vision :: personal style words - Fieldstone Hill Design
Author: {darlene}
Description: Try to find your style words by using regular adjectives or descriptive words that appeal to you on these levels. These words should describe...
Date: 2011-02-16T08:09:00+00:00

Fieldstone Hill Design
vision :: personal style words
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 by {darlene}

Personal Style Words:

In defining what we love, and creating a vision of personal style, vocabulary is so important.

If we can find the words to describe what it is we love,

1. we can communicate that to others, and

2. we can remind ourselves of our goals as our spaces evolve.

In my first post on this topic, I encouraged you to try to NOT use interior design words to define your style {words such as: “eclectic” or “country” or “traditional” or “minimalist” or “coastal” or “modern”}. Begin thinking outside of these boxes to find your style words.

Instead, today, I am going to encourage you to try to find your style words by using regular adjectives or descriptive words that appeal to you on these levels:

These words should describe:

1. How you want your home to feel
2. How you want your home to look, and
3. The purpose you want your home to serve.

{Sound familiar? It is the same basic list to the one that I shared in this post on how one begins refining your personal style.}

Sooooo, Homework time!:

# One.

take out your design style notebook and jot down the first words that come to mind in reference to the above list of 3 criteria.

# Two.

After you have written down all of the words that you first think of, refer to the list below, and see if any of these additional words help you to refine your vision.

# Three.

Final step? Think on it, and then, narrow it down to five or so words that best describe what you want from your home.

More Descriptive Style Words: {this list is certainly not exhaustive. In addition, why not take a thesaurus and try to nail down the perfect words for your own personal style?}

## playful, vibrant, classic, comfortable, lush, fresh, flowing, rich, bold, energetic, peaceful, serene, elegant, simple, conservative, interesting, adventurous, unpretentious, unexpected, order, neutral, textured, showy, artsy, funky, flashy, glamourous, regal, effortless, timeworn, spacious, formal, informal, bare, unique, creative, musical, sophisticated, wild, daring, fun, artistic, hospitable, welcoming, charming, uncluttered, warm, hip, crisp, airy, breathable, bare, edgy, industrial, breathes, minimal, reserved, homey, sentimental, inviting, ordered, natural, modern, unexpected, soothing, earthy, cool, cozy, earthy, quality, sparse, storied, refined, lux, purposeful, kid-friendly, rustic, vintage, relaxing, light, firey, exciting, calm, open, colorful, free, comforting, sumptuous, light-hearted, organized, colorful, gutsy, posh, plush, proper, imperfect, beautiful, etc.

{pic. via Jones Design Company }

Here is my own personal list. I use it whenever I make a design decision for my own home. This keeps me in check for my overall vision for our home, and it is especially helpful when trying to make purchase decisions:

### {darlene}’s personal style words:

The starred choices above are the three that I have memorized, and “take with me” in my mind – especially when I am purchasing for my home. I also try to keep the whole list in mind. This way, when making decisions or purchases, I can ask myself: “Is it elegant? simple? will it add a touch of glamour or a touch of simplicity? will it help my space to breathe? will it help me unclutter?”

What is on your personal style words list??

Don’t worry if you think that your home does not currently fit into the description that these words offer. In time, as you keep these words of design reason in mind, you will slowly be able to turn your home into a place that you love, where everything serves the purpose of your home and family.

I would love to know your word list. Whenever you come up with it, come back to this post, and share it here in the comments!

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### 41 Comments

- Red Door Home
  February 16, 2011 at 4:18 am

  I would use many of the same words to describe how I would like for my house to feel. I would also add welcoming and comfortable.

  Reply
- {darlene}
  February 16, 2011 at 5:56 am

  @Red Door Home! So true. What good is a beautiful home if you have no desire to linger there, and you don't want to sit on your own furniture!

