He (she) who knows others is learned; He (she) who knows himself (herself) is wise…*

One of the many reasons I love writing my blog is that it has allowed me to rediscover my own personal interior design style (which is absolutely impeccable, as you would probably imagine…). It’s funny - as a designer you spend much of your time designing stuff to meet a particular client’s needs and taste and sometimes you become so immersed that you lose your own sense of self. But, to be fair, this is what interior designing is all about, so I can’t really complain too much… Unless of course you are a designer with a trademark signature style – a style that your client buys into from the get go and expects to see everywhere around their home – I’m not quite there yet, but I have a catchy name (it sounds a bit posh) and I have concluded that I like really expensive stuff, Corian and pretty things….

In recent years I have begun to find it increasingly difficult to articulate my own personal style and preferences – this is for the most part driven by the learning curve that I have been on and constantly designing for someone else (and also ignoring the design of my own home absolutely and completely – one definitive critical word of myself in this respect is not enough…). Prior to my blog, if I had been asked to describe my signature style I would have probably said ‘contemporary Italian design’ – for the most part, this is probably still the case, but it has been a fascinating experience researching my weekly blog as I have discovered that the images that entice me most are those that are ‘architecturally simple and clean, and have a slight Scandinavian feel’… so, rather disappointingly, after years of hard work, study and gaining hugely valuable design experience, I have landed on Ikea, but more expensive… (I should probably say ‘not really’ before you pick up your pencils and head off to your nearest soul destroying wonderland, albeit with Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam).

This week I thought I would just share a few simple images of kitchen and dining rooms that I love, for absolutely no other reason than I love them and because I think the spaces are really impactful… they are also in part the genesis of me rediscovering my own personal style and stopping myself from always being beholden to others (and their budgets)…

(Image from Yatzer)

(Image from Rom 1-2-3)

(Image from From Glasgow with Love) 

Why not spend some time trying to understand or rediscover your own personal style? I suggest this to many of my clients as their ‘homework’ and it really helps provide a focal point or theme for the design of their homes. So… select a range of interior design magazines (go to a dentist’s surgery or an airline lounge if you want to get some for free) and simply tear out the images that really appeal to you. You will be genuinely surprised by how many consistent themes emerge! Based on the small sample of images I have included in this blog it would seem that I love white walls and I am drawn towards designer/iconic chairs…

So, that’s it – a short but important blog this week. I have decided that once a month from this point forward my blog is going to be focused on the things that mean something to me – the inspirational words and images that are based on my own personal style. A style and philosophy that I hope will be a source of inspiration for you. A style and philosophy that, according to my husband, will cost him quite a lot of money… without the meatballs and lingonberry jam.

* Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (title words in brackets are mine – sexist pig…)