and if two are true, write them both down.
PART 1: THE Feeling
1. When you have friends come over for dinner, how do they feel in your home?
a. They’re impressed but comfortable enough to sink into the sofa.
b. So cosy they are pulling a throw rug over their lap.
c. They feel like they’re at a gallery opening night.
d. They’re helping themselves to the fridge they’re so comfortable
e. They choose an armchair but they’re respectfully sitting upright, legs crossed.
f. They wander around your space with a glass of wine asking about all of your interesting things.
g. They kind of don’t know where to sit because everything looks a too perfect!
h. They pop around unexpectedly with wine and cheese, it’s like their second home.
2. What are some of your personal core values? List the top 3.
a. Efficiency
b. Humility
c. Equality
d. Consistency
e. Traditionalism
f. Diversity
g. Perfection
h. Vitality
3. Are you a rememberer or forgetter?
Rememberers: a, b, d, e, f
Forgetters: c, g, h
4. What is your earliest memory of experiencing a space that left an impact on you?
a. A house with large windows
b. A cosy home with an open fire
c. A brand new house
d. A visit to a country home
e. A house filled with interesting things
f. Lots of colour and patterns
g. A pared back tidy house
h. A charming beach house
5. What is the most important thing you look for when choosing a dining chair:
a. It must be an authentic piece because you don’t like replicas.
b. Can we sit on it for hours? It must be comfortable.
c. Hopefully the new design means that you’re the first to have it.
d. A dining chair with a patina tells a story, it’s already lived a life and you want to let it keep going.
e. Dining together every night should be a ritual that is celebrated so something a little formal is perfect.
f. Chairs aren’t just for dining - they’re great to collect too.
g. A simple design is best.
h. A robust chair made from natural materials.
6. When you imagine your dream space, how do you want to feel?
a. Satisfied
b. Cocooned
c. An airy spaciousness
d. Relaxed
e. Lively
f. Invigorated
g. Calm
h. Comfortable
PART 2: The Look
7. What are two colour or material combinations that you could live with forever?
a. Olive green and warm brown wood
b. Deep blue and tan leather
c. Crisp white punctured with artwork of various muted colours.
d. Beige plaster walls and mouse brown mohair velvet.
e. Blue and white stripe
f. All of the colours mingle well when it just feels right.
g. Natural. The colour is inherent to the material.
h. Warm whites with blonde timber and a little bright blue and yellow.
8. Your ultimate holiday destination.
a. Palm Springs
b. A Swedish summer house
c. The newest LA hotel
d. An authentic farmhouse
e. The Cotswolds
f. A London hotel by Kit Kemp
g. A Japanese hotel with a pared-back onsen
h. A Byron Bay house that opens out to the ocean.
9. Your ideal way to relax at home.
a. Searching online for authentic mid-century treasure.
b. Gathering the family together around a roaring fire and playing UNO.
c. You’re labelling all of the neat canisters in the butler’s pantry, so satisfying.
d. An afternoon spent doing wholesome activities like arranging flowers from the garden.
e. A comfy armchair, good lamp, a cup of tea and a fabulous book.
f. Opening up boxes of trinkets and going for walk down memory lane.
g. A stack of gorgeous coffee table books, a glass of wine and your chic daybed.
h. You’ve opened up the windows to let the air flow in whilst you have coffee with a friend.
10. What movie set could you live in?
a. ‘A Single Man’ - set in a John Lautner mid-century masterpiece.
b. ‘Call Me By My Name’ is set in an elaborate yet cosy house.
c. The LA house from ‘The Holiday.’
d. Noah’s house in ‘The Notebook.’
e. ‘It’s Complicated’ - surprise - a Nancy Meyers film makes the list.
f. ‘Amelie’ - this French film is the definition of quirky and cute.
g. ‘Parasite’ - the Korean movie is all about this incredible house.
h. The Jamaican house on the water in James Bonds ‘No Time To Die’
11. You love to collect:
a. European mid-century furniture from 1st Dibs.
b. You love to keep those sentimental things close.
c. You know you’re an adult when you have an art collection.
d. Big ol handmade coffee mugs.
e. You’ve started collecting vintage American quilts.
f. There isn’t a collection you don’t have!
g. Collections aren’t really your thing.
h. Beautiful shells, gnarly tree branches and soft pebbles.
