Finding your own personal style in interior decorating is a matter of being observant and also trusting your instincts.

Take a few home and garden or interior design magazines and look through them. Visit the library where you will find many in this category. Allow yourself some time to really go through them. Spend a couple hours at least to discover what appeals to you. When you see a room, piece of furniture, accessory, color combo, or anything that strikes your fancy make note of it. You can either just mark it in a notebook with all the details about it or actually go print it out and make a copy of it at the library. If you mark down the magazine issue you may be able to buy it though the library has several months back issues.

Take these notes and ideas you gleaned from magazines home with you. When you have the time again, spend a couple hours checking over the material you gathered it should reveal certain facts about you. You can probably tell whether you love bright colors or more subtle ones. You may be able to discern whether your style you chose most often is classic, very modern, country, or a combination of many styles commonly called eclectic.

Do certain types of fabrics, prints, or themes jump out at you? Well, there is another clue.

Now, backing up for just a moment because if your share your home and the decorating plan is not entirely up to you, we need your partner to go and do the exact same steps as you did. You will then need to include his or her suggestions on the list of clues.

After making some discoveries you may be able to say something like my style is more traditional, but I also like country. Or, possibly I like subtle, soft neutral colors and not too much of a bold statement when I decorate.

Whatever the most frequent clues show, write it down. That is just the beginning of your style.

Now, look around you at the living spaces you already inhabit. Are their treasures which must stay? Think how you can incorporate them into your design. Are their collections' you want displayed? Books overflowing? Knickknacks everywhere? Can some be gotten rid of or stored? No, then they further define your style. The placement of these well loved items is important to your happiness and what you see every day. Include all of that in your interior plan.

Think about the use of your favorite colors and which fabrics or prints you want on walls, furniture, or accessories. You may be a floral person, an animal print like leopard person, or love the cabin look in all you use. Once you have colors and themes you can begin to gather small or large items to produce your personal style.

Do not be afraid to be bold and daring if that suits your personality. A conversation piece or just an unusual object can accent a room or even be a focal point. It is all about what looks good to you. There may need to be some experimentation until you come up with just the right blend, but when you do, you will know it is right because it looks and feels good to you. That is because you found your own personal style.

Learn more about this author, Jo Ann Wentzel.
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