When decorating your home, you can decorate like most people and shop for generic cheap items at the big box decorating store down the street.
A better option is to decorate in a more interesting way that shows your personality.
Here are a few interior designer tips & tricks for adding your personality to your home.
photo courtesy of Lynn-Anne Bruns flickr.com/photos/lynnannebruns/4491322878/
Heritage
Your heritage is part of what makes you special, so show it off in moderation (you don't want your home to look like a gift shop selling trinkets to tourists).
You can display artwork, textiles, pottery, house wares, photographs, or other unique items from the place of your ancestors - whether near or far.
Even if you live in the same neighborhood where your great grandparents lived, consider displaying old black and white photographs of your family and the town from decades ago.
Hobbies
Are you an amateur photographer, quilter, potter, painter, or wood worker?
If so, show off your best and favorite hand made items.
Keep your lesser quality works in the closet.
Profession
Consider displaying unique tools of your trade.
If you are a carpenter, consider displaying a collection of antique tools.
If you coach a certain sport, consider displaying vintage sports photographs or sports equipment.
An architect can use an old drafting table, a librarian can use an old card catalog, a photographer can display old cameras, and a fisherman can display old nautical maps.
Lifestyle
A single man has a very different lifestyle than a family with 5 young kids.
Decorate your home to reflect your current lifestyle, not something that looks good but is impractical for your current family situation.
If you have fancy adult dinner parties often, make your dining room an elegant showplace of fine decorative treasures.
If your lifestyle consists of the dining room being used mostly as a homework or art space for the kids, decorate that room to be inspiring and kid friendly.
Don't try to live in a house that is too formal with your current lifestyle just to impress your neighbors.
Color
If you were to describe your personality as a color, I'm guessing it would not be beige or gray.
Is your personality bright orange, sea green, brilliant navy, soft lavender, hot pink, emerald green, or sky blue?
Try to incorporate color into your home to bring in life, excitement, and interest.
A Mixture of Styles
Most people have many aspects of their personality.
You might be traditional with a touch of contemporary, vintage with a bit of glam, or sophisticated with some child-like innocence.
Feel free to have a primary design style, but add in 10%-25% of another style (or maybe even 2 different styles) to make it complement your personality.
One of a Kind
Consider whether the pieces currently in your home are one of a kind or mass produced since mass produced items often are not very interesting and not as high quality.
You can repurpose everyday items to be used for different purposes, such as using an interesting jar as a pencil cup, light fixture, or vase.
Also consider painting items a unique color to make them special, such as light fixtures and furniture.
When shopping for items that show off your personality, skip the major retailers that sell thousands of the same items. Opt for shopping at flea markets & garage sales instead for unique and memorable high quality items.
Ask if you can go through your parents' attic or basement to look for decor treasures.
