Last weekend a friend of mine asked me for advice (which was very flattering). Her problem is that her apartment is full of stuff, but it is stuff that she has inherited from her parents or just randomly acquired over the years. So she was wondering how to make her apartment feel more designed and cohesive. I know that many people in their 20’s have this problem. How to infuse an apartment with your style when you never actually went and picked out the furniture you have?

Well, I have to refer back to the good ole’ Domino book. The first chapter is all about finding inspiration and then coming up with your personal style. Even if you can’t go out and buy things, defining your ideal living space is the first step to achieving it. It may take years to fully incorporate your style into your home but at the same time, if you know what you are looking for you will achieve more on a small budget than if you have no real direction. In short, figuring out what you like is the first step regardless of budget.

1. Look for things that inspire you
To find inspiration Domino suggests looking not only at magazines and design books but also films, art and fashion. Basically anything visual that strikes your fancy is worth noting. And hey! Reading this blog is a good idea too ;)

2. Devise a way to keep track of the cool things you find
Next, they suggest keeping a file or record of the inspirational things that you find. It could be anything from a 3-ring binder or just a list you keep on your smart phone. One really easy way to keep track of stuff is through the site Kaboodle.com. You can keep wish lists and create style boards. There is also a “Kaboodle it” button you can install in your toolbar that makes tagging things very easy.

3. Find the common thread
Once you have collected a few sources of inspiration look for common themes within them. As Domino says “Have you picked several things that feature the same yellow? Lots of gilding? African-esque patterns? Are you drawn to rooms filled with stuff or ones that are more spartan?”

4. Give your style a name.
Finally, try to assign words to the common threads you found in your list of inspirations. They can be contradictory, but in the end it should be a short succinct phrase that will help you more clearly define your style. Here are some example words that Domino suggests using:

bohemian, feminine, elegant, vibrant, masculine, clean, tailored, organic, classic, traditional, modern, exuberant, bold, unconventional, sentimental, witty, comfortable, punk, ladylike, edgy, cozy, zen, romantic, noir, dramatic, pop

It’s helpful to have a phrase because it will keep you focused. You could fall in love with a hot pink vinyl chair (you could) but if you are going for “Feminine Traditional Sentimental” you probably don’t want that chair in your living room. Not to say that you should limit yourself (if you really need the chair then I won’t stop you), but having a phrase will help you keep the big picture in mind.

I hope this helps some of you. I’d love to hear what “Style Phrases” you come up with!