I don't mind if you don't love my style – why designing your home for likes might be the very thing holding it back

Interior designer Natalie Jahangiry is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on decorating a home to suit a busy family life while sticking to your aesthetic values, too. See the rest of her articles here.

Do you know why it doesn’t faze me if you don’t like my home style? Because my style is different from your style. Your style is different from your friends’ style, and their style is different from Joe Bloggs’… and so on. Taste is personal. You’re entitled to your opinion, just as you’re entitled to be different from the next person. A sense of style, of any kind, is part of what makes you you. It’s personal, it’s innate, and it deserves to be celebrated.

The internet, and social media in particular, is a funny old place. Recently I saw an Instagram post from interior designer Alice Gaskell where she shared some of the negative comments people had made about her home, along with the lessons she’d taken from them. On the very same day, I also came across a post that read: 'Would you put your children’s artwork on the fridge and write negative comments all over it, then don’t do it to people on social media'. Oof.

There’s this strange idea that because we choose to share our homes, our lives, and our creativity online, it somehow gives others permission to criticise and tear down someone’s work, choices, appearance, or style. It doesn’t. But I loved Alice’s approach, using negativity as a learning tool rather than letting it get to her. And it got me thinking.

Clients often come to us and say they 'don’t really have a style'. What they usually mean is that they don’t neatly fit into one of the trend led boxes we’re presented with daily: Cottagecore, Rustic, Industrial, Japandi, Art Deco… and so on.

But here’s the thing, most people actually do have a sense of style, they just don’t always have the words or confidence to name it. It’s not that these clients lack taste; they simply haven’t learned how to tune into what they truly love yet. And that’s where we come in, as interior designers, to help tease out their personality, bring together their style, and what ‘home’ really means to them.

In this article, I want to explore how we can tune out the noise, get clearer on our own sense of style, and create homes that feel true to who we are… without apologising for it! So join me in this somewhat unpopular mindset - I don’t mind if you don’t love the interiors of my home… because I do. And that’s the whole point.

Start with how you want your home to feel

Most of us, when asked how we want our houses to feel, will instinctively say “like a chic hotel.” And while that sounds lovely, it’s rarely realistic, everyday living. Your home should absolutely look beautiful, but it also needs to function brilliantly for you and your lifestyle.

To borrow a phrase from Marie Kondo, what truly “sparks joy” for you? Which colour palettes do you gravitate towards? What types of furniture make you smile when you walk into a room? What kind of layout brings you a sense of calm rather than chaos?

Think practically about how you and your family use your space. Do you imagine gathering around a kitchen island to cook together on a weekend? Would a more defined dining area create a cosier, more intimate feel for Friday night dinner parties with friends? Could that spare room become a home office that helps you focus, instead of working at the dining table with life unfolding around you?

Make a list. Prioritise feeling, function and family life. Then use this to guide your design decisions from the very beginning.

Try not to borrow taste

It’s hard not to fall for the curated interiors we see online, but before diving headfirst into a trend you’ve spotted on Instagram, pause and ask yourself: Would I still love this if no one else ever saw it? Or am I creating a space for photos rather than for living in?

Instead of designing for other people’s opinions, be intentional with your choices. Think about the layout that suits your daily routines, the furniture that works for how you actually live, and the small details that make your home feel like yours.

Hang your bike on the wall if that’s part of your life. Frame and display family photos. Give pride of place to that little antique table from your grandma’s house. Let your home be dotted with pieces of your personality, not just borrowed trends.

Take influence from your wardrobe

Now this is where it is helpful to borrow style… from yourself! Your personal taste already exists; you’re wearing it as you read this. Look at your favourite outfits and notice the patterns, the fabrics you gravitate towards, the textures you love, the colours and prints that make you feel most like you. Are you drawn to bold statements, or do you favour a more relaxed, pared-back look?

What you wear often mirrors what makes you feel comfortable and happy. If your wardrobe is full of linen, monochrome tones and subtle textures, chances are you’ll feel most at home in a calmer, more minimalist interior.

If you love bright colours, strong patterns and brave combinations, a more expressive, maximalist approach to your home might suit you better. Your clothes can be a surprisingly honest shortcut to understanding your interior style.

Don’t rely on AI and social media to create your style

Technology is a battle many of us are quietly fighting. The rise of AI, the influence of social media, the way advertising shapes our perceptions (I touched on this in my piece on Millennial Grey), it’s a lot of noise. But here’s what tech can’t do… it can’t define your style, shape your personality, or develop your taste for you.

As Matt Gray, creator of Founder OS, puts it: 'Taste is your competitive advantage'. He’s talking about building brands, but the sentiment rings true for interiors. 'Taste is a mix of judgement, curation and intuition. The problem is people don’t train their taste; they scroll through mediocre content all day and wonder why their work feels flat. AI will replace execution, but it won’t replace judgement and your ability to see what others miss.'

So, let’s take that idea and apply it at home. Start training your own taste offline. Put the phone down and head to the high street. Browse charity shops, homeware stores, furniture outlets and your local DIY centre. Talk to trades for ideas. Touch fabrics. Sit on chairs. Open drawers. Imagine that sideboard in your dining room. Pay attention to what you’re naturally drawn to and what you instinctively dislike. Your style becomes clearer when you experience things in real life, not just through a screen.

Be confident with colour

The use of colour is one of the quickest and easiest ways to inject personality into your home yet it’s the one area people feel most nervous about getting 'wrong'. This is something we are constantly reminding clients while encouraging them to be braver with the colour choices they make.

The truth is there is no right or wrong when it comes to colour. For me I use colours that shape my everyday life. I tend to lean into a palette that brings calm and coziness, warmer tones that create a cocooning effect in each of our spaces with a pop and a contrast.

The key is to look for clues in the things you already love - as above, use your wardrobe as a guide, look at artwork you love, even browse through the mugs you reach for on a morning. Certain shades will naturally keep showing up day to day. Use those as your starting point, then build around them with a few complimentary tones.

Confidence with colour doesn’t come from following rules, it comes from paying attention to what makes you feel happy. And remember, paint and colour can easily be changed, so my advice is go for it!

And finally… Tune out the noise (including mine!)

I can appreciate the irony of saying this while you’re reading my tips and advice (LOL), but trusting your gut, tuning into your instincts, and letting your family’s personality shine is key to creating a home that truly feels like yours. Inspiration should be just that, inspiring, not a written guide book. Take what resonates from the advice and ideas you come across, from all the opinions you may or may not have asked for, and leave the rest behind.

If your friend hates your colour choice, but it makes you smile every time you walk into the room, that’s not a problem. If your mum isn’t convinced by colour drenching, that’s her opinion, and you’re still allowed to love it. Your neighbour might not approve of your window treatments, but if they make you happy, that’s your prerogative.

Your home doesn’t need design by committee, it just needs to feel right to you.