🌿 How to Find Your Interior Style (When You Don’t Know What You Like)

Written By Caroline vs

You walk into a store or scroll online, and everything looks nice — but nothing feels right.
You like too many things… or maybe nothing at all.
How are you supposed to define your style if you don’t even know what you like?

First: you're not doing it wrong. You're just in the beginning of the process. And that beginning space is a holy space, not just a layover on your way to something better.

Here’s how to gently start finding your way:


1. Start With What You Have

Instead of searching for a whole new “style,” look around.
What objects, colors, or corners in your home make you feel calm, cozy, inspired?
Even one item — a blanket, a vase, a favorite chair — can give clues about what resonates with you.
That’s a seed. Water it.

I like how the open kitchen invites connection while cooking, and how the laminate flooring brings unity to the space.

2. Create a No-Rules Moodboard

One of my many Pinterest Boards.

Open Pinterest, a folder, or a journal. Start saving anything that pulls your attention — even if it feels random.
Skip the categories. Go for gut reactions.

Then, revisit and notice patterns:
Do soft shapes show up? Do you favor light or dark tones? Do natural materials appear more than bold colors?

It doesn’t have to be logical. It just has to feel like you.

🧐 Tip: Describe, Don’t Define

Instead of forcing yourself into a style label, try writing 3–5 adjectives that describe what you like.
Words like: clean, layered, lived-in, grounded, colorful, bold, nostalgic.

This is how many designers work — they combine these descriptors to create something unique, rather than fitting into just one trend.

Think: dark woods, sculptural shapes, warm minimalism. If it evokes a mood, it counts.

3. Use Your Limits as Clues

A small cabinet solution for a narrow wall — proof that limits can inspire simplicity.

No idea what you like? Great — what can’t you do?
Maybe you’re renting, have a tight budget, or live with a cat who claws everything.

These aren’t obstacles — they’re anchors. They help narrow the field and spark more creative, realistic ideas.
Sometimes, not knowing what you want becomes easier when you start with what’s non-negotiable.

4. Choose What You Like and See How It Grows

No strict palette. No perfect match. Just joy in a glass vase.

Don’t wait until you have the full plan.
Choose one thing that you genuinely like — even if it feels small. A lamp, a throw pillow, a wall color.

Live with it.
Does it still make you happy after a few days or weeks? That’s a good sign.
Let that piece guide the next step.

You can even test a new style in a small corner: a dresser top, your entryway, a reading nook. Start tiny. Let it breathe.

Your style is something you build through intuition and iteration — not by picking a label or following a trend.

✨ In short:

You don’t need to define your interior style before you begin.
Just start noticing what makes you feel you.
The rest will unfold, slowly and naturally.

So: choose what you like, and see how it grows.

And if you’d like help turning those early sparks into something tangible — I’d love to help you design from the inside out.

📓 Further inspiration:

This post was shaped by the insights of thoughtful creatives who remind us that style isn’t a fixed category — it’s something we grow into:



Let it grow🌱.

Caroline vs