The Evolution of My Design Style
may 30, 2024
Category: personal
my design style evolution
what do your “eras” of design look like!?
As years go on, and trends come and go, it’s natural for your design style to shift and change. I think if we’re not changing, we’re not growing. Evolving design styles are a positive sign of creative growth (!!!).
However, I think there’s something to be said about doing a 180 overnight just because something is “trendy.” While it's important to embrace evolution in your design style, it's equally crucial to maintain authenticity and stay true to your core identity as a designer.
As cheesy as it sounds, a lot of owning your style comes from knowing who you are as a person. For me, I’ve always loved the color pink. I actually begggedd my parents to let me paint my bedroom pink as a kid but they always told me no because I’d “grow out of it.” Spoiler alert: I didn’t grow out of it. I’m still as obsessed with pink as I was when I was 8.
With that being said, my favorite shades of pink have evolved over time. In high school, I was obsessed with HOT magenta pink — as bright as possible, please. In college, I discovered millennial pink and it quickly became my entire personality. Post-college, I found myself drawn to the peachiest shade of pink. Enter all the boho vibes and terracotta tones.
Now? I find myself being drawn to a wide range of pinks. I’m not afraid of color and I’m sort of sick of the same shade of ‘blush’ that’s used everywhere but I’ve also found that a solid shade of blush often works SO WELL in a color palette.
While my design style is SO much more than just the color pink, I think that pink can be a beautiful representation of how my style has grown, shifted, and evolved while staying true to who I am.
beyond pixels
Outside my design work, I also love to express myself creatively through the style and decoration of my home and wardrobe. I love to look back at my house from when we first moved in to where it is now. I’ve taken subtle nods to trends I loved at the time and have made them uniquely my own.
I went from a colorful, 1920s bungalow to a new build full of color but realized, wait a minute…I think I prefer neutrals with pops of color! I shifted from that to embracing my love for pampas grass, kilim rugs, terracotta pots, rattan everything. Entering my inner boho girlie era and embracing how popular it was at the time.
Now, I’m kind of bored with my all-white walls and have slowly started painting room by room. From a pink nursery (there’s my love for pink again!) to a sage green bathroom. I’d probably paint more if my husband would let me. I’ve added trim details and vintage accents to bring in a more worldly, elevated feel to our home that was built in 2019. I’ve fallen in love with detailed patterns and have allowed the cottage core trend to influence my textiles, artwork, and pillows.
I’ve gone back and forth on my love for as much color as possible or as neutral as possible. I think I’m a good mix of the two. I appreciate the stillness and calmness that neutrals provide but I also love my home, life, and wardrobe to scream FUN because I’m always down for a good time. I know myself well enough to know that if I take color too far, I’ll end up hating it and getting sick of it REAL quick. So alas, it’s a delicate balance.
flexible + adaptable
Owning your style means you're showing up in your life in the same way you would for a client project. It means being flexible and being able to adapt to different styles or needs. We get clients who want to go full-send on a timeless, classic brand and others who want to be as whacky, retro, and colorful as possible. For me, I love showing them that I can do both in my own way.
Design style is all about putting your own spin on things and allowing yourself to grow and change as you get older. I’m sure I’ll look back five years from now and think CRINGE but that’s growth baby.
Not sure what the heck your style is!? I came up with a quiz to help you discover just that!