  Reply
- Holly
  October 5, 2011 at 10:47 pm

  How fascinating! Thank you for sharing your wisdom! After much thought my words are: Inviting, Cozy, Orderly, Preservation, Inspiration, Creative, and Unexpected. 🙂

  Reply
- Candy
  October 6, 2011 at 11:15 am

  inviting
  comfy
  classic
  clean
  bright

  Our house was built in 1916 so it’s a fine line between wanting it to be classic and toddler/dog/kitten friendly :). Your website is beautiful thanks for blogging!

  Reply
- Lisa
  November 5, 2011 at 12:40 pm

  Hi Darlene, I am SO glad I came upon your blog and this post! Since moving last year, I’m really trying to hone in on what my husband and I love and what our family needs from our home. After 15 years together we found our belongings were too traditional for who we are and how we live! I love this approach to figuring out how we want our home to feel, look and function as opposed to choosing a design style and sticking to it!
  So far my list has: casual, comfortable, pulled together, meaningful, organized and welcoming. Can’t wait to read more here. I’ll make sure to take notes! Thanks so much for your advice!!
  PS I absolutely love what you did with Edie’s house. So eclectic and beautiful!

  Reply
- Liberty
  December 20, 2011 at 1:00 pm

  I love this post! thanks for sending the link. Smile.
  my words::
  Charm
  Alluring
  Natural
  Comfortable
  A Shelter

  Reply
- Braunschweige221@gmail.com
  April 5, 2012 at 2:38 pm

  I truly wanted to make a simple word to appreciate you for all the awesome ideas you are writing here. My incredibly long internet investigation has now been recognized with really good tips to talk about with my company. I ‘d claim that many of us visitors actually are undeniably endowed to dwell in a fine community with many marvellous professionals with beneficial hints. I feel truly grateful to have come across the webpage and look forward to plenty of more brilliant minutes reading here. Thank you again for all the details.

  Reply
- Mindy
  May 1, 2012 at 2:10 pm

  wow, such simple advice, yet I feel like I am so much closer to a vision! Thank you!

  Reply
  - {darlene} (@@fieldstonehill)
    May 1, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    awesome!!! I truly hope it helps you, mindy!

- Janna
  May 2, 2012 at 12:32 pm

  Hi, Darlene. A friend of mine pinned your Overcoming Decorating Paralysis post and I love this approach to figuring out what I like. That’s my main issue…I haven’t spent enough time defining that. So, for step one, I found these words:

  funky
  artistic
  musical
  hip
  pop culture
  modern
  unexpected
  organized
  colorful
  creative

  Basically, I think I want my house to look like a Duran Duran music video…that’s cool, right? 🙂

  Reply
  - Janna
    May 2, 2012 at 12:34 pm

    oh – I forgot “edgy” 😉

  - {darlene} (@@fieldstonehill)
    May 2, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    um, heck yes! SO cool!! Sounds like a place for fostering creativity… and lots of fun.

    So excited to meet you here at Fieldstone Hill. Come back soon!

- gyen
  May 2, 2012 at 6:38 pm

  I have my list!

  welcoming
  warm
  hospitable
  informal
  quality
  peaceful
  charming
  storied
  relaxing
  kid-friendly
  light
  uncluttered
  open
  airy
  unpretentious
  natural

  Is that too many words?

  Reply
  - {darlene} (@@fieldstonehill)
    May 2, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    definitely not too many! But, I would narrow it down to 5 for when you are out shopping and need to be reminded of your overall vision for your home!

- Amy
  May 8, 2012 at 12:33 am

  Great exercise. My list:
  Light
  inviting
  comfortable
  peaceful
  order

  and I have to “borrow” charming from the above post. originally beautiful came to mind but it seemed too generic. I think charming fits perfectly!

  Reply
- ella
  May 21, 2012 at 1:12 pm

  DH & I took a recent weekend trip to Columbus OH. We spent one day relaxing, another enjoying the quaint German Village and yet another window shopping at Easton Town Center. I took the opportunity to figure out what my DH was drawn to style wise. I’m naturally wordy and have yet to narrow our list down. If I had to reference influences, I’d say farmhouse, Restoration Hardware, Arhaus and touch of shabby chic.

