Hi Home Lovers!

Welcome to my HOME-STYLE blog! Where we go in search of your beautifully unique personal style so you can create a dream home without regrets. A dream home that’s the very essence of your personal story and your family’s.

No cookie cutter solutions, passing trends or Chat GP design advice here. We’re all about authenticity and digging deep!

This is my first Blog post for the year and I want to get back to basics – especially for my new readers. Then we’ll take the journey together through the year and open a window to your soul – encouraging you to spend quality “me” time on discovering your amazing inner style.

So let’s get started!

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

Carl Jung

If I asked you what’s your HOME-STYLE – could you tell me? Here’s why your answer is so important!

You’re ready to renovate or extend your home, build new, or start a small cosmetic project?

But you’re stuck – you want to create something really beautiful, that inspires you everyday, a home that finally feels like you. Yet when you imagine what that home looks and feels like – how do you feel?

Overwhelmed? Confused? Frustrated?

Join the majority of home-lovers who share the infuriating personality that combines feeling and intuition (Ref: Myers Briggs) – I get into this later. We REALLY value originality, self expression and our homes are like a self portrait. We “feel” them – for good or bad.

So creating our dream homes can be emotionally exhausting – but that’s why you’re reading my blog!

Knowing your HOME-STYLE is going to be the difference between a daunting and anxiety ridden design process and an inspiring soul discovery process.

Now back to my question – do you know what your HOME-STYLE is?

Your HOME-STYLE is a blend of your PERSONALITY, (AESTHETIC) PREFERENCES and the PLACE you live. I call it the 3 P’s! The blend is what creates something truly unique and timeless. It’s a holistic big-picture of what your dream home needs to look like if it’s really going to satisfy this inner craving you have for “belonging”. You’ll not only see the vision, you’ll feel it.

Once you identify your HOME-STYLE you’re going to say “Aaaahhhhh …. That’s why I’m ALWAYS attracted to that pattern or texture. That’s why I love living in the hills. That’s why I just don’t feel at ease in my own home!”. It’s like shining a light on the mental fog in your brain and a road map to creating you dream home without regrets.

Now let’s dive into the 3 P’s.

Personality

Let’s start off with PERSONALITY because you can’t get more unique than this. I believe your personality deeply influences your HOME-STYLE.

I use the Myers Briggs personality profile – a quick free version of something similar is available at Free personality test, type descriptions, relationship and career advice | 16Personalities

These are the key personality traits and we’re all a combo:

Extrovert VS Introvert
Thinker VS Feeler
Intuitive VS Logical
Judging VS Perceiving

These options can be grouped into four general personality types – Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels and Explorers. (I’m using the 16 Personality test profile names - they vary slightly from MB).

Keep in mind, these personality tests are all about general (not specific) preferences and depending on where you score you can be on the borderline of multiple types. We use these profiles to help us solve the guess work and recognize why we act, think and feel in certain ways. Not to create labels for each other.

We’ll learn more about these in future, but when it comes to discovering your HOME-STYLE I like to summarise them as the following.

How does your personality influence your Home-Style?

I start with Diplomats because 99% of my clients share this same personality grouping, along with myself. It’s the “feeling” and “intuitive” traits combo that makes our homes so important.

Diplomats –

Your home is a place of self-expression, to share your personal experiences and stories. You’re not a trend follower and want your home to be unique and original.

Analysts –

Home is not so much about sentiment but a place to support you in living your best life. You like an orderly home that operates efficiently and provides stability.

Sentinels –

Home is an opportunity for creativity, self-expression and playfulness. It’s not precious and you’re not trying to impress anyone else.

Explorers –

Your Home represents security, belonging and stability. It’s all about family and supporting the functional and emotional needs to live in harmony.

*How does your Personality affect your chosen Place?*

2. Place

Now time for Place – this comes down to what physical environment you want to connect with.

What I love about this element is that it grounds your home in the surrounding landscape and creates a sense of timeless authenticity. It’s a permanent place with geology, culture and history, more than just aesthetic style that could be applied in many settings.

This could be a nearby landscape – native bushland, coastal dunes or the inner city.

*Pauline’s Home-Style was inspired by her travels in the English countryside.*

Do you have a travel location you love and you’ld like to bring a little home with you – Greek islands, California hills. Travel inspo is a great way to add interest if you’re already living in a similar context.

If you’re in the burbs with little landscape inspo, you’ll have to work a bit harder to create authenticity and dig deeper for the not so obvious connections, like textures and colours.

Another great Place inspo is the bones of your home. Often times we live in homes designed in a style different to our own core design preferences. Creating a style blend that connects the two can add real originality and interest.

*Pauline’s Home-Style was grounded in the bones of an Australian homestead. (Image - Pinterest)*

3. Aesthetic Preferences

Now last, but certainly not least … Aesthetic Preferences.

