“I spent so much money, and it’s just not coming together!” When your home decorating project is not working – something’s off, something’s not working… An expensive furnishing has now been bought, but now that it’s in, it’s not right after all – and now it can’t be returned….. What do you do? The first thing is to diagnose the situation:
There are 2 main reasons why this has happened:
Either:
You don’t know what your Soul Style is.
Or:
You’ve somehow confused a Building Block with a Layer.
Or perhaps some combination of these.
This is because, to successfully create a home interior that speaks to your soul (I call it a Soulful Home), you need to follow 3 key steps:
Discover Your Soul Style
Build a Timeless and Classic Base
Finish it with Layers.
“What is my Soul Style,” you ask, “and why should I care?” Maybe you just want your house to look good, like that picture you found on Pinterest. But haven’t we all tried to get the house to look like the picture – even a simple scene like a foyer – and it just wasn’t working? Because your room isn’t shaped like theirs. Or because the paint color they said they used didn’t turn out the same way: Turns out all the daylight in your actual room makes the color look washed out! Or – Heaven forbid – you didn’t end up liking that paint color after all…..”There’s got to be an easier way than all this painful trial and error!”
But I’m not going to tell you to “stop looking at those Pinterest pictures” – they are telling you something. You just need to find out what they are saying about you -your style. In my years of observation as an interior designer, your Soul Style leans either Modern or Traditional. But your Soul Style goes beyond the “pretty” to include what feels good to you (your aesthetic), and also entails the things you love to do (your lifestyle). Thus, a Modernist is one who values freedom and discovery; they may have an intellectual or entrepreneurial pursuit that takes them travelling or learning new things. Whereas a Traditionalist values roots and tradition; they may love hosting Thanksgiving or collecting vintage finds. Hiding in the background are the two Secondary Soul Styles: Practical and Sensual. Your Soul Style is actually a combination of your Primary Soul Style and your Secondary Soul Style. As you can see, your Soul Style is a lot more three-dimensional than a visual look..
To bring your Soul Style into the home environment, you actually have to do two things:
Build a Timeless and Classic Base, and
Finish it with Layers.
Your “timeless and classic base” are the building blocks of your room in need of furnishing. These are the foundational pieces that need to stand the test of time. Let’s say it’s the Living Room. The building blocks of this room are your sofa and two chairs; or a sectional and an ottoman. The key to deciding which it is (sofa or sectional) is your lifestyle – the things you love to do. So, if what you love to do is entertain folks in lively conversations, then lots of different seating arrangements (sofa and chairs – or poufs, or barstools) – would best serve. Whereas if you like to snuggle under a blanket and watch movies for family night – a sectional would be in order. So knowing your Soul Style – in particular your lifestyle – is key.
But the home is not complete with just the main furniture pieces – the sofa (or sectional) and chairs. You also need to “finish it with layers”. These elements are best curated after you establish the building blocks of the room. So, in the living room, this would be the throw pillows, the rug – even the wall paint color or wallpaper. These are the elements that create the warmth and ambience that feel like “home”. The room will not look done without the layers, so in the end they are no less important than the building blocks. However, they need to follow these classic foundation pieces. Only in this way will your home encompass and express both your personal aesthetic and your lifestyle.
So, if you’ve made a mistake in the past, what part of this did you miss? If you want to learn more about the Four Soul Styles, go here…..
And if you’re ready to engage in your next home design project with the help of a pro – consider joining us at our next Soul Style Workshop – where I will walk you through the details, and give you some personal assistance with your own project. It’s live in Nashville, at my design studio in the Nations, this September. Click here for details…..
Watch this space in the coming months to learn more about Soul Style….
XOXO,
Marcelle