  So here’s where we’re starting:
  soothing, sumptuous, neutral, imperfectly natural, classic, vintage, timeworn, handmade, refined, lux, purposeful, spacious yet sophisticated-ly cozy, industrial, interesting, effortless, ordered yet unexpected, beautiful.

  Reply
- Jennifer Zuri
  June 8, 2012 at 12:39 am

  Fun exercise! Here’s my list …
  Light
  Unique
  Vintage
  Cozy
  Sentimental

  Reply
- Carmen
  July 15, 2012 at 10:13 pm

  Fabulous series! My words are:
  Welcoming
  uncluttered-ish
  home crafted
  confident
  comfortable
  love nest.

  Reply
- Julie S
  July 17, 2012 at 10:19 pm

  I just found your blog via The Nester and am eating it up. My list is:

  Inviting
  Informal
  Graceful
  Well-Crafted
  All the Time in the World
  Mischievous

  I pin a lot of stuff that looks like a freshened up version of European country houses, but if I just said “European country house style” I would not have a clue when I was out looking for stuff. This is a great exercise. Thank you!

  Reply
- Alana in Canada
  July 29, 2012 at 1:55 am

  Hi! So happy you rote this series. I’m taking myself through it.

  Today, my words are:
  Simple
  Comfortable,
  Unexpected,
  Unpretentios,
  Welcoming, and one more from raeding the comments above,
  Handmade.

  Thanks for this. On to the next step!

  Reply
- Alana in Canada
  July 29, 2012 at 1:57 am

  Rote should be “wrote” of course, and it should be unpretentious. Gah. Typos. Hope I caught them all and didn’t make any more!

  Reply
- Jessica @ Stay at Home-ista
  August 17, 2012 at 11:31 am

  Thank you a million times over for this! I needed words to put to my style. Here is my initial list:

  Cheerful
  Bright
  Fun
  Timeless
  Family

  Jessica
  stayathomeista.com

  Reply
- Wendy
  September 4, 2012 at 4:55 pm

  Never knew what my style was. Always accept things that were given to me and/or on clearence. But now that the children are gone, I would like to be a bit more “organized” in my home decor. So I’m looking forward to this exercise!
  welcoming
  fresh
  calming
  classic

  Reply
- A Room In A Style Of One’s Own « fig tree sundays
  September 6, 2012 at 7:40 pm

  […] Hill Design’s invaluable series on defining your style gave me a list of 5 defining words that ought to fit anything I purchase, and 3 no-buy words that, if they fit, mean… I need […]

  Reply
- Kathleen
  October 6, 2012 at 8:31 pm

  What a fun exercise. I found your blog from The Nester. I think I’ll enjoy getting to know you better!

  My words:
  Comfortable
  Safe
  Happy
  Colorful
  Bold
  Uncluttered
  Fostering Connections

  Reply
- Day 10 : Behind the Scenes – GUG’s Thrifting List « Growing Up Gillian
  October 10, 2012 at 1:49 pm

  […] sharing my results with you. If you haven’t yet done the exercises, I highly recommend you go here first and then right over here next BEFORE reading my post. That way when you come back you have […]

  Reply
- Lisa
  October 10, 2012 at 2:08 pm

  I’m sort of with Wendy…I’ve got a lot of hand-me-downs, clearance, and “oh-I-need-something-NOW” items that don’t really fit what I wish my home would be. My words are:

  Purposeful
  Uncluttered
  Simple
  Relaxing
  Interesting
  Comfortable/comforting

  I think we take a lot of energy from our environment and right now, I live in a home that is pretty much the polar opposite of most of these words. I want to get there for my family as much as I want it for myself.

