Designing with personality: How to express your individual style

Explore how to find that gorgeous balance between great style and infusing interior design with personal tastes and individual aesthetic.

In interior design, the goal isn’t just to fill a room with furniture and décor; it's to create a space that feels like home and truly reflects the personality of its occupants. Personalising your interiors is an art that involves blending design principles with your unique tastes, memories, and inspirations.

Today, choices abound for novel ways to incorporate personal choices in interiors that can positively contribute to quality of life. Even pets are included thanks to stylish pet furniture from innovators like Jelico, who approach every design with meticulous attention to detail and successfully integrate the living space between homeowners and their beloved fur babies.

There are great solutions and ideas for how you can transform your space into a genuine expression of your personality, balancing aesthetics with meaningful touches that make a room feel undeniably unique.

Define your personal style: Start with self-reflection

Understanding your personal style is the first step toward creating a home that truly resonates with who you are. Before diving into design choices, take some time for self-reflection. Consider the following questions:

What colours and textures are you naturally drawn to?
Which design styles, such as minimalism, vintage, or bohemian, catch your eye?
Are there particular materials or patterns that evoke happy memories or feelings?

Reflecting on these design elements can help you narrow down a style that authentically represents your personal taste. Building a vision board, either physically or digitally, can also serve as an excellent source of inspiration, helping you visualise your ideas and solidify your design vision.

Emotional connections: Let your space tell your story

A home that tells a story is one that feels warm and inviting. To achieve this, consider incorporating elements that have personal significance. Perhaps you have a collection of books, travel souvenirs, or family heirlooms that hold memories of past experiences or loved ones. These items not only reflect your history but also add a unique layer of authenticity and charm to your interior.

For instance, if you have inherited vintage furniture from your family, consider updating it with modern fabric choices. Home Fabrics offers a variety of upholstery options that can be used to refresh cherished items, blending old with new for a contemporary look while preserving personal significance.

Deluxe by FibreGuard

Drama by FibreGuard

Deluxe by FibreGuard

Incorporate unique furnishings: Bespoke pieces and artisan touches

In a world of mass-produced furniture, unique or customised pieces make a statement and add a touch of individuality. Incorporating one-of-a-kind furnishings crafted by local artisans or bespoke pieces allows you to infuse your personality into your décor. Selecting fabrics that suit your taste, like linen for a casual aesthetic or velvet for a touch of luxury, helps define the tone of your space.

This is where Jelico, a retailer known for its pet-friendly, stylish furniture, comes into play. Their designs cater not only to human comfort but also to pets, so pet-loving homeowners can create an inclusive environment for their entire household. By choosing Jelico’s pet-friendly furniture upholstered with durable, beautiful materials from Home Fabrics, you bring style, functionality, and personality to spaces shared with beloved pets.

Play with colour to reflect your mood and personality

Colour is a powerful tool in interior design, affecting both mood and perception. Choosing a colour scheme that resonates with your personality can instantly transform a room's atmosphere. Here are a few considerations to help you choose a palette that aligns with your character:

Warm tones, like terracotta and burnt orange, evoke a cosy and welcoming feel, perfect for those who love warm and intimate spaces.
Cool colours, such as blue or green, create a calm and serene atmosphere, ideal for relaxation.
Bold hues like deep purple or emerald green convey confidence and luxury, making a statement for those with bold personalities.

If you’re uncertain about committing to a strong colour, consider adding it in smaller, more flexible ways through accessories or artwork. This allows you to experiment with colour without overwhelming your space.

Embrace texture and layering for depth and comfort

Textured materials and layered fabrics can add both visual interest and a sensory element to your décor, creating an inviting and comfortable atmosphere. Consider mixing materials such as:

Soft textiles like velvet or chenille for upholstery,
Linen or cotton for drapery,
Woven rugs or cushions to add tactile richness to your room.

