Do you know your perfect interior design aesthetic? Take the Mr. Kate What's My Aesthetic quiz to quickly, easily and visually identify your current design blend of tastes. Everyone is a Creative Weirdo and this will help you define your unique creative voice so you can more easily express it in your space! Can't wait to see your results! xx, Mr. Kate
Hello traveler! Whether you have traveled the world or not, you are inspired by a rich mix of global vibes. You might tend more towards the Asian aesthetic of carved wood and embroidered fabrics or maybe Morocco is more your steez with their colorful tile and metal lanterns. Whatever Bohemian persuasion you are, it’s going to be a mix. Bohemian design these days, can also be seen in that "Tumblr look" with more muted pastels but the effect is always lived in, inviting and dare I say, hippie chic.
Any color palette can apply but you’ll usually see Bohemian rooms in warm tones, with woods like oak and walnut, wicker or rattan items and Turkish or Persian rugs in a mix of red and gold tones. Plants are your very best friend to getting a Bohemian vibe. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns in throw pillows or curtains, etc. Imagine you are a traveler who has picked up a throw pillow from every area of the world. Make sure you have cozy throw blankets on hand, either draped over furniture or in a basket nearby. Art can be a mix of thrift store paintings and photographs of nature and landscapes. Really anything goes with the Bohemian aesthetic and you’ll want your mantra to be, “more is more.” If you can’t travel the world to shop your Bohemian items, try stores like World Market and Urban Outfitters!
Daahhhling, you slay that Glam aesthetic! You love shiny things and anything chic. You love spaces that scream opulence and a luxurious vibe. You could tend towards the more Hollywood Regency end of the Glam spectrum and enjoy mirrored furniture and gold accents or maybe you’re more of a Mod Glam and love blush pink and furry pillows. Whichever end of the Glam spectrum you are, it’s easy to achieve a Glam aesthetic with some simple tips.
Upholstered furniture is your friend - think a light colored sofa and a pair of chairs in a velvet texture. You don’t see a lot of wood in Glam rooms so stay away from any large pieces of wood furniture unless you can paint it glossy white, black or gray. You’ll want to make sure you have a variety of shiny objects from crystal light fixtures like chandeliers or metal side tables - remember, no wood! Mirrors are a Glamy’s best friend, whether it’s a giant mirror placed above a console table or actual mirrored furniture pieces like a mirror-topped coffee table or bedside tables. Throw pillows in white, cream or gray faux fur next to other beaded or velvet pillows in muted tones look so chic. Curtains should be silk, satin or velvet. You can mix metals but it’s usually good to stay in one of the metal families like, gold and rose gold together or silver and black together. Shop Glam items at places like Wayfair or Z Gallerie.
You’re so sleek and you love to make a statement! You probably love when things are streamlined and the few embellishments in a room really make an impact. You gravitate towards fabrics and textures that are solid in print but sexy to feel. You will see many amazing New York City apartments decorated with a modern and dramatic theme. Modern / Dramatic style can encompass any color - you may like a darker gray-on-gray palette with metallics or a super bold and colorful space that still maintains a sleek vibe with the lines of the furniture. You like modern art like brush strokes, pop art or ironic pieces with a cartoonish humor.
Wood tones are usually dark and glossy. Metals are used a lot in Modern / Dramatic spaces, especially brushed nickel and chrome but a striking gold brush stroke art isn’t out of the question either! Contrast is your friend if you want a modern look - if you have a black sofa, get white accent chairs and style a large piece of graphic art above, then maybe add some bright yellow throw pillows… you get the idea! Shop modern pieces on a budget at stores like All Modern, CB2 and Ikea!
People may say you’re all over the place but I say you’re Vintage-Eclectic! You are not ashamed to love a lot of different types of things and you relish the ‘score’ of a thrift store or side-of-the-road find. Cheers to you! Vintage-Eclectic style is one of the easiest styles to decorate with because pretty much, anything goes! You can have a ‘more is more’ maximalist perspective and layer a bunch of cool vintage items - think shelves with books, crystals, sculptures and candles or choose a more minimal approach and style a few, statement-making vintage items like a gold framed oil painting next to an emerald green lamp and a pretty plant.
