If you’ve just become a homeowner or moved to a new place, one of the first things you’ll want to do is renovate or decorate, so that your house is more to your taste and feels more like your space.

To do this you need to come up with a cohesive interior design, using furnishings, materials and colour schemes to tie everything together.

While some may find this task easy, it can be a struggle – especially if you’ve yet to work out what your interior design style is. But how do you find your style and how do you make it your own? Here’s how…

Cherry-pick from trends

One of the easiest ways to find your style is to take a look at all of the interior design trends from the last few years and pick out the things you like. Take these elements and use them as a base on which to build your own design style. It could be that you like the wood tones of biophilic interiors, the floral patterns and rustic feel of cottagecore or the clean lines of the Scandi style.

Focus on the things you like about your home

Another way to start your interior design journey is to think about the things you love about your home. Are there features you love such as the fireplaces, sash windows and panelling or is it the bright, openness of the space that makes you happy? Pinpoint what it is that you like most and use that as your starting place. If there’s nothing much you do like, think about your favourite piece of furniture instead.

Use Instagram

By browsing accounts like MyJobQuote's Instagram, you can scroll through all kinds of home interiors images and save the ones you like. Your saved images work a bit like a digital mood board to build up a picture of what your interior style is. Of course, the more images you like and save on Instagram, the more the app will show you of those type of things. So, after a while, the algorithms will work out what your interior style is for you.

Make mood boards

Even though a digital mood board is very handy for working out what your own interior style is, an old-school mood board can be just as effective and does feel very satisfying to create. Grab a pin board and start to rip photos out of interior design magazines and collect samples of wallpaper, paint and flooring to help you visualise your perfect décor.

Use visualiser apps

Social media isn’t the only technology you can use to define your own interior style. And mood boards aren’t the only way to visualise your interior. You can use a visualiser app. Not only can this help you see what paint colours, wallpapers and flooring styles look good in your home, but it can also help you work out what you do and don’t like in terms of style.

Only buy and keep things you love

By only buying and holding on to the things you love, you’ll find you build your own interior style without even realising it. When you’re browsing magazines and stores and wandering around antiques markets and thrift stores, you’ll find yourself drawn to certain things time and again, whether that’s rustic wood furniture, brassware or art deco designs.

Take a look in your wardrobe

Colour schemes are a big part of interior design, so it’s helpful to know what your favourite colours are. If you’re unsure, taking a look inside your wardrobe can help. You may not be conscious of it, but when buying clothes we’re often drawn to certain colours. So, it’s likely that your most worn clothes are in the one or two colours that you really love.

Take inspiration from your life

It’s not just your wardrobe that can help you find your interior style – your wider lifestyle is a good place to look for inspiration. What do you love about where you live? Is it the culture, the coast or the countryside? And could your home’s interior reflect this? For instance, nautical themes and the use of greens and earthy hues work well as does the use of film posters and local artworks in gallery walls. Think about your travels too. Perhaps you could use Mediterranean tiles, traditional folk patterns or a Japandi aesthetic in your interior design.

Start small

Figuring out what works and what doesn’t in your home is a bit of an art. So, it’s useful to start small. That way you haven’t invested time, money and energy into a scheme that you don’t like. Most first-time homeowners start with ‘safe’, neutral décor and this is great as it gives you a blank canvas that you can add bits and pieces to, to see what works. It could be trying bold cushions on a neutral sofa or experimenting with a new rug or window treatment.

Hire help

Still struggling to find your style and perfect your home’s interior design? Sometimes, it’s easier to do this from the outside looking in. That’s why it can be helpful to bring in a professional. After spending a bit of time getting to know you and your home, an interior designer should be able to work out what style suits you and what works for your house.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.