Finding YOUR Design Style

Well, to start with, let's simplify the task! Instead of trying to duplicate someone else's elegant interior, create a list of the things that are important to making your life easier, functional, attractive and a reflection of YOU!

Do away with the fantasy of holiday dinners served at a ten-foot farm table if you don't have room for a ten-foot table. Let go of the thought of white-on-white decor if your house is teeming with kids and pets. The first rule of home decorating is to know YOURSELF! Make your home accommodate your real everyday life.

HOW TO DO IT:

Take a realistic view of how you and your family use your house - every day, not just on holidays or when company is coming - everyday! Don't buy anything unless it meets your functional needs first. Organize! Throw out what you don't need. Keep what defines you. Have a Plan! Create a theme for the whole house. Prioritize! Start with the room that's most important to you and make it your own. Determine a budget no matter how big or how small. This will define your choices. Take on one room or one problem at a time then move on to the next and the next. If you're not sure of your choices, ask your family and friends for opinions, then do what you think is the best! And remember, many interior designers offer consultations to help steer you in the right direction, so don't hesitate to ask for help.

Getting started is the hard part. Getting into it is the fun part.

And seeing it finished is pure joy itself!

Julie Fergus, ASID, is a nationally published interior designer. Her studio and showroom is located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Julie's clients are primarily in the Lakes Region and Mount Washington Valley, however, she will travel throughout the state and North East.  www.JulieFergus.com | www.DesignByMail.com