Color palette can, and probably will, be anything and everything although rich tones like blue, teal, purple, burgundy and dark brown work really well to highlight all the mixed metals you should use to accent! Furniture can be a mix of Traditional items like old-world chairs or a chesterfield sofa paired with a more streamlined Mid-Century Modern coffee table... #juxtaposition! Remember that anything that is twenty years or older is Vintage and by mixing all those eras, you’re achieving the Eclectic. It’s really just so easy and so fun to have a Vintage Eclectic aesthetic because your decorating can go on and on as you find new thrift store items to add to your layered story. Shop Vintage Eclectic furniture at flea markets, garage sales and online at Etsy or the mecca of all things Vintage-Eclectic, Anthropologie.
You are so retro! Do you feel like you were born in the wrong era? Don’t worry, the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic has made a major comeback and is super on trend once more - but who cares about trends because all creative choices are valid! Mid-Century Modern is characterized by the designs that came forth in the 1950s and 60s. The furniture is not fussy, think straighter lines on sofas and chairs and tables that have a center pedestal or tapered hair-pin legs. Earth tones as well as organic shapes inspire the Mid-Century Modern look like various browns, orange and brass alongside chairs shaped like eggs or woven from rattan or wicker. Watch the first couple seasons of Mad Men and you’ll get lots of Mid-Century Modern inspiration.
Get the Mid-Century look by painting your walls white or retro shade like mint or buttercream, if you’re craving more color. Pick furniture that looks square or round but nothing in between and avoid items with embellishments like scrolling arms on chairs or chesterfield sofas. Arc lamps are a Mid-Century staple as are anything Eames-inspired. Mid-Century Modern furniture mixes really well with other styles like Bohemian and Vintage Eclectic so don’t worry about straying off trend if you find a drum side table or Turkish rug that tickles your fancy. Shop Mid-Century Modern items at stores like West Elm and Target!
You’re so classic! When you think of the well decorated rooms of old world hotels with a European flair, you’re feeling those traditional vibes. Wood tones tend towards the medium and darker shades and furniture will have some curves - think an upholstered chair with curved wooden arms accented with a floral carving. You love the look of old theaters and would probably look really cozy in a palace around England.
To get the Traditional look, you want to mix your patterns like thin stripes with small florals and maybe work in some lux items like silk or jacquard and a tassle or two! Don’t be afraid of gold for your metal tone but brass and copper work well too. Colors should stay in the muted tones, think sage, plum, periwinkle with accents of navy and dark green, pretty much any color that isn’t spot-on primary. Shop budget-friendly Traditional items at places like thrift stores or flea markets and DIY them back to life with some new upholstery or a fresh coat of laquer or shop beautiful new and vintage items online at stores like One Kings Lane.
Well aren’t you clean and peaceful!... or at least you want to be. A Minimalist aesthetic is first identified by a lack of items. Where someone might have four throw pillows on a sofa, a Minimalist room would have one, or maybe none! The furniture lines are clean and straight, a lot like the Modern / Dramatic and Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. But there is a marked lack of color as well in Minimalist rooms. The walls are usually white or maaaaybe a super light gray. There can be some contrast that comes in the form of black accessories like simple black frames framing some super simple art, but you will never see a bright color or a patterned rug.
Minimalist spaces will make you want to exhale deeply since the lack of embellishments have a calming effect. That said, you can still display your favorite framed photo on a table, but let that, and maybe a simple white candle in a jar, be the only thing on that table.
