For the Love of Design!

I am ALLERGIC to the ever popular Style Quiz. It’s true.

I know this may not be the popular opinion, but one thing you should know about me is that I have never been one to follow the crowd...

Hear me out -

If you ever find yourself clicking on one of these, it’s likely that you’ll find trends identified as styles. The results shoe-horn you into a particular category with words like Cottage Core, Farmhouse, Boho, or my personal favorite - anything ending in the word Chic. So listen - design trends are cyclical, much like those found in fashion. Today’s Wolf Cut was once yesterday’s Mullet and I think we all know that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

Be honest - how many of you found yourself surrounded by a million houseplants, painted earthy colored moon shapes and other squiggles on your walls, or perhaps the most commonly diagnosed, an addiction to the Container Store, as you emerged from the pandemic? I can honestly say I escaped from much of this unscathed, but I did find it interesting as I scrolled Instagram, Pinterest or as I binge-watched an organizational show on Netflix.

If you can relate to any of the above or are still in denial - it’s okay! There is help out there to get you living for who you are and how you live. 

At Aspen James Design, we like to excavate your unique design style as if it is a physical collection of curated memories and emotions. Your design starts as a blank canvas that takes shape as conversations and concepts evolve. The overall vision begins with our AJD Client Questionnaire which has little to do with design and A LOT to do with YOU. The Ah-Ha moment may lie within those conversations or from an image you saved or a photo you took while traveling… But NOT from an online one-size-fits-all design quiz.  

I have had many people mention specific designers or TV personalities to describe their own style. Don’t get me wrong, I love an all-white linen room as much as the next person, but if my family and I lived in such a space - like REALLY lived, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

There are many decorators or designers that can be identified by their certain “look,” however; My approach to our client’s luxury residential interiors is simply not about my personal style or my favorites, it’s about helping them find and live in theirs…

I have had countless conversations with homeowners where they tell me “it just doesn’t feel like me,” “It feels cold” or “something’s missing.” Many times this is the result of trying to comply with a preconceived idea of what their home is supposed to look like. And I am here to change all of that!

I prefer to look at interior design as an artform and art is subjective. For instance- a trained eye may concentrate on the technical execution where others may look to experience a feeling or gain an emotional response. You can appreciate a particular look, but do not let any one style define you.   

So what do you think - Are Style Quizzes an “Oh, Yes!” or “B.S.”?

Cheers!

-RH
The Caffeinated Creative