A New Year Reset: How to Find Your Style (Without Overthinking It)

Every January, I notice the same thing happens. People get the urge to reset. To organize. To freshen things up. To make their home feel better, lighter, more intentional. And then, almost immediately, the pressure sets in. Suddenly we’re asking ourselves questions like:

“What’s my style?”

“What should my home look like?”

“Why does everyone else’s house feel pulled together except mine?”

If that’s you, I want to offer a small New Year reminder: Your home doesn’t need a “style.” It needs a point of view. A style is something you can buy. A point of view is something you build over time. And the truth is, most people don’t fit neatly into one design category anyway. Real life is layered, and the best homes usually are, too.

So if you’re entering the new year craving clarity in your home, here are three exercises I use with clients (and in my own home) to help uncover a style that feels personal, cohesive, and actually doable.

1. The “Save, Then Sort” Method

Goal: Identify what you’re naturally drawn to.

For one week, save images of rooms, details, colors, textures, anything you like, without trying to curate. Don’t worry if it “matches.” Don’t try to be consistent. Just save what makes you pause.

At the end of the week, sort everything into three piles:

• Absolutely love

• Like

• Not sure / why did I save this?

Now look only at your “Absolutely love” pile and ask:

• What materials keep showing up? (wood, stone, plaster, brass, linen)

• What mood is consistent? (light and airy, moody and cozy, clean and minimal, layered and warm)

• What’s repeating? (color palette, contrast, pattern, shapes)

This is where your point of view starts to appear. Most people are surprised by how clear their preferences become once they see their favorites all together.

Try this: Choose 2–3 materials or finishes you see repeating and make those your anchors. You can bring them into your home slowly, and they’ll instantly make things feel more cohesive.

2. The “Keep List” Walkthrough

Goal: Find your style from what you already love.

Walk through your home and make a list of the things you’d keep no matter what. Not what’s expensive. Not what’s trendy. What you truly love.

It might be:

• a rug you’ve had forever

• a chair you always sit in

• a piece of art you’ll never get rid of

• a coffee table you love

• an antique you found on a trip

Now look at your list and ask:

• What do these pieces have in common?

• What story do they tell?

• Are they more modern, more vintage, more tailored, more relaxed?

This exercise is powerful because it reminds you that your style isn’t something you need to invent. It’s usually already in your home. You just need to notice it, and then design around it.

Try this: Pick one “keep” piece and let it set the tone for a room. If you build around something you genuinely love, you’ll make better decisions faster.

3. The “3-Word Feeling” Test

Goal: Create a filter so decisions get easier.

Instead of trying to define a style, choose three words you want your home to feel like.

For example:

• calm, warm, collected

• clean, bright, effortless

• cozy, grounded, timeless

• layered, welcoming, lived-in

Write your three words down and keep them in your notes app.

Now, anytime you’re tempted to buy something, ask:

• Does this support my three words?

• Or does it work against them?

This is one of the simplest ways to stop impulse purchases and create a home that feels cohesive over time.

Try this: If something is beautiful but doesn’t align with your three words, it’s not wrong. It just belongs in someone else’s home.

A Final Note for the New Year

Your style isn’t a label. It’s a set of patterns you repeat.

If you do these three exercises, you’ll start to see your design instincts more clearly, and you’ll gain confidence in your decisions. And that’s the real goal, not a perfect house, but a home that feels like you.

Start small this year. One corner. One room. One decision at a time.

Happy New Year.