Photography: Martina Gemmola
The way we choose to decorate our homes can reveal more about us than you might realise. Some of us, however, might feel like we don’t have too much of a say. Take podcaster Sarah Davidson for example. A self-confessed type A personality, her home decorating expectations received a hard reset at the growing delight of her toddler in Lego, which, she says, is “everywhere”. “Lego and sand,” agreed Home Beautiful editor Elle Lovelock, who interviewed Sarah on The Edit podcast.
Over the years, studies have found that our interior choices can be a direct reflection of our personalities, with our overflowing bookcases, art collections and home office set-ups revealing a surprising amount about our levels of openness, empathy and even extroversion. So, when the way we present our homes says so much about our personality to those who enter it, how can the type As among us stay aligned while coping with the metaphorical or literal Lego in our lives? And how can the type Bs temper things when they get a little too laid back? Here’s how to decorate to create a home that feels lived in, whether you’re seeking calm or creativity.
Listen to Sarah Davidson on The Edit podcast:
Colour
Do you find yourself gravitating towards neutrals and texture, or do you lean more heavily into pattern clashing and colour drenching? It will come as no great surprise to learn that the former scheme is more typical of type As.
“The actual bones [of our home] are quite neutral — brasses and whites and creams…and then we’ve got accents of colour in the cushions, like a deep reds and olive greens…”
Sarah Davidson, podcast host of Seize the Yay
Sarah makes a good argument for type As. Building from a neutral base means it is easy to swap out schemes and replace items as you — and any toy-loving kids — grow, without creating or adding to visual chaos.
Type Bs, on the other hand, can go right ahead and embrace saturated schemes — but with a key rule kept in mind. Shirley Platcher, British Paints Colour Manager, told Home Beautiful that considering space and ambience is a must. “Keeping in mind the size of the room and the amount of natural light it gets is critical to avoid creating a space that is overwhelming.”
Photos and family heirlooms
If you’re someone who has plenty of family photos and personal heirlooms displayed around your home, then the studies agree that you’re likely quite a sentimental person. For many people, personal photos and items also affirm their sense of self, giving us a stronger confidence in who we are and where we come from. For both personality types, photos are a big tick — and a great way to balance your art budget.
“We like to warm [our home] up with photos from our favourite trips. We love being surrounded by happy memories.”
Sarah Davidson, podcast host of Seize the Yay
Photos and sentimental objects are key to creating a home that feels lived-in, but where you can shine as an A or B lies in the way you display them. Order-craving type As might prefer to stick to simple layouts and frames in white, black or timber, but creative type Bs can mix and match frame colours and hanging styles.
Books
Rather than scantily furnishing shelves with an errant vase and the odd candle, displaying your book collection goes a long way to adding personality to your home. While it might be obvious that someone who owns a lot of books has an interest in literature and learning, the type of books that you own reveal even more about our personality traits. According to a University of Toronto study, people who read a lot of fiction tend to have higher levels of empathy than those who don’t.
Aside from the type of books, the way you display them can create a lived-in feeling in a way that still satisfies your need for order. Sarah, for example, says she is a fan of organisation.
“My books have always been colour coded in the bookshelf and arranged by height.”
Sarah Davidson, podcast host of Seize the Yay
Type Bs, by contrast, can often be found packing their shelves with diverse collections. They are probably also more focused on kicking back on the couch and reading than organising, and leaving a book or two out on the coffee table. Just don’t let the pile get too out of hand!
Art
Adding art is an easy way to pack a punch, but it also gives us clues into people’s personality traits. During an interview on NPR, Dr Sam Gosling, author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, explained that having original artworks on your walls “tends to be one of the big clues” that you might be quite an ‘open’ or ‘broadminded’ person. It’s likely that this is because having an interest in art and culture requires a relative level of curiosity, which lends itself to open-mindedness.
That being said, art it a must in our books no matter your level of liberation. Type As will likely spent a lot of time carefully curating their art collection, whereas B-types might prefer a more laidback approach, collecting smaller pieces over time.
A home office
These days, most of us have some sort of office space in our abode. If you’re constantly feeling guilty about not keeping your desk tidy (we see you, Type Bs), then you will be pleased to hear that a messy desk actually indicates a higher level of creativity, according to a University of Minnesota study.
The amount of personal items you have in the workspace also gives us a clue into whether you prefer keeping your work self separate from your home life, according to Dr Gosling. Those who decorate their desks, however, may be more extroverted than those who don’t — especially if they are decorating their desk in the workplace.
“Extroverts, they tend to decorate their spaces more,” explains Dr Gosling on NPR. “They tend to make them inviting places. They want people to come in. Extroverts just like people. And they are trying to lure you into their office so you’ll come in and yack with them rather than work.”
That said, type Bs need to keep their collections in check, lest they start to take over their focus altogether.
More introverted Type As will likely prefer to work in calm and may even retreat to their offices to get away from chaos. They will likely have lots of clever storage solutions in their workspaces (even a wicker basket or two will go a long way). However, if you’re a type A looking to add a touch of personality, adding little vignettes of objects or photos will go a mile.
Practice the art of letting go
Whether you’re type A looking to minimise clutter or type B looking for as many opportunities as humanly possible to store your favourite things, storage is a non-negotiable. Nonetheless, no matter your personality type, the reality of life demands that we practice the art of letting go and embrace the mess…if even just a little — and that is the true secret to creating a home that feels lived in. Lego and all.
Pre-kids, [I was] very organized. Then you have kids and you’re like, I don’t want to be that parent who’s so obsessed with cleaning up the toys that I do it while he’s still playing with them.
Sarah Davidson, podcast host of Seize the Day
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