How Do I Pick an Interior Design Style for My Home?

Hint: You Don't Have to Pick Just One.

One of the questions we hear from homeowners is, "How do I figure out my interior design style?"

Maybe you love the warmth of a traditional home but find yourself drawn to modern architecture. You have an entire Pinterest board filled with beautiful interiors, but none of them look quite the same. Or maybe you and your spouse have completely different ideas of what your dream home should look like.

Here's the good news: You don't have to fit into one specific design style to have a beautifully designed home.

In fact, I would argue that some of the most interesting homes are the ones that don't.

Start With How You Live, Not Just What You Like

Before we start talking about modern, transitional, traditional, or any other design style, I want to know how you actually live in your home.

Do you entertain regularly? Do you have kids or pets? Are you the type of person who loves a perfectly styled living room, or do you want a space where everyone can kick their feet up and get comfortable?

There's no wrong answer.

A home can be beautiful in photographs and still be completely wrong for the people living in it.

This is something I think gets overlooked, especially with how much inspiration we're exposed to on Instagram and Pinterest.

It's easy to fall in love with a photograph of a beautiful space. But what you're seeing is one carefully selected moment. You don't necessarily know how that home functions, who lives there, or whether the design would make sense for your lifestyle.

Your home needs to work for your life, not just look good in someone else's photograph.

You Don't Need to Know Your Design Style Before Hiring a Designer

I think there's a misconception that you need to have your entire vision figured out before reaching out to an interior designer.

You don't. That's a big part of our job.

I like to compare it to going to the doctor. You don't necessarily walk into an appointment knowing exactly what's going on. You know what you're experiencing, and the doctor helps you make sense of it.

Interior design is similar. Except, thankfully, a lot more fun and considerably less morbid.

You might know that you love natural materials, that certain colors make you happy, or that there's something about a particular kitchen you can't stop thinking about.

You don't have to know what all of that means or how to put it together.

That's where we come in.

At Ashley Marie Interiors, we spend time getting to know our clients, understanding how they live, looking at inspiration, and identifying the things they're naturally drawn to.

Sometimes we'll walk through their existing home. Sometimes we'll look through photographs together. Often, it's a combination of several things.

We start recognizing patterns in the materials, colors, textures, and architectural details they love.

From there, we can begin developing a design direction that feels cohesive without forcing everything into a particular category.

And one of my favorite parts of this process is watching someone light up when they see a design coming together and realize, this is exactly what I wanted, I just didn't know how to explain it.

Your Home Should Tell Your Story

This is something I feel strongly about.

No two people are exactly alike, so why should their homes be?

It's incredibly common for clients to have pieces they love that don't necessarily fit within their overall design inspiration.

Maybe it's a piece of art you purchased while traveling. Maybe it's a chair that has been in your family for generations. Or maybe it's something that doesn't really have a particular design significance, but you love it because of the memories attached to it.

Those pieces matter.

I don't believe that creating a cohesive home means getting rid of everything that doesn't match a particular aesthetic.

Quite the opposite.

It's our job as designers to make those pieces feel intentional.

A family heirloom might not be something you would select if you were designing an entire room from scratch, but that doesn't mean it doesn't belong.

It has a story. It means something to you. And I think that deserves to be honored.

Sometimes those unexpected pieces become the most interesting part of the room.

A home shouldn't feel like a furniture showroom. It should feel like the people who live there.

Your Architecture Matters, But It Doesn't Have to Dictate Everything

When we're designing a custom home or working through a larger remodel, the architecture is absolutely part of the conversation.

The interior and exterior should feel like they belong together.

But that doesn't mean every single detail needs to follow the same design style.

A modern home can have warmth, traditional influences, and collected pieces. A more traditional home can incorporate clean lines, contemporary furniture, and unexpected materials.

It's about finding the right balance.

We want the home to feel intentional from the moment you walk through the front door, but we also want there to be room for personality.

This is one of the reasons I think it's so valuable to involve an interior designer early in the construction or remodeling process.

When we're able to consider the architecture, floor plan, interior finishes, lighting, and furnishings together, we can create a much more cohesive result.

Don't Let Trends Make the Decision for You

Trends are always going to exist, and I'm not necessarily against them.

There are plenty of beautiful things that happen to be popular at any given moment.

My bigger concern is whether you're choosing something because you genuinely love it or because you're seeing it everywhere.

If you love a particular material, color, or detail, that's worth exploring.

But if you find yourself questioning whether you should use something simply because it's considered trendy or outdated, I would encourage you to think a little differently.

Does it make sense for your home? Does it work with the overall design? Most importantly, do you actually love it?

A well-designed home doesn't need to follow every trend to feel current.

It needs to feel authentic.

How Do You Actually Figure Out What You Like?

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the different interior design styles, here are a few things I recommend.

1. Start collecting inspiration without worrying about labels.

Save photographs of rooms you're naturally drawn to. They don't have to match, and you don't have to explain why you like them yet.

2. Look for common elements.

Once you've collected a handful of images, start looking for patterns. Maybe you're consistently drawn to natural wood, warmer color palettes, interesting stone, or a particular type of lighting.

You might be surprised by how much your inspiration has in common.

3. Ask yourself what you actually like about each image.

This is an important one.

You might save a photograph of a very modern kitchen, but what you really love is the natural light or the way the cabinetry contrasts with the countertops.

That doesn't necessarily mean you want a modern home.

Understanding what you're responding to is often more helpful than identifying the style itself.

4. Think about the way you want your home to feel.

Do you want it to feel warm and inviting? Calm and minimal? Bold and full of personality?

The feeling you're trying to create can be just as important as the specific finishes you select.

5. Give yourself permission to like more than one thing.

You can love contemporary furniture and traditional architecture. You can appreciate clean lines and still want a home filled with character.

The goal isn't to make every decision look the same. The goal is to make the decisions work together.

The Best Design Style Is the One That Feels Like You

At the end of the day, I don't think choosing an interior design style should feel like taking a test where there's one correct answer.

Design is supposed to be exciting.

Whether we're designing a custom home from the ground up or reimagining a home you've lived in for years, the process should be about discovering what you love and finding a way to bring it all together.

You don't need to show up with all the answers.

You just need to be open to the process.

Some of my favorite moments as a designer happen when clients see their ideas come to life and realize that the finished design feels more like them than anything they could have pulled from an inspiration photograph.

That's what we're working toward.

Not a home that fits perfectly into a design category.

A home that feels like yours.

Let's Find Your Design Direction Together

At Ashley Marie Interiors, we're a full-service interior design firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializing in custom homes, new construction, and larger remodels.

We work closely with our clients to understand their personalities, preferences, and the way they live, creating thoughtful, cohesive interiors that feel personal to them.

If you're planning a custom home or remodel and aren't quite sure where to begin, that's perfectly okay.

You don't need to have your design style figured out before reaching out. That's something we can discover together.