How to Find Your Interior Design Style

One of the best moments of moving into a new place is finally adding all of the personal touches that make your home truly feel like yours. If you aren’t sure where to start, follow along to find your interior design style.

You don’t have to have a design degree or a home full of new furniture to know what your interior design style is. You can start by noticing what you’re naturally drawn to, like rooms that feel bright and simple, colorful and layered décor, or warm and nature inspired spaces.

Five popular home design aesthetics are Scandinavian, mid-century modern, organic modern, new traditional, and maximalism. You may already to be drawn to one of these styles, or maybe there are a couple that catch your eye and you combine them. The important thing is that your home reflects what feels personal to you.

Key Takeaways

• Finding your design style is about creating a home that fits your taste and daily life.
• Start by noticing colors, furniture shapes, materials, and rooms that catch your eye.
• Scandinavian, mid-century modern, organic modern, new traditional, and maximalism each have a distinct look.
• Testing a style in one small area can show you what feels right before changing a whole room.
• Mixing interior design styles can make a home feel collected rather than copied from a catalog.

Start With the Vibe You Want Your Home to Have

Before you scroll through every design trend on Pinterest, think about how you want a room to feel when you walk into it.

Do you like calm, open spaces with light colors? Would you prefer a colorful room full of books and art? Are natural textures and classic details more your style?

Asking yourself a few questions can help you discover the interior design style that calls to you. Here are a few example questions to consider:

• Do you notice color first, or furniture and layout?
• Are you drawn to clean lines or layered rooms?
• Do you like light wood, dark wood, painted furniture, or a mix?
• Do you prefer tidy surfaces or favorite objects on display?
• Would you rather have a room that feels polished, cozy, playful, or expressive?

There are no wrong answers when it comes to exploring your style, so have fun with it.

Find Your Style by What You’re Drawn To

Instead of focusing on the style name right off the bat, pay attention to the elements of a room that make you linger a bit longer. The colors, furniture, and details you notice first can help you uncover the style you want.

If more than one row sounds like you, lean into it. Your home could have a Scandi lamp, mid-century side table, and maximalist gallery wall without having to stay in just one lane. Take our style quiz to see which aesthetic fits your personality.

Five Popular Interior Design Styles Explained

You’ve probably seen versions of these looks in homes, hotels, restaurants, and your favorite saved posts. Here’s what separates Scandinavian, mid-century modern, organic modern, new traditional, and maximalist interiors, along with a few decorating tips to see if one (or more) feels like you.

Scandinavian Style

Scandinavian design is bright, practical, and cozy without feeling crowded. It often includes pale wood, warm white walls, clean-lined furniture, soft textiles, and a calm palette with neutrals, soft grays, light blues, or an occasional warm accent color, such as rust or orange.

This style tends to work well for people who want a room to feel calm but still comfortable enough for real life. A Scandinavian-inspired space might have a light wood table, a textured rug, a soft throw, and a few favorite objects left out in the open.

Test it out by clearing one surface, then adding a soft throw, pale wood accent, or warm lamp you already own.

Mid-Century Modern Style

Mid-century modern brings in retro shapes, warm wood, and furniture that looks simple but never boring. Look for tapered legs, low-profile seating, walnut or teak finishes, geometric patterns, and colors like olive, rust, mustard, and deep blue.

It’s a great match if you like vintage-inspired pieces but don’t want your home to feel frozen in another decade. One sculptural lamp, geometric print, or warm wood side table can bring in the look.

Try the look with a warm wood piece, geometric print, or retro-inspired lamp from another room or a local secondhand shop.

Organic Modern Style

Organic modern blends clean-lined furniture with softer materials and shapes. Wood, stone, clay, linen, woven fibers, and rounded silhouettes all help create a room that feels natural and relaxed.

This style is often a good fit for people who enjoy neutral colors but want more warmth and texture than a stark modern space offers. The look is less about matching every finish and more about layering materials that feel grounded and easy to live with.

Bring in the feeling with a ceramic bowl, woven basket, wood tray, or textured neutral fabric.

New Traditional Style

New traditional gives classic decorating details a fresher, more relaxed feel. You might see striped fabrics, framed art, tailored upholstery, wood furniture, classic lamps, and timeless patterns paired with simpler, current pieces.

It works especially well when you have furniture or artwork with a little history and want it to feel at home alongside newer finds. The overall effect is polished and collected, not overly formal.

Start small with a framed print, striped textile, classic lamp, or a furniture piece with a little history.

