Many people struggle with finding their personal style. Whether you’re starting out in a new home, or updating the one you have, defining your home decorating style will help you choose colors, designs, and accents that reflect who you are. Decorating your home should always be fun, so here are three ways to set your creative decorating gears in motion. They’ll help you quickly pinpoint your individual style and, who knows, you may learn something new about yourself in the process!

1. What You Already Own

   

   Take a walk through your home and look carefully at what you already have, making note of what you love and what needs to go. Pretend you’re a visiting stranger and jot down what you think the home says about its owner. Does it accurately reflect who you are today? Sometimes the best place to start is to remove everything you’re not in love with or has no significance to you. Now take a look at what’s left. Make note of repeating colors, textures, materials, and styles. Those elements will be the foundation on which your personal style is built.
   
   Tip: To emotionally distance yourself from the process, take a photo with your phone or tablet and then imagine you’re looking at a picture in a magazine. What stands out and catches your eye? What makes you think, "I like that, but I’d change it to...?"

2. If Cost Were No Object

   Take a few moments to write down what your dream home would look like. Would it have a chef’s kitchen? Minimalist furniture or detailed antique pieces? What colors spring to mind, bold or subdued? Now head over to Pinterest and search for the items on your list. Chances are you’ll find less expensive ways to accomplish the look you’re dreaming of.
   
   Tip: Don’t let the past define you. If you now see your once treasured collection of vintage milk bottles as dust collectors, don’t be afraid to let go. Think about what new elements you’d include to release your inner decorator and try to incorporate at least one. This will give you the confidence to slowly introduce pieces and accents that reflect who you truly are today, not who you were yesterday.

3. Take an Online Quiz

   To discover some surprising clues about your tastes, try some fun online quizzes to help define your unique style.
   
   Tip: You may find you have more than one style and that’s okay. Professional decorators refer to this as a transitional style, and it’s common with people who have many life interests. Embrace your versatility!

Remember, decorating should be a fun experience, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Trial and error are all part of the process of getting you to that moment of ah ha! No room or home is ever really complete, and that’s just as it should be.