12. Where do you love to shop for your home:
a. 1st Dibs.
b. You’re saving for Carl Hansen, and of course Ikea for everyday.
c. If it was just shown in Milan, you will find a way to get it.
d. You’re at auctions and antique stores every second weekend.
e. You love the collection at Liberty in London.
f. You aren’t fussy. If it looks right, it works!
g. B&B Italia, Vitra, Moroso etc combined little known artisans.
h. You mix HK Living with Muji, Target and sentimental pieces.
Styling: Coffee Table Scape
Styling Vibe
Staircase Styles
Kitchen Looks
Choose Your Chair
The Results Are In!
Now, add up your results.
The answer that you chose the most, a, b, c, d, e, f, g or h is the style that you lean into the most.
So tell me, did it surprise you or have you known deep-down all along?
What is the second most chosen style?
When you merge styles together, you can create an eclectic style that is uniquely you. Some further tips on this at the end.
NAME YOUR STYLE
a. Mid Century Modern Reimagined
b. Scandinavian Hygge
c. Contemporary
d. New Country
e. Classic with a Twist
f. Maximalist
g. Quiet Luxury
h. Coastal
a. MID CENTURY REIMAGINED
The classics are there; Hans Wagner, Eames, le Corbusier yet this is not a museum.
The ethos of the Bauhaus is there but we’ve relaxed a little. There’s more comfort, less ‘machine for living’ vibes.
b. SCANDINAVIAN HYGGE
The priority is comfort and this also means the eye is in for a treat too. It’s about warm cosy spaces that are not uptight so that there is an understated ease. Natural materials; stone, wood, leather, wool add authenticity. The furniture is made to last and handed down in the family.
c. CONTEMPORARY
This style is in the moment, right now. We are looking at new emerging design and artists to create a unique space. Looking at what is shown at design fairs around the world for inspiration; Milan to Melbourne, LA to Japan. Rest assured that the Jones’ next door have never seen anything like this.
d. NEW COUNTRY
These spaces look like they have always been there. There are no shocking surprises, which means that these spaces are incredibly comfortable and yet they’re soulful and never dull. There are elements of traditional styles; soft curved furniture, antiques showing a worn patina all in a warm neutral palette.
e. CLASSIC WITH A TWIST
With a base of Traditional English style but with a contemporary, unexpected element. Rolled-arm sofas and antiques mix with bright artwork. It’s sentimental, layered, cheerful and comfortable.
Colour and pattern mix in a thoughtful way resulting in an eclectic, original space.
f. MAXIMALIST
Bring it on! Less is not more when it comes to creating a colourful, vibrant and interesting space. The feeling of being surrounded by a carefully curated selection personal objects feels comforting. Colour drenching and sometimes clashing keeps things vibrant. Ever so slightly stepped over the line of what is ‘enough’.
g. QUIET LUXURY
It’s pared back yet not cold as natural materials are celebrated. Less bling and more authenticity.
Classic pieces from the 70s give a low-slung relaxed feel, it doesn’t want to look like it’s trying too hard. Unique, one-of-a-kind vintage pieces are sourced ensuring originality.
h. COASTAL
The vibe is just as carefree and spirited as a day on the beach. It’s joyful and not too serious allowing for relaxation.
A base of warm white is layered with rattan, wood and natural materials with a bright colour such as blue (of course) but also red, yellow and other saturated colour to lift the space.
MIXING STYLES
When you know your main style, you can understand how to mix it.
Mixing styles at opposite ends of the style spectrum can result in a dynamic space, when done with intention.
Mixing New Country with Contemporary results in a whole new style called Transitional. This is where it gets interesting!
So if you don’t see your style here, that is totally ok!
In the following 8 weeks, I’m sharing an in-depth breakdown of each of these styles. Examples of kitchens and bathrooms with the finishes to get the look. Furniture, lighting and paint colours will also be revealed in each of these 8 style categories.
So tell me, how did you go?
Join the WAITLIST for the Style Studies course.
I hope that you found this fun and maybe learned something about your style. Let me know!
Lauren
I got an even split between Maximalist and Classic with a Twist. I've always been drawn to colour so this makes sense although I would have never described my interior style as such. Can't wait to learn more about each style!