Maximalist Style

Maximalism is colorful, layered, and full of personality. It can include art-covered walls, patterned rugs, bookshelves, mixed textiles, favorite collections, and plenty of unexpected combinations.

The secret is not filling every available inch. Repeating a few colors, materials, or art styles can help a room feel connected even when there’s a lot happening. This style leaves plenty of room for boho decor, travel finds, bold art, and the objects that make you happy to look around.

Experiment by grouping favorite books, art, postcards, or colorful objects in one area to see how a more layered look feels.

Take the Interior Design Style Quiz

If you’re still deciding between styles, this quiz can help you spot the design details you naturally gravitate toward. Pick the answer that feels most like you, then see which letter appears most often.

1. Which room sounds most inviting?

1. A bright room with soft blankets, pale wood, and open space
2. A room with a vintage-inspired sofa, sculptural lamp, and warm wood furniture
3. A room with linen curtains, a woven rug, earthy colors, and rounded shapes
4. A room with framed art, stripes, a classic lamp, and furniture that feels collected over time
5. A colorful room with art-covered walls, patterned textiles, books, and unexpected details

2. Which color palette are you most drawn to?

1. Warm white, cream, pale gray, and light wood tones.
2. Olive, mustard, rust, teal, and walnut brown.
3. Sand, clay, mushroom, soft green, and stone.
4. Navy, forest green, warm red, soft blue, and classic neutrals.
5. Bright colors, deep jewel tones, mixed patterns, and surprising combinations.

3. What would you most like to add to a room?

1. A soft throw and a warm table lamp.
2. A retro-inspired chair or geometric print.
3. A ceramic vase, woven basket, or wood tray.
4. A striped pillow, framed artwork, or classic table lamp.
5. A gallery wall, patterned rug, or colorful collection.

4. How do you feel about decor on display?

1. A few favorite pieces are plenty.
2. I like a mix of useful furniture and interesting design details.
3. I prefer natural textures and a calm, edited look.
4. I like meaningful pieces that look like they’ve been collected over time.
5. More is more, as long as the room still feels connected.

5. Which phrase sounds most like your ideal home?

1. Bright, cozy, and uncluttered.
2. Retro, graphic, and full of character.
3. Natural, relaxed, and softly polished.
4. Classic, warm, and timeless.
5. Colorful, layered, and unmistakably personal.

Check Your Interior Design Style Quiz Results

Mostly A’s: Scandinavian

You may be drawn to Scandinavian style. Light colors, simple furniture, soft textiles, and useful pieces can help your home feel bright, comfortable, and uncluttered.

Mostly B’s: Mid-Century Modern

You may lean toward mid-century modern. Look for warm wood, tapered legs, geometric shapes, sculptural lighting, and retro-inspired color.

Mostly C’s: Organic Modern

You may like organic modern style. Natural materials, earthy tones, woven textures, and softer shapes can create a relaxed, polished look.

Mostly D’s: New Traditional

You may connect with new traditional style. Classic patterns, framed art, tailored furniture, and meaningful pieces can make a home feel warm and collected.

Mostly E’s: Maximalism

You may be a maximalist at heart. Color, art, patterns, books, and favorite objects can help you create a home with plenty of personality.

If your answers are evenly split, you may be drawn to a mix of styles. That’s often where the most interesting rooms begin.

FAQs About Finding Your Interior Design Style

How do I find my interior design style?

Notice the rooms, colors, furniture, and materials you naturally like. Compare a few recognizable styles, then test one in a small area of your home.

What are the most popular interior design styles right now?

Scandinavian, mid-century modern, organic modern, new traditional, and maximalism are widely recognized styles in current home design.

Can I mix interior design styles?

Yes. Many homes combine styles. You may like Scandinavian simplicity, mid-century furniture, and the color of maximalism in the same room.

How do I know which interior design style fits my personality?

Think about how you want your home to feel. Scandinavian may fit someone who likes calm and simplicity, while maximalism may suit someone who enjoys color and displaying favorite things. Your style can combine elements from more than one look.

What if I know nothing about interior design?

Start with how you want your home to feel. Look for recurring colors, furniture shapes, and textures in rooms you like, then try one small change.

Let Your Style Take Shape Over Time

Your home doesn’t have to fit into one neat category. The most interesting spaces often reflect real life, favorite objects, changing tastes, and the things that make you feel at home.

Notice what catches your eye, try a few ideas, and let your style come together over time.

Exploring a new look at home? Visit Public Storage for storage solutions that can help create more room for the decor and everyday items you enjoy.