Curating Your Space: An Interior Design Journey

When you look at your home, you may wonder how you can get it to resemble the spaces featured on the covers of home magazines. They always seem perfectly tailored to an individual’s personal aesthetics and needs. I wondered about this and more as I endlessly scrolled on Pinterest, saving countless images of people’s homes and dreaming about a space I thought I’d never have. But as I searched for places to live last year, I began to consider the practicality of creating a space that embodied the aesthetic and functional elements that would best support me as an individual. I started curating my space.

Gathering my Information

I began my journey by returning to and expanding upon my Pinterest board. I saved anything that caught my eye, even if I didn’t love everything in the photo. As I continued to choose photos that I felt represented my aesthetics, I began to notice a few trends. I gravitated towards mid-century modern furnishings combined with earthy tones and natural wood. I had saved lots of photos with house plants that made the spaces feel cozy.

Then, I began to ask a few questions. Did I want to stick only to a mid-century style, or were there others that could also be showcased? What colors did I want to include or not include to make the space feel a certain way? How could I create unique spaces that fit together as a whole? Most importantly, how did I want the space to feel? What emotions did I want it to evoke?

Photos courtesy of Trimark Properties

Isolating Individual Elements

In order to answer these questions, I looked at the individual elements that I liked in each of the photos (plants, wood tones, soft lighting, gallery walls, open shelving, rattan and bamboo details, etc.) and thought about how I would be able to incorporate them into my space. I also liked blues, greens and yellows, deciding to stay away from oranges, reds and purples in the main living area. I decided that I wanted to create a calming space that felt cozy, but not too cluttered, and allowed me to de-stress after long days and effectively prepare for new ones. While I did love the idea of mid-century modern elements, I also wanted to include a bohemian flair and impressionist art. When I looked at everything I had combined, what resulted was an eclectic mix of styles and individual pieces that really spoke to me.

Curating my Space

After I identified a design style that I felt fit with my goals for the space and my own personal aesthetics, I began to turn my ideas into reality. I searched online and shopped at vintage and thrift stores, finding pieces that aligned with my vision and curating a space that feels like home. When decorating, remember that your style and vision are what matter. You shouldn’t “worry about following trends. Decorate according to your personal likes to create your own style,” says Kaelyn Schmidt, interior designer and owner of Kaelyn Schmidt Designs. She also notes that “pops of color” can be used to “brighten up your space” and that “pillows, rugs, art, draperies, or accessories” with the colors you have chosen can create cohesion when used throughout each room in your home.

Whether moving into a new home or simply feeling like your current space needs a reset, incorporating personal style with functionality is not always the easiest task. However it is always extremely rewarding. Taking the time to understand what your space should say is an important step in making sure that you and any guests in your home feel comfortable. Researching different elements that evoke different feelings and emotions can also help to create a space that feels cohesive, unique and completely in tune with your personality. If you are looking to make a change in your life, start by curating your space. You might just find that the journey has influenced the way you think about your home and yourself.