We work this out last because rather than just select from trending styles, we need to be inspired by the previous two elements – Personality & Place.

You would think this element would be the easiest as it naturally comes to mind when you think of discovering your design style. But it’s actually the hardest as there are sooo many options.

It’s these decisions that overwhelm us, distract us and leave us stuck in inertia – scared to make a mistake.

I like to follow two key guidelines when identifying client’s design preferences.

Start from the inside - and then move out.

Don’t get confused by looking at builder’s street elevations or architectural portfolios of stylish exteriors. There’s not enough detail to really decide if this is your core style and we can all be swayed by a stylish looking streetscape image.

Start with your Interior Aesthetic Preferences and then work out - I call these INSIDE-OUT CONCEPTS.

*The Farmhouse in the Valley project original Inside-Out Design Concept (Linda Woods Design)*

Start with the smallest details first.

When searching through inspo pics - this will keep your mind focused with less choices and force you to dig deeper and ask yourself what exactly is it you like. Items like tapware, hardware and lighting have a lot of detail included that give great clues to your core design style. Then move onto larger room images.

So many of my clients fall in love with overall room images but as we dig deeper it’s just one corner of the room – so get specific.

The following key design principals are deeply influenced by Personality and Place so keep these in mind as you think about your Design Preferences:

Colour

Our colour preferences start in early childhood and are closely connected to our personality. They can be strongly influenced by the “Place” we live. The application of colours in our home can affect the feeling of calmness or energy.

Pattern

Also closely connected to our personality and are a strong indication of your style roots, traditional or modern or transitional. Think about it – every new style blend that emerges can be defined by patterns from previous styles.

Shape

Very similar to Pattern and a strong indicator of style roots. Think squares and sharp corners, versus rounded shapes – the choice of these immediately reflects a different core style and creates a different feel in a space. Formal versus relaxed.

Texture

Connected to personality and conveying a level of formality versus laid back feel. Think highly polished cabinetry and sleek velvet versus a matt brushed finish and linen. Can also be a great way to connect with the “Place” around you – manmade or natural.

A great way to get started on defining what you love is reach into your wardrobe and pull out your favourite outfits. Go for the ones that you regularly get comments on about how great they look on you. The outfits that you feel most comfortable in – and I don’t mean a tracksuit!

We all know the feeling of buying cushions for the sofa – they look perfect in the store but we get them home and they just don’t feel right. I’m sure you’ve had the same experience buying an outfit – looked great in the store but every time you where it – it just doesn’t feel like you. So we’re searching for those items that you feel your best self in.

DESIGN TIP: LOOK IN YOUR WARDROBE!

Pull out your favourite outfits and look for similarities in colour, pattern, shape and texture.
Go for the outfits that when you wear them you get plenty of compliments, the items that really feel like you, to go-to ones that you know you’ll feel confident in.
You’ll see a common thread (literally!) running through all of them that will reveal alot about your core aesthetic.
(Image - Pinterest)

When we combine these three elements – Personality + Place + Preferences – we create a unique and authentic style that’s not only aesthetically beautiful but also tells your personal story and deeply connected to your place. Completely timeless. A one-of-a-kind style – like your finger print.

I’ve given you an overview but I’d love to help you out in person. That’s my expertise – helping my clients dig deep to unveil their unique HOME-STYLE and create beautiful inspiring homes.

We can work together on your upcoming home-renovation project or you can join in my Discover your HOME-STYLE workshops and get inspired with like-minded home lovers!

You can join the Waiting List now and be the first to hear of upcoming classes due to begin in March 2026.

Once you know your HOME-STYLE you’ll feel completely in control of the vision for your dream home. When it comes to making decisions, you’ll be focused and know exactly what you need to achieve your style. You won’t be following someone else’s direction – builder, architect or interior designer – you’ll be in charge.

You’ll feel inspired as, like a bower bird, you start collecting objects that express your style – a wildflower, a beach shell or a vintage fabric. When you get distracted by passing styles – you’ll know exactly what you’re attracted to, take note, and move on.

Knowing your HOME-STYLE is exciting and personally rewarding. It helps you move through the clutter of social media and passing trends, and focus on yourself. Doesn’t that sound great?

Rather than spending time learning someone else’s story – you’ll discover your own!

Don’t be like one of my previous clients who built a brand new luxury home and on the day it was finished she sat down on the front steps and cried knowing it wasn’t what she wanted. I come in contact with her afterwards and helped breath life into the home with her own unique style – but it’s hard to achieve an authentic style when it’s completely detached from the bones.

I look forward to meeting you face to face, learning your story and helping you create a beautiful home inspired by you.

Linda XO

(All project photography by Gathering Light)

Do you know your unique HOME-STYLE?

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”