Have you ever taken one of those online design style quizzes? Where you answer questions about which living room you like best and what drink you’d be if you were a cocktail? (No, really👇)

While the results of these quizzes usually capture some elements of your design preferences, they are inherently flawed. 

Why?

Because these quizzes work from the outside in.

They are built on the premise that your outward expression of self needs to fit into a predetermined box - a “design style” - and there are only a few to choose from.

And so everyone who takes these quizzes gets lumped into one of a handful of labels: mid-century modern; traditional; boho; glam; industrial, etc.

While these results can be helpful starting places, they ultimately leave most of us feeling uninspired and still unsure of how to apply these looks to our homes.

Sadly, many people search for answers by looking to these types of quizzes, Instagram, or HGTV for inspiration, because they don’t know there’s another way.

And it’s making our spaces boring and devoid of personality, charm, and enchantment.

Don’t believe me? Even the Washington Post says so.

So what would happen if, instead, we looked for inspiration within?

Can you imagine how much more interesting, unique, and authentic our spaces could be if we took inspiration from the things that truly bring us joy? That delight and enchant us? That remind us who we really are - and who we want to be?

You actually don’t have to imagine, because I’m going to show you.

This summer I’ve been running a beta version of an online course with some of the alumni of The Clutter Cleanse. In this class, we’re going beyond clutter clearing and organizing, and diving into juicy topics ranging from childhood experiences of home to the creative process of cultivating an “authentic” design style informed by what truly enchants you.

One of the projects I had my students complete was a “Spirit House mood board” - a collection of images and words curated to visually represent that which delights and inspires them.

And let me tell you, the results were WAY more interesting than any design quiz.

Let’s compare, shall we?

Here are their design styles as calculated by one of the popular design quizzes they took, compared to the Spirit House mood boards they each made:

Student #1:

Student #2:

Student #3:

The cool thing is that you can see some, if subtle, correlations between the design quiz results and the mood boards (a touch of brass, clean lines, pops of color).

But the quiz results simply can’t hold a candle to the unique and potent atmospheres that are that are expressed in each of these boards.

So the next time you’re thinking about redesigning or decorating your space, I challenge you to consider how the process can be an act of self expression. A way to cultivate your home into a truly sacred sanctuary that expresses and reaffirms the most authentic parts of who you are.

xo,

Joanie