Layering these textures can give your home a warm, lived-in look whether you're celebrating traditional, modern, transitional or contemporary design. Home Fabrics offers a wide selection of textured upholstery and drapery fabrics, making it easy to add depth to your decor. By incorporating different textures, you bring personality and dimension into your space, giving it an intimate and welcoming feel.

Curate Your décor: Quality over quantity

A curated approach to décor is often more effective than filling a space with items. Make wise design decisions and choose pieces that reflect your taste and have a lasting impact. Opting for quality over quantity allows each item to shine without overwhelming the space.

For example, if you’re drawn to minimalist décor, select a few statement pieces that speak to your aesthetic, such as a handcrafted coffee table or a distinctive lamp. When combined with the right upholstery choices, even a few carefully selected items can make a big impression.

Flexibility in design: Allow for evolution

Your tastes and preferences will naturally evolve over time in your design journey, and your space should adapt accordingly. Designing with flexibility in mind allows you to make changes without disrupting the overall style. Here are a few ways to keep your space adaptable:

Modular furniture that can be rearranged easily,
Swappable décor items like cushions, throws, and artwork,
Neutral bases for walls and large furniture pieces, with bolder accents in smaller, easily changeable elements.

By keeping the foundation of your design adaptable, you can update your decor as your personality and preferences shift, ensuring your home always feels fresh and reflective of your current self. One of the great things about working with a curated collection of fabrics like the one's in Decorator's Choice is that it allows for evolution and changes because the fabrics provide a classic foundation, either in colour or in texture. Ty Gillott of Ty Gillott Interiors loves working with these fabrics because of the trust stain-resistant technology of FibreGuard textiles, but also because a fabric like Ambiant provides a soft physical and visual texture that can serve as a beautiful base, even when the décor around it changes.

Ambiant by FibreGuard

Motion by FL Wide

Personal spaces for hobbies and interests

Designing with personality also means creating spaces for the activities you love. Whether you’re an avid reader, artist, or music lover, dedicating a corner of your home to your passion not only personalises your space but makes it more functional and enjoyable.

A cosy reading nook with comfortable seating, a small art studio, or a music corner can become a cherished space that reflects your lifestyle and hobbies. Incorporating these individual tastes gives your home a unique purpose, making it a true reflection of your interests and values.

Pets in mind: Stylish and durable choices

For pet lovers, integrating pet-friendly design is essential. You can't go wrong with a durable, easy-to-clean upholstery fabric like FibreGuard that maintains a chic look even in pet-friendly households. Jelico’s range of pet-friendly furniture, ensures that your décor doesn’t have to compromise on style or practicality.

Choosing furniture and fabrics that are resilient against scratches, stains, and wear not only enhances the durability of your interior but also brings peace of mind. Jelico’s pet-focused designs reflect a commitment to creating spaces that cater to all family members—pets included—adding both style and function to pet-friendly homes.

Infuse creativity and have fun with your design

Interior design is ultimately a form of creative self-expression. Don’t be afraid to experiment with unconventional choices, mix design styles, or incorporate eclectic pieces that capture your unique spirit. Layering vintage finds with modern accents, displaying quirky collectibles, or experimenting with DIY art pieces are great ways to infuse creativity into your décor.

Having fun with your design choices allows you to let go of rigid rules and embrace a style that feels genuinely yours. A home filled with personality and creativity not only feels inviting but also brings joy to your everyday life.

Designing a home that’s uniquely yours

Expressing your individual style in interior design is a rewarding journey that results in a home that is uniquely yours. From colour and texture to meaningful mementos, every choice you make adds a piece of your personal style to your space. Retailers like Jelico and brands like Home Fabrics support this vision by offering products that blend style, durability, and personal appeal.

Remember, the best interiors are those that reflect the people who inhabit them. So take your time, enjoy the process, and let your personality shine through every element of your design.

Shop the look

Here are some of our favourite fabrics featured in this article, and where you can buy them.