Testing your design style

The other day I got an email from Better Homes and Gardens asking me to take a quiz to help me figure out what my design style is. I figured it couldn’t hurt. So I answered the questions and was told my style was polished casual.

Better Homes and Gardens

They described it as follows.

You love to mix and match your favorites from several styles, so Polished Casual is the best way to describe your look. Crisp, fresh, and always comfortable, this approach anchors itself in neutral, subtle hues and furniture that isn’t fussy but isn’t slouchy either. Pair your clean-lined sofa with a dark leather wing chair or a weathered metal table—anything goes, but simplicity is key.

Not bad. That sounds like me. I like neutrals, subtle colors as accents, comfy furniture that looks nice. The weathered metal table even sound like my love for Industrial Chic looks. Pretty good quiz.

This got me thinking. There must be more quizzes out there. What else could they tell me about my style. I did some searching and found a couple I thought I’d share with you.

First up is Sproost.com. I was told my style is Nantucket Style.

Sproost

Oh how you love the beach! Who doesn’t, right? And so your dream home is either perched in your favorite beach town, or you’ve brought that favorite beach town into your house.

Materials

Your art and accessories speak directly to the activities that are found at the beach. Pieces of driftwood you found here, pictures or paintings of the amazing views there. Things that remind you of the coast – surf boards or fishing boats – are found throughout the house. The feeling of the seaside is both abstract and literal in the design of your space. The fabrics are natural, cottons and linens and are light in color and touch. Much of the furniture is wood or wood framed (the lighter the better, think driftwood!) and wicker, when done right, is a must.

Colors

And since your true inspiration is the sea, the colors and textures in your home are the same that you would find at your favorite beach: white, light beige’s and grays of the sand and driftwood, a variety of blues for the ocean and sky, and greens and vibrant blues of the sea glass… but the key is white! Your space should feel light and airy and give off the mood one has when at the beach: laid back!

Space Planning

Your furniture is comfortable and the layout is cozy. The more it reminds you of actually sitting on the warm sand the better! And what do you do at the beach? Hang out with family and friends – and your home is just an extension of this play place… and though the space is filled with large white furniture, it somehow manages to feel both durable and casual.

This one was pretty detailed and they got a couple things right. I love the beach. I think I always have to be near the ocean. I’m not sure how well I’d do in an area of the country that was landlocked. That has nothing to do with how I design my house though. I might do a bathroom or laundry room in a beachy style, blues, whites, neutrals, seashells, but not a main space.

I don’t have a surf board for my living room coffee table and there is no boat hanging above my children’s beds. I do have natural fabrics and colors. I do have a lot of wood furniture, but it mostly dark cherry. Wicker is something I’d only do on a porch or sun room.

I love whites, beige’s, grays, blues, and some greens. They got that part right. The laid back feel is key, but as look as it looks good! I do like my space to feel cozy. My living room coffee table is full of Rescue Heroes and Lego’s at the moment, not driftwood and sea glass.

I then went to HomeGoods.com and took their style quiz. According to them I’m a Bohemian Classic.

You have a refined sensibility and bring a sense of history and tradition into your decor. You appreciate how symmetrical arrangements and beautiful, well-crafted pieces create a solid foundation to a room. But you like to shake up this restraint with objects and accessories that express your personality and your love of other cultures. When traveling, you seek out unique objects that reflect what you love, and you use them in a sophisticated way. You want people to feel comfortable in your home, and cozy chairs, ethnic fabrics, unique pieces, and even a little touch of quirk or humor give your house a laid-back, Bohemian flair.

You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.

Don’t forget that color looks best when paired with some neutrals for a little visual relief. If you go wild on the walls or with your upholstery, pull back a little on the rugs or curtains or vice versa. Each room can definitely have its own color palette, but think of your home as a whole, with each room transitioning to the next. Some tricks: go for fairly neutral hues in hallways, or add some colors from one room into the neighboring room, even in the form of accessories or fabrics.

