Ideal for those looking to bring a unique aesthetic their next renovation project.
Are you set to embark on a refresh of your home decor but are worried it’s all going a bit identikit? Welcome to the club. With the proliferation of IKEA, flat pack and Futon, it’s true that in recent years, many domestic spaces have started to look rather similar.
But great interior design itself is all about making a space your own. Debbie Flevotomou Architects who specialise in the design of luxury and bespoke, residential & commercial interior designs, seem to agree; “design is as much an expression as it is a tool to enhance lifestyle and environment”. Yep, it’s all about giving each internal space a voice and an identity that is entirely unique, and if you’re looking to break the mould in a sophisticated way, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to create a bespoke signature style, IDEAL for those looking to bring a unique aesthetic to their next renovation project.
CREATE A MOOD BOARD
Before you do advance forwards, first, take a step back. There are endless possibilities for creating a bespoke look and as such, it’s better to tether that creativity rather than let it run wild and without focus. First, have an inspiration session and create a mood board of how you want the space to look.
A mood board, which should including finishes and furnishing, will help you visualise the end result and prevent those artistic tendencies getting ahead of practical concerns. It’s important to get your design concept down before any actual work is undertaken, with all details carefully considered and potential bumps in the road mitigated for. Planning carefully and working within a specific design scheme is a great way to avoid impulse buying.
EXPRESS YOUR PERSONALITY
In the same way personality can be conveyed through our clothing preferences, the same can be done through our interior design choices. Use your personality as a source of inspiration to help create a unique design aesthetic; there really is nothing more bespoke than that.
Arguably the most succinct way to express your personality is through a change in colour scheme. However, avoid the usual tropes of yellow being associated with a sunny disposition, blue with a cooler, calmer outlook and black with, well, being a goth, and instead, deploy nuance and subtlety.
Simply lashing your favoured colours all over the walls can be idiosyncratic in delivery, and in some rooms, may look completely out of place. Instead, consider adding a feature wall showing off the shades which define you, or simply decorate with colour coordinated accessories to bring hints of your favourite colours to the forefront in a more bespoke, stylish way.
There are myriad ways that personality can be expressed though interior design, whether it be through colour, lighting, shapes, patterns, textures, the furniture you chose or even a well chosen piece of art. Just remember that your interior should bring you joy as you move around the space.
Everything should begin and end with an idea specific to your individual likes and wants, whether that’s found in hardwood internal doors, quartz countertops or rattan furniture, and this unique expression is often the first seeds of something truly stylish.
REFLECT YOUR LIFESTYLE
A bespoke interior should not only reflect your personality, it should also reflect your lifestyle. Indeed, successful interior design goes beyond the visual; the space has to both show off your lifestyle and contribute to your lifestyle’s functionality.
Bring character to your house by showing off any esoteric interests which captivate you, also making them easier to access. There it is; that seamless blending of fun and functionality we’re extoling. So, should you be a keen painter for example, a corner of the room dedicated to your easel adds visual intrigue and creates a clean, tidy, dedicated space for you to enjoy your hobby. Should you love to meditate, create a space dedicated to the pursuit of mindfulness.
Following on from that theme, you can use the power of functional items, particularly in the kitchen, to highlight your travels and the places you’ve been which you feel have defined you. Some of the items which best complement both those aspects live in the kitchen, and include a pestle and mortar from South East Asia, ideal for grinding spices and pounding curry pastes in the most authentic (see: delicious) way possible, a tagine from Morocco, or a pasta maker from Italy. All show off your inquisitive, well travelled side, as well as having an ornamental quality.
Go further by expressing your personality through displays of your travel experiences in other rooms the house, perfectly encapsulating that bespoke, unique vibe we promised. For example, you could turn your bookcase into a display of your vacation souvenirs, travel photographs, postcards, travel guides, and keepsakes. Always keep in mind that this should be done with restraint; no one wants to be tripping over trinkets and feeling overwhelmed by clutter in their own home.
THE PERFECT MIX OF INGREDIENTS
The ingredients at your disposal for creating that bespoke look include colour, lighting, shapes, patterns and textures. Just as you wouldn’t throw foie gras, wagyu steak, oysters, asparagus, caviar, Alfonso mango and Madagascan vanilla into the same pot and expect a Michelin starred meal at the end of it, so you wouldn’t deploy every design ingredient indiscriminately and achieve a bespoke signature look.
Instead, focus on layering the space with these ingredients, maximising some and exercising restraint with others for best results. Even if you have the most expensive furniture and furnishings, it will look unfinished if everything is visually flat. Channel the invaluable energy of contrast if you’re to achieve that bespoke signature look most succinctly.
COHESION & CLARITY
If you’re after a cohesive look (and let’s face it, you should be) speak to an interior designer about your concerns and intentions. They are experts in interpreting a client’s disparate visions and bringing them into united existence. Should you not have a specific ‘signature style’, then they may well be able to help you unearth it.
If you’re looking for inspiration, find it in the pages of design and architecture magazines. Head to a local interior design showroom, which represents a great opportunity to speak with a professional for free, and in doing so, allow yourself to be convinced of their skills. Don’t stop there; follow Instagram interior design influencers and accounts which show off bespoke design to really appreciate that need for a cohesive vision.