In the details
What do the little things say about your home?
It’s the subtle things that transform our houses, apartments and condos into homes.
When we move to a new place, we breathe life into each empty room and onto every white wall. We decorate with paint or wallpaper. We hang our art, photographs, keepsakes and treasures. We turn empty rooms into spaces where memories are made. Everything from the lilacs hugging the front porch to the glass mosaic backsplash in the kitchen — each detail reveals a bit of ourselves.
“Our homes are both private space and public face, a clean canvas upon which to project ideas about ourselves,” says Matthew Line, editor of Homes and Gardens and author of Book of Design.
Some of us create colour palettes and decorate on a whim, while some of us enlist the assistance of an interior decorator. DIYers may refinish all of the furniture in their homes or perhaps build their own shelving units. Those of us who need an escape from technology may create a cosy space to sit with some knitting needles and yarn. We decorate and transform the interiors and exteriors of our houses into homes by sprinkling pieces of our identities, our journeys and our lives. So what do all of those details say about you?
Exterior
Whether it’s the incredible stonework or the details of the porch roof, the exterior of your home offers guests and passersby their first impression.
The smaller details, such as the colour of your front door, can say a lot. Generally speaking, it’s believed those with red doors are more outgoing, and those with blue doors are more at ease. Green doors are often seen as housing those with more traditional values, while black doors hold the quiet and reserved. More subtle details, such as welcome mats, pathways and yard lamps can also be indicators of the lovely hosts within.
Lastly, landscaping: It takes time, planning, energy and a lot of investment. How your pathways, front and backyards and gardens are kept can say a lot about a homeowner. Those with furniture and toys haphazardly skewed across their lawn could be seen as either lazy — or just as having lots of active young children. Those with gardens that feature clean lines and symmetry could regard rules and order as important, or perhaps they may favour minimalism. Homeowners who have embellished arrangements or intricate brickwork pathways could harbour a love of detail and gardening.
Walls
Whether they’re painted, tiled or decorated with artwork and photographs, walls are the first thing we see when we enter a room.
Bright paint hues, bold wallpaper patterns and colour schemes that promote feelings of space and openness are often chosen by the more outgoing and adventurous. Extroverts often create energy in a room through their choice of decoration and colours, whereas more reserved individuals might want to foster a feeling of cosiness and comfort. Introverts often opt for soft, solid colours, such as pastels and neutrals, or muted patterns.
However, these colour choices might also be influenced by our favourite places and spaces. In Chris Madden’s book designer Ingrid Leess says she gets her colour inspiration from her happy place: the ocean and beach. She used the “colours of the ocean beach — the dunes, sand, shells and water — for her family room.” She incorporated her love of the ocean into the space, and guests can experience this firsthand in her home.
Colour palettes and textures can also be used to influence our senses and emotions. In Line says that emotions drive our decoration choices and that we select colours to evoke particular moods: “We will say that we want to create a cosy, fresh, intimate or bright room and then pick colours that we feel reflect these moods.”
How you decorate your walls also reveals pieces of your personality and identity. If family is important, you might hang many framed images of your loved ones. Artists might have their instruments or completed works proudly displayed. Those who dream of travel could decorate with photos from past and future adventures, while those invested in music might have their collections on display. Whether it’s a poster of Hyde Park
Materials and shapes
Materials are also a testament to your emotional investment in interior design. Those who invest in granite countertops, hardwood floors and custom tile backsplashes are often committed to their home: They may see these upgrades as worthy financial investments because they plan on occupying it the home for a long time.
In Nicole Keane, a shopkeeper with a love for travel, says textures also have a strong influence on a space: “It’s not only the mixture of fabric, it’s bringing in stone, bird’s-eye maple, birch, wicker, pine, lacquer — these are the things that keep the look dynamic.” She’s a strong advocate for buying what you love and proudly displays memorabilia from her travels throughout her home. “No matter what you lug back from your travels, it will work in your home,” she says. Her home’s decor echoes her love of adventure and exploration.
Layouts can also be an indicator of homeowners’ values. Those who favour open-floor plans and openconcept properties often want to create a sense of community and family and prefer an environment that promotes freedom, creativity and expression. Alternatively, those who prefer layouts with lots of doors and walls may be private and reserved individuals who hold more traditional values.
Curves, straight lines and custom details, especially in structures such as ceilings and windows, say a lot about the homeowner. Staircases, for instance, often blend into the background — many individuals keep the standard wood treads and balusters and some are even carpeted. More expressive and progressive homeowners may choose to gut the original staircase and create something new by incorporating glass, wood, steel and unique colour palettes to create a remarkable visual contrast. Individuals who want something contemporary but are on a budget may opt to decorate their risers with wallpaper or murals. Staircases also do not have to take on the traditional diagonal line — they can be curved or spiral upward as well.