How to Find Your Decorating Style When You Like a Little Bit of Everything

If you asked me to describe my decorating style in one word, I honestly don't think I could.

I love vintage. I love coastal. I love contemporary and transitional. I love pattern, interesting art, old things with a story and new things that just make me happy.

And I've realized I don't actually need to choose.

I think sometimes we get so caught up in trying to define our decorating style that we forget the whole point of decorating a home: creating a place that feels like us.

For me, the secret has been creating a framework that keeps everything feeling cohesive, then layering in pieces from all the different styles I love.

Start With a Framework

Even if you love a little bit of everything, having a few consistent elements gives you the freedom to mix without your home feeling chaotic.

In my house, one of those elements is color. All of my main walls are Sherwin Williams Sea Salt, so there's a consistent backdrop as you move from room to room. From there, I repeat colors and materials I love: black, mauve, blue, black and white, natural wood and leather.

Not every room looks the same. Not every piece belongs to the same decorating style. But those repeating elements create a thread that runs through the house.

Think of it as the framework. Once you have that, you can have a lot more fun with everything you layer on top of it.

Take What You Love From Different Styles

You don't have to love everything about a particular decorating style to borrow from it.

Maybe you love the collected feeling of a vintage home, the colors and ease of coastal style, the clean lines of contemporary design and the warmth of transitional spaces.

Great. Use all of them.

Instead of asking, "Does this fit my decorating style?" I think a better question is, "Do I love this, and can I connect it to something else in the room?"

That connecting factor might be color. It might be a similar shade of wood, a finish, a shape or even the scale of a pattern.

There just needs to be a little something that makes it feel intentional.

Layer, Don't Label

This might be my biggest decorating philosophy.

I love pattern, but I tend to use it in smaller doses. A rug. A blanket. Throw pillows. A Door Detail Strip. A piece of fun art.

Those are also some of the easiest places to experiment.

If I see a trend I love, I'm happy to bring it into my home. But I'm probably not going to make a huge, expensive change just because something is having a moment. If I'm going to make a major commitment, it needs to be something that really speaks to me.

Accessories give you permission to play. You can bring in a little more pattern, a different design influence or something completely unexpected without changing the entire identity of the room.

Give the Room Something to Connect To

I think of decorating a little like getting dressed.

There's that idea of the sandwich method, where you repeat something from the top of an outfit on the bottom to make the whole look feel intentional. Or something as simple as matching your belt to your shoes.

I do the same thing in a room.

If I introduce a color somewhere, I like to give it a friend somewhere else. If there's a bold pattern, maybe another element picks up one of its colors. If I'm mixing patterns, I pay attention to scale so they complement each other instead of competing.

It doesn't have to match. It just needs a connection.

Those little repeats are often what take a room from having a collection of pretty things to actually feeling finished.

Keep Some History

One of my favorite things about our home is that I didn't try to erase everything that came before us.

We kept original elements, including the floors and some of the wood paneling. I even framed pieces of the home's original wallpaper.

Then I mixed those older elements with newer, more modern pieces.

I think that contrast gives a home depth. Everything doesn't need to be brand new to feel fresh.

And some of my favorite things in our house aren't things I bought for the house at all. I have my great grandmother's coupe glasses on display and my husband's grandmother's silverware.

Those pieces may not have been selected according to a design plan, but they belong here because they're part of us.

Personality Is More Important Than Perfection

I love a polished home. I want things to feel pulled together and intentional.

But I don't think polished has to mean perfect.

Sometimes a home that's been designed entirely around a particular aesthetic can be beautiful, but it can also feel like you don't know anything about the person who lives there.

I'd rather have a beautiful home with a little life in it.

That's really where my whole philosophy of Live Your Style comes from. I believe so strongly that your home should reflect the person who actually lives there that I made it the motto behind Tracy's Fave Designs. Not a trend. Not a label. Not someone else's idea of what your home is supposed to look like. Your style.

Use the weird piece of art you love. Keep your grandmother's glasses. Mix the vintage piece with the modern one. Try the pattern. Bring home something from a trip. Add the color even if someone somewhere says it's "out."

Your home should tell your story, not just follow a formula.

The Best Compliment

People have walked into my house and said two things that mean more to me than being told it's beautifully decorated:

"This feels so much like you."

And, "It feels so calm in here."

I can't think of a better compliment.

Because that's exactly what I want my home to be. It doesn't fit perfectly into one design category. It's a mix of old and new, pattern and solids, vintage and contemporary, things I've bought and things we've inherited.

But there's a thread running through all of it.

So if you're struggling to figure out your decorating style because you seem to like a little bit of everything, maybe you don't need to narrow it down.

Find your framework. Look for the connections. Layer in what you love.

And don't worry so much about what to call it.

If it feels like you, that's your style.