Clients often reach out when they don’t have a sense of what their style is, or perhaps the confidence to carry it forward. Creating a living space that feels warm, welcoming, organized, and easy to be in involves a combination of figuring out the best use of the space, and filling it with the things (and only the things) you love, find useful, and reach for on a regular basis.

The best use of a space is often about where the natural light comes in, where the outlets are, what the traffic footprint is, and so on. The ‘filling it’ part is much more subjective.

Anyone with means can walk into a Restoration Hardware or a Design Within Reach and quickly fill an empty space with the help of a sales associate. But what do you like? Is there a chair that was in your Grandparent’s house that you always gravitated to when you wanted to tuck in with a book? What was it about that chair — was it the shape that just fit? The texture of the upholstery? Was it in the perfect spot, with an ottoman nearby? Let’s get you a chair like that one.

Show me some of the things you’ve collected on your travels, inherited from your family, that your kids made, that have sentimental value to you.

Now let’s look at the things you don’t love. Can we reupholster that sofa so it’s perfect, or does it just not belong? Does that painting have a negative association for you? No guilt — let’s get it out of here. Now that we’ve gotten these things sorted, it’s time to start filling in the holes, tying things together with color and texture and art. Creating a nest.

Still stuck? Peruse décor sites and magazines and start saving photos of things you like. See something in a shop window? Snap a pic. You will soon have a library of items that appeal to you, and likely a common theme to start from.

Your home should be a place that is perfect for you, filled with things that feel just right. For you. That’s what a designer is for – to help you curate a style that’s your own.

© Patricia Zanger