White, gray, black and maybe some natural wood tones are your best friend to getting a Minimalist look. Cage lights in black or metal tones look great because the cage design mimics the simple airiness of a Minimalist aesthetic. To ensure that the space does not look too bare, you’ll want to choose cozy fabrics for your sofa or bed and add a simple knit throw blanket. Also make sure you get at least one piece of art on the walls and add a simple globe lamp so the eye has somewhere to look and you can have some cozy lighting. But remember, less is more if you’re a Minimalist! Shop Minimalist items on All Modern or at Ikea!
Well aren’t you a cute and fun weirdo! Your Quirky / Whimsical aesthetic has a childlike wonder and a magical perspective. You could tend towards more of the Whimsical vibes like branches and flowers with crystals and watercolor paintings for accessories or be more on the Quirky end and like brighter colors and an almost cartoonish vibe. You love the idea of being delighted and transported to another world when you’re in your interior space… and #whynot, right?
You can get a Quirky / Whimsical look by painting your walls in a bright color or using a beautifully patterned wallpaper. Mix up your styling with some DIY dragged paint or drip art and more sculptural items like manzanita branches, crystals or maybe a figurine of your favorite mythical or cartoon character. Funny or inspiring quotes and text art also look great in a Quirky / Whimsical space.
Color palette can be anything you want but stick to one family of colors - like an all pastel palette or all bright colors or all dark shades with some accents of white. You want your space to tell one cohesive story, even though it’s quirky and whimsical - are you in an enchanted forest, or an anime dreamland? It can be either, but not both. Shop Quirky / Whimsical items at flea markets, Joss & Main, Anthropologie or in the kid’s section at Target!
Are you a loft liver… or do you want to be? Industrial style has been all the rage for a while now, and I don’t see if ever going out of style. An Industrial aesthetic is characterized by a ‘factory chic’ vibe - think exposed brick and shelving made out of metal pipes. There is something vintage feeling about an Industrial look because even though it uses a lot of hard materials like concrete and metal, it’s different from the Modern / Dramatic aesthetic in that it’s never polished or glossy. The concrete is worn and tells a story and the metals have a patina, like oil-rubbed bronze or tarnished copper. Steampunk vibes are closely related to an Industrial look.
If you aren’t fortunate enough to live in a loft with high ceilings, concrete floors and exposed pipes, you can get an industrial look by incorporating some of those items into your space. Try faux brick paneling painted white, a DIY shelving unit using steel or black pipes, or a large matte-finish concrete coffee table styled with a copper tray. In a bedroom, use an iron bed frame and wall-mounted swing arm sconces with filament bulbs… filament bulbs will be your best friend! Industrial style is an aesthetic that embraces the beauty in materials so don’t be afraid to use a cool piece of beat-up metal or an old gear part as a piece of art!
Shop Industrial items at your local flea market or salvage yards, shop Etsy for some amazing Industrial light fixtures or just hit up a hardware store for some pipes!
You love a homey and rustic vibe! It may seem like a weird combo to have Farmhouse and Beachy be closely related but the things they have in common are an overall vibe of coziness. A Farmhouse / Beachy aesthetic is never brightly colored, the tones are muted white with natural tones of wood with maybe a little blue or gray as an accent. Wood tones in various light and medium shades are heavily emphasized. You can have white painted wood like shiplap or wide-plank rustic wood floors. White slipcovered furniture or worn leather sofas are great options. There is a very in-out feeling like you’re connected with nature, even when you’re inside the space. The rugs are made out of jute or woven wool but never overly patterned.
Since a Farmhouse / Beachy vibe is usually dependent on the architecture of a home - think wood beams, shiplap and hardwood floors, maybe some painted white brick, it’s more challenging to get this vibe in an apartment. You’ll want to emphasise wood furniture like a large wood table with vintage art like large old clocks, metal washboards and white-washed wooden crates. There is an element of Shabby Chic in the Farmhouse / Beachy aesthetic so don’t be shy to incorporate some small vintage florals or subtle blue and white stripes in the pillows or bedding. Shop Farmhouse / Beachy at stores like Joss & Main or Restoration Hardware and find vintage accessories at flea markets and thrift stores.