They got a lot of things right in their analysis as well. I like mixing things up. I have a lot of traditional pieces, but some quirky, contemporary and modern ones as well. I love having a solid and beautiful piece like a sofa as the foundation for a room. If I traveled, I’d have more pieces. I do have a couple, just nothing huge that stands out. I do want people to feel comfortable, I have some ethnic pieces and little touch of quirk mixed in there for good measure.

I do value creativity and hope to inspire others. That’s what this blog is all about! I’m not very dramatic and don’t take risks with color anymore. I have another post all about that. I do have ideas that aren’t in any home, so maybe that’s where my drama is. I do keep one aspect neutral, my base pieces, and install color in my accents. I think my house does flow well. They also got my color choices. Here is what they sent me.

Home Goods

According to Home Goods these are my happy home colors. Pretty close except for the brown, unless you are including furniture. All in all not a bad result. They even give some tips on how to make your style work for you.

Moving on we have Stylish Home.com’s stylemaker quiz. The results I got from them was that I resemble a “Bespoke Classic.

Graceful living in a well appointed home. To cook a grand meal in an elegant kitchen is your joy. Hibiscus and an Ocean Breeze while you sleep. Like the painter’s brush, your composition is done in living color. A sense of rolling hills and vineyards surround this table. Your 3rd coffee and just beginning to be productive. Pre-war, upper east side attitude. At the end of the day… you don’t take things too seriously..

Suspected “Bespoke Classic”

– Princess Diana
– Fred Astaire
– Ralph Lauren

Whaaat? Cooking a grand meal in my kitchen is not my joy. Ask my husband. I do like an elegant kitchen though. Hibiscus and an Ocean Breeze while I sleep? It snowed the other day and I don’t like those artificial air fresheners. So my composition is done in living color. That makes a little sense. Blues, neutrals, whites. A sense of rolling hills and vineyards surround this table. What table, where, in Napa Valley? I live on the east coast. I get the part about the third coffee but what does that have to do with how I style my house? Pre-war, upper east side attitude. Sounds like I live in Manhattan and have a maid and butler. Then they tell me that at the end of the day I don’t take things too seriously. Well of course not, I have a maid and butler to do that for me. Then I’m compared with Princess Diana, Fred Astaire and Ralph Lauren. I have some towels from Ralph Lauren. That’s about it.

As you can tell this was just strange and confusing. Too much reading between the lines. I just wanted to know what my style is, not that I live in a vineyard and have a full staff waiting on my every want and need.

I didn’t want my search to end on this note so I turned to Casasugar.com. I was told I’m a Traditionalist.

You tend to gravitate toward the traditional. You make sensible design choices when it comes to pattern and materials, but not boring ones. You like things that are not only timeless in style but also long-lasting. You’re smart.

That sound about right. Not too much detail. Plus they said I’m smart!

My last stop was at Real Simple. Their results said my style was a tie between Cozy Casual and Vintage Eclectic.

Cozy Casual

You’re about comfort and warmth, favoring warm, traditional rooms made for relaxing with family and friends. Your ideal decor draws on English and early-American furniture designs, as well as laid-back country, cottage, and farmhouse styles. Weathered, low-maintenance furnishings are easy, inviting, and built for daily life. Think golden retrievers, fuzzy slippers, and just about any movie by Nancy Meyers.

Vintage Eclectic

You go for history, quirks, and curves. A rich, layered look combining flea-market finds, furniture designs from various time periods, and a diverse collection of accessories and artwork appeals to you. Dusty colors, timeworn or handmade textiles, and collected objects create a lived-in feel. Think Paris flea markets, Granny’s teacups, the film Grey Gardens.

I think I’m more Vintage Eclectic, except for the fuzzy slippers from Cozy Casual. I do like mixing things up.

So what is your style. Which quiz got it right for you. How can you apply what you discovered about yourself today to your house and lifestyle. Maybe this helped you figure out what accessories you want to focus on. Many it said you were a person who likes a little bit of everything, new and old. Go search at some antique stores. Not the kind that break the bank. I’ll be showing you some of my finds that I didn’t pay more than $15 for that I’ve added to rooms like the living room, bedrooms, bathrooms.

Go take some quizzes and learn something new about your style.

Testing your design style

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