How I've Translated My Personal Style to My Interiors

Four ways I used my wardrobe to guide how I decorated my Brooklyn apartment.

Your twenties are for experimenting and your thirties are for honing. That’s how I’ve always thought about my personal style – the older I’ve gotten, the more I feel settled into my own personal aesthetic. At 33, I’m more willing to break from popular trends and double down on what tickles my aesthetic interests. When it comes to my home, the journey has looked a little bit different. It wasn’t until I was 29 that I had the chance to live by myself. I spent most of my twenties living with roommates, compromising on shared spaces while finding small ways to infuse my personality into my home.

When I finally moved into my first tiny studio, it marked the chance to create something that was entirely mine – true to my needs and tastes. But, building a home (like a wardrobe) isn’t about buying in bulk to just be done with it. Curating my dream home has been a slow and steady operation, a methodical exercise in incorporating little touches that speak to my sense of style. From my first 500-foot studio, to my current space in Brooklyn, I’ve evolved the ways in which my home reflects who I am and where I am in my life and my personal style.

To incorporate your own sense of style into your home, start by pulling inspiration from your own closet – focusing on colors, textures, and aesthetics. If your fashion sense tends to be more bohemian, look for jewel tones and lush fabrics, while a minimalist will prefer a more muted palette and stark furniture.

1. Play with color & texture

My wardrobe has always been colorful, with special attention to soft, breathable fabrics like linen and silk. Though quiet luxury has been all the rage in the fashion world, I advocate for finding ways to break up a neutral colour story with something that pops. There’s a balance to be had when it comes to building out your ideal home, and one great way to start is by pulling together 5 of your favorite clothing items and using them as a color palette to transfer into your living spaces.

If, like me, you gravitate towards green and blues in what you wear, then find small and large ways to incorporate the colours into your home – through furniture or accent details like bedsheets, vases, or even stacks of books. I spent a year with a half-empty living room, keeping my eyes peeled for furniture that would offer the pop of color in contrast to my brown leather couch. Finally, I found a pair of cobalt blue chairs and a woven lamp from artist Ana Kras to bring color into my room.

2. Don’t be fussy

I’ve never ascribed to being too precious or fussy with my clothes. What I buy is meant to be worn, and even my fanciest dresses and jewelry get broken out for casual occasions. In my apartment, it was important that everything feel lived in, with luxurious items mixed in with silly mementos. Instead of special-occasion table settings, I use my best plates and glasses for weeknight meals, just to make a casual occasion feel a little more special. I also don’t think a space needs to feel overly sparse (unless that’s your personal style) or austere, a comfy blanket kept on the corner of the couch, or a wall of photos and more formal art style together achieves that high-low look in your living space.

3. Go for unique

As an avid thrift shopper, I’m always bringing home a new piece of costume jewelry or a little cardigan I picked up on my last vacation. I love finding unique, sometimes weird, pieces to add a little individuality to my style. A simple white tee and jeans can be transformed with the addition of a funky, one-of-a-kind accessory.

At home, I’m more inclined to buy furniture from a vintage store or on Facebook marketplace than I am to run to Ikea and pick out an entire set of new furniture. While don’t get me wrong I definitely have a smattering of Ikea pieces in my home, they’re mixed in with items like a vintage travertine coffee table or a bright green Hay dining table. Even if you’re moving into a starter home and do need to buy a full set of furniture all at once, it can help to break up the look by mixing in vintage items for a little personality. Visit a local thrift store or flea market, or shop online from shops like Etsy, First Dibs, or even Facebook Marketplace.

4. Keep it personal

In an Architectural Digest spread it’s the norm to see a home that’s entirely free of clutter and tchotchkes. But, the reality is that in a small apartment, it’s impossible to avoid a little bit of piling up – I can only hide so much away in my closets. Rather than an annoyance, I see it as a chance to make personal photographs or mementos from my travels into decor.

My partner loves the sauna, and his felted sauna hat sits on top of a light in our living room. Childhood cards from my aunt and sister sit on my mantle, and old art projects are hung together in a gallery wall. Even some of my favorite fashion items become decor in my bedroom. Shelves display my collection of purses, and a ceramic wall hook holds all of my necklaces. It’s my opinion that a space should feel lived in, not sterile or overly manicured. It’s the little stories and special details that make a home a home.

Hero image from @floyddetroit by @aaronbengo.