Identifying a Design Style

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been spending some time going through my saved Instagram and Pinterest posts and trying to hone in on a decorating style for the new build. I’ve identified a few key styles that I’m drawn to:

Organic Modern

This is the style I’ve identified with the most and have incorporated a lot of into my current home. What I love most about it is that it marries modern design with natrual elements from nature. Bringing the outdoors in is extremely important to me, and I think that’s where my obsession with white oak and the color green come from. When I bought my current home in 2020, I invested heavily into furniture and decor centered around Organic Modern, so it’s very likely that my next home will continue to lean heavy into the style.

However, sometimes I see Organic Modern designs that lean too heavily into texture, and while beautiful, it’s not the look I’m aiming to achieve for myself. I want my home to feel welcoming and like it’s okay to take off my shoes and get comfortable, not like I’m in a museum.

French Country Modern

I’ve always leaned more modern than traditional in my design style, but I feel like as I get older, I’m beginning to open to the idea of embracing a few more traditional design elements. My type-A self loves modern for the clean lines, symmetry, and calm that the design style invokes, but at the same time I also understand that I need some more traditional and rustic elements to add a layer of coziness. I don’t want the home to feel too new or too old, and that’s where French Country Modern comes into play.

I’ve been loving this design style lately, in particular when thinking about the exterior and landscaping: natural stone, natural wood, pea gravel, lavender and grasses. I also really enjoy an English Cottage style home, but think I like French Country slightly more because the tones are warmer (beiges and creamy whites), whereas English Cottage tends to look cooler (greys). Both are beautiful, though.

I’m currently in the middle of a book called Joie by Ajiri Aki, where the author describes living as an American in France and the French state of mind when it comes to things like small pleasures: good wine, high quality food, time spent doing the things you love, or doing nothing at all. It’s really helping me identify the type of life I want to live in this new home, and the photos in the book invoke a cozy, down-to-earth feeling that I want to replicate.

Rustic Modern

I didn’t know how much I liked this style until I visited The Lookout home in the OKC Parade of Homes. I’ve been studying the portfolio of the interior designer, Kelsey McGregor of Kelsey Leigh Design Co, and in addition to The Lookout, I’ve been loving the work she did on her Cowboy Cool project. In a world so full of white oak and lighter stone, I’m really liking the darker woods (with white oak mixed in!), leather, grey stone, and black (iron?) elements. Rustic Modern feels slightly more masculine than the other two styles, which I think Zach would appreciate. And as much as I adore the other two design styles, I feel like they’re everywhere right now and will be the identified as the defining decorating style of this decade, much like the “grey walls / white cabinetry” was of the 2010’s. I don’t want my new home to immediately feel dated, so as timid as I am about using color and going bold, I think incorporating at least a few Rustic Modern elements will be smart.

I will likely create several different mood boards for the various styles to see which I’m most drawn to. I feel like my mind changes every week, though, so narrowing down a design style might prove to be the biggest challenge in the entire process.