My Unexpected Discovery on My Design Style Journey

Have you ever been on a journey to discover your design style? You knew once you figure out that one magical word, all your designing decisions would be simple. But once you started down the many paths you came up empty-handed. You still love Modern-Minimal-French-Boho-Coastal-Rustic-Traditional-Farmhouse haha. Okay that was a bit much, but you get what I’m saying, right? It’s so hard if not impossible to figure out your one-word style name. This journey taught me about my design style, but I learned a great deal more about acceptance and how to accept myself.

When I started I knew I loved vintage, farmhouse, heirloom, simple/neutral. What I learned by digging deeper was that I also really like French Farmhouse. This is different than French Country, especially when paired with my love of all things SIMPLE/NEUTRAL. While this discovery has been a really fun one, it doesn’t compare to the freedom I now have because I learned it’s okay to have a personal style that contains 7 names haha! Let me explain.

I learned something unexpected on this journey. (Kinda like I learned something unexpected when I redid the entryway) I realized that while my design style was hard to put into a pretty little box, my person was also hard to put into a box. For example I value health and fitness, but I eat ice cream way too much in the summer. And don’t put a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in front of me if you have any desire to eat it yourself. I love being alone in nature, but if you give my money for a shopping spree I will be out the door as soon as my girls wake up from their nap. Ohhh naps!! I love to rest and relax with a book, but if you put a can of paint and a paintbrush in my hand – I’ll get to work!

I genuinely make no actual sense! How can I love all these things that seem to be in complete opposition to each other? I can’t. I must pick one or the other and all the many different things must correspond nicely. This is due to my longing to put myself into this perfect little box with a harmonious title. Please!! I just can’t do this!

This desire used to prevent me from doing all kinds of things. For example, I always believed because I was a contact sport athlete who loves science (I’m a nurse), I cannot like art or anything creative. BUT! That is clearly not true! I love my camera! It is something that refuels me and gives me energy. Staging something pretty and then choosing the right settings, lens, angles, and time of day. It’s so fun! Then when I get to incorporate my little girls into the photos it’s like the cherry on top.

The best part about this design journey was it actually taught me a far greater lesson than I ever imagined I was going to learn when I started. Simply put – I thought I was going to learn about my design style, but I actually learned how to be a better version of myself, by allowing myself to bloom in all the spaces God created me to bloom in. I don’t find this to be a coincidence at all. God can be found anywhere if only we have eyes to see. I can’t put my design style in a pretty little box with a bow any more than I can put myself in a pretty little box. AND IT’S OKAY!!

The same is true for you. You can be a beautiful mix of all the things. To be the most authentic versions of ourselves I believe we will almost always have a mess of a title. But the awesome thing is, once you accept that this is okay, you’ll be free to be yourself. Maybe when God created us He didn’t have either-or in mind. But maybe He was thinking both-and! Embrace all the things that make you who you are. You were given these gifts, talents, and desires for a reason. Don’t stifle them because society says you can’t be both-and. God says you can!!

If you want to see the way I’ve mixed modern-European-farmhouse to create a style I’m loving more and more check this post out!

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Thank you for stopping by today! Have a great week! And embark on journeys with eyes wide open. You never know what God is trying to teach you that may be completely unexpected! XoXo