  Reply
- Angela
  October 28, 2012 at 4:58 pm

  I found your site through pinterest. 🙂 thank you for sharing your talents!
  I decided to do this because I am considering a move where I will have a roommate. It makes sense to me to figure out what I like so I will know what I am willing to compromise on as far as living space goes.
  My wordlist:
  Cheerful/bright/sunny/colorful
  Comfortable/relaxed
  Welcoming/inviting
  Organized/clean/fresh
  Handmade/recycled or upcycled

  Reply
- the humble abode … a challenge « only halfway there
  October 30, 2012 at 8:02 am

  […] PS – these thoughts are fuelled by a few blog posts. I am absolutely loving the 31 days of abide by sweetwater, but in particular today’s post shelter practically, and also Darlene’s post words of reason […]

  Reply
- Cheryl
  November 4, 2012 at 11:29 am

  At 48 I’m at a place in my life where my home gets to be a reflection of ME and I’m learning so much about myself. Thank you for your posts on overcoming decorating paralysis. My word list is:

  homey
  feminine
  sentimental
  fun
  pastel
  sunlight

  Reply
- Melissa
  November 5, 2012 at 10:14 am

  Thank you, thank you! I am super inspired by this post! It has been so hard for me to pin down exactly what my personal style would be because I try to make it fit in predetermined design “boxes” like you mentioned in the post (”eclectic”, “country”, “traditional”, etc.). I can’t wait to see what lovely paths my style words take me down! 🙂

  * Comfortable
  * Warm
  * Welcoming
  * Charming
  * Inspirational
  * Joyful

  Reply
- Laura
  November 11, 2012 at 9:18 pm

  Darlene,
  Having gone from never commenting to now responding to everything on your site 🙂 …. I loved (and needed this), I can see this truly helping stop the clutter build up, and it brings intention to what is allowed into our home. My design words are,
  retreat, serene, playful, natural, and open 🙂

  Reply
- Holly
  December 13, 2012 at 8:22 am

  Great idea!

  I love how things feel. Furntiure that is soft and comfortable but rich looking. So how about luxurious!

  Reply
- Day 9 : The importance of knowing your personal style « Growing Up Gillian
  December 26, 2012 at 5:49 pm

  […] and furnishing our new home! Her “Personal Style Bootcamp” advice of making a list of personal style words and a companion list of “don’t buy” words resonated so deeply with me that I began to see a […]

  Reply
- Ryland
  January 19, 2013 at 8:19 pm

  Thank you!

  Grounding
  Releasing
  Resurrecting

  Reply
- Jill
  May 31, 2013 at 4:22 pm

  This is my first time here, and I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! I feel like I get held up and bogged down by the latest trends, and other people’s styles and opinions. I hope to change that! THANK YOU!!!

  My list:
  confident, bright, comfy, cheerful, creative

  Reply
- Justine
  July 19, 2013 at 10:36 am

  I know it’s been posted a long time ago, but I only found it NOW (from LiveLoveDIY who posted about ViewAlongTheWay, who refers to your blog quite often).

  Thank you very much for this serie of posts. I’m a new and first-time homeowner. And I’m overwhelmed about how to decorate. You offer precious guidelines that demystify Decorating.

  Haven’t done my list yet. It’s kind of hard, as I love many opposite things, like wanting a home that’s both sleek and shiny and antique and worn. I have lots of work to do.

  Reply
- Julie
  July 5, 2014 at 12:22 pm

  Welcoming
  Distressed
  Layered
  Timeworn
  Rustic

  Reply
- Dawn
  September 7, 2014 at 4:46 pm

  How I want my home to feel?
  comfortable
  fresh
  peaceful
  hospitable
  restful

  How I want my home to look?
  elegant
  effortless
  uncluttered
  light
  welcoming

  What purpose do I want my home to serve?
  bring people together
  build memories
  give beauty

  Reply
- Amanda Hawkins
  November 19, 2016 at 6:57 am

  I’m looking for a word(s) (it may be Jewish in origin – I heard it on TV – Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs uttered it) that describes the unfinished industrial loft urban design look that is popular at the moment. Any ideas?

  Amanda

  Reply
- Lindsey McLane
  March 9, 2017 at 12:36 pm

  I absolutely loved this post! here is my list:

  Inspired
  Cozy
  Character
  Historic
  Serene
  Polished
  Classic
  Airy
  Sentimental
  Peaceful

  Reply

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