Your home can be a reflection of your personality and who you are, even if you don’t put any thought into the interior design consciously. Some people like to take control of this creative pursuit to develop an even more cohesive narration of their self-expression. If you think that you’d like to take your interior design to the next level with a more personalized, thoughtful perspective, it might be time to consider how exactly your home decor choices can make a difference. Check out this exploration of interior design as a form of expression and integrate some of these ideas into your space.

Colors Can Change Your Mind

Many people already know that color can affect them on a psychological level. Businesses use this tactic all the time to entice people to utilize their services. Have you ever noticed that fast food places use yellow and red because it makes you hungry, security firms use blue to enhance their authority, and hospitals use green for its soothing aura? These are just some of the ways that colors change your mind.

Wondering what different colors mean to your brain? Here’s some basic color theory to get you started:

• Red: Energy, Action, Excitement
• Orange: Uplifting, Friendly, Fun
• Yellow: Happiness, Confidence, Optimism
• Green: Hope, Balance, Revitalization
• Blue: Trust, Authority, Serenity, Intelligence
• Purple: Creativity, Individuality, Spirituality

Incorporating color into your home can be subtle or showstopping. Use home decor accessories in the colors you love to accent your space and add life to your home. Looking for something bolder? Consider painting one of your walls in an accent color to change the whole feel of the space.

Display Your Hobbies

Changing the colors in your home is a big deal, but it can still feel a little impersonal. So what are the things that really express your personality? Hobbies and passions, of course! Do you love reading? A bookshelf display can showcase your passion, create a cozy reading nook, and ensure your books are accessible at all times. Love crochet? Use your own designs to decorate your space with sofa covers, doilies, and more. From gardening and painting to woodcraft and music, you can use tables, walls, and cabinets to decorate with meaningful accessories and collectibles.

Personalized Rooms

If you have multiple people living in your home, they probably each have their own room. When it comes to kids, especially, you want to help them express themselves within their space by putting up their artwork, asking for their input, and exploring a variety of options for everything from doorknobs and cabinet handles to curtains and bedsheets.

Furniture Made for You

You might think that you should buy furniture based on fashion trends you find on Instagram or Pinterest, but that’s not the way to express who you truly are. Pick things that make sense in your space, make you happy, and work cohesively to create a stunning design that you can’t wait to use. Don’t forget that mounted light fixtures and chandeliers also have their part to play in your furniture design!

Showcasing Your Past

While you might have spent a lot of time organizing decor accents that show off your hobbies and passions, don’t forget to do the same for your favorite memories. If you have any blank spaces on your walls or empty surfaces on your tables, you can fill them in with framed photos of the most important people in your life. Whether it’s family photos on snaps from adventures with friends, complete your design with souvenirs of places you visited together!

Spotlight Your History

Everyone’s family is different, but if yours is one that passes down special objects through the generations, you might want to make them part of your home decor. Whether it’s a cookbook or a music box, these items deserve a unique display. You can even start your own collection of heirlooms to pass down to future descendants for them to restore or upcycle when the time comes.

Transforming Your Home

All of these home decor techniques are different ways you may choose to express yourself. Whether you do them all or just choose one or two that really speak to you, these changes aren’t made overnight. Take your time deciding which accents, colors, and focal points make sense to you, and consider how they relate and express your personality.

As you embrace every aspect of who you are, from the most quirky to the most mainstream, you’ll find that you feel much more comfortable in your space. When you use your home as your canvas, you’re acting as an artist with control over every element and decision. You might make a conscious effort to bare every part of who you are, or you may choose to limit your self-expression to one or two rooms. Just make sure that whatever direction you go takes into account your entire lifestyle, family, and everyday activities.