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My Formula for Figuring Out Your Personal Interior Design Style

  • Aug 22, 2023
  • 2 min read

Updated: Oct 12, 2023



Interior Designer Cristina Cleveland with red painting
Photo by Chelsea Laine Francis

What does personal style mean to you? It's a term that gets thrown around a lot, but that doesn't make it any easier to find.


I think of personal style as the zone where your lifestyle, personality, and *what lights you up* overlap.

So if you're trying to make a purchase decision and you're wondering "is this my personal style?" picture a Venn diagram...





If it doesn’t fit into the yummy center, I don’t buy it.


If it lights you up, but it doesn’t fit your lifestyle or your personality, it might just be one of those things that you can love in other peoples’ homes but don’t have to have in yours.

If it lights you up and it fits your personality, but doesn’t fit your lifestyle - it might become one of those purchases that sits unused, reminding you of the money you spent.



Togo sofa and carved wood stools
Taken by me, at Renew Finds


Clients usually come to me AFTER purchasing a bunch of things that just aren’t working. Tired of making mistakes, and unnecessarily spending money, they want my guidance on what they should and should not buy for their home.

Through the consultation process, I ask questions to learn more about their lifestyle, their personality, and what lights them up. Then I make recommendations on ways to satisfy all three.

Sure, the way things look is one piece of the puzzle. But you’ve probably learned by now that buying things simply because you like the way they look is not always enough to make it a successful use of your hard-earned money. It has to support you in your daily routine. We’re exposed to hundreds of products, home tours, and inspo photos every single day. As someone who thinks a lot about my consumption and personal style, I often feel like I’m swatting away Amazon must-have lists and trending home tours in an effort to hold my own personal style close, while keeping it focused and clear in my mind’s eye.

It takes practice. It takes editing. It takes buying a few wrong things, and buying some things that feel very right. And eventually, you find solid ground.


I made a whole episode of my YouTube series Home School all about this personal style formula.




Book a call with me if you need help closing the gap between your home right now and the personal style you want to be expressing. You can show me your space and ask all of your design questions, from awkward layouts to filling your Big Blank Walls.


 
 
 

7 Comments


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Home Mart provides items suited for modern homes. The presentation appears neat. It supports practical home management.

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scolten156
Oct 26, 2025

Your formula for discovering personal interior design style offers practical guidance through analyzing lifestyle preferences, color attractions, and inspirational images to identify authentic aesthetic direction. This systematic approach eliminates decorating confusion and creates cohesive spaces reflecting individual personality, with comprehensive style identification resources available through technovasprint for confident decisions.

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Splendas
Splendas
Oct 21, 2025

Loved how this post dives into finding your own interior style it’s so relatable. The idea of mixing personal taste with balanced design really connects with Splendas’ approach to elegant yet expressive home décor. Feels inspiring and practical at the same time.

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Cozy adobe living
Cozy adobe living
Sep 30, 2025

This is such an inspiring post! I’ve been exploring different ways to refresh my space, and your tips on interior design really gave me practical ideas I can use right away. I love how you explain the connection between color, lighting, and layout — it makes interior design feel approachable, even for beginners like me. The examples you shared are beautiful and make me excited to start redecorating my living room. Interior design can feel overwhelming sometimes, but your clear step-by-step suggestions make it simple and fun. Thank you for sharing such valuable insight — I’m definitely saving this for later!

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Meet Cristina Cleveland

Interior Designer

I created the Interior Style Quiz to give you the tools and language to express your style more cohesively in your home. 

Book a call if you need help closing the gap between your home right now and the personal style you want to be expressing.

CristinaClevelandMay2022NYC-153.jpg
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