Recently, one of my new clients wrote me an email about how she wanted to shop for furniture on her own because she didn’t think that I could understand or capture her aesthetic without more direction or inspiration. One of my favorite networking tricks is to tell a person I am meeting for the first time what their home looks like. Many people seem alarmed at how accurate I can be, even when I have only spent a few minutes conversing with them. Sometimes I think this might chase away clients for fear of being too seen, but I consult my crystal ball anyway. While design is exciting because it has a million possibilities of solutions, it is also a science. Many of the theories and studies that advanced designers can use are related to environmental psychology. Let’s dive into some of that mystical science. Your Style Smells We are at a networking event, and we are standing in a group of people who shuffle as they move to introduce themselves. You shuffle over towards me, and as you do, the air rushes past me with your scent. The overwhelming scent hits me with notes of musk and spice, with a small hint of woody notes like cedar and sandalwood. Without taking note of what you are wearing for fit, color, and texture. I can tell that you lean towards some of the more organic aesthetics like Rustic, Japandi or Bohemian, and Eclectic. If you had a more herbaceous note at the end of the scent, then I would assume you lean even more into traditional styles and start to understand that your color palette might be cooling and calming. See, we haven’t spoken a word, and I already have a clue as to your style preferences. The Chameleon, The Pitch, and the Wardrobe There are three things that I assess when meeting new people that give away almost everything I need to know to understand their design preferences. The chameleon is the color a person chooses to show up in. When networking, people tend to try to put their best foot forward and choose their outfit accordingly. Color choices often tell me how someone is feeling about the event they are attending and the room they are in. Do they want to feel calm or energized? Grounded or expressive? The pitch is their voice - the tone, rhythm, and word choices all reflect how a person sees the world. Some people use emotional language that evokes a sense of agreeableness and emotional comfort. Some are more expressive, leaning into an artistic or creative identity. The wardrobe is a representation of their inner architecture. The material, texture, decorative details, and patterns all give way to how they shape space. A structured blazer, one of my favorites, tells me a person loves order, organization, and modern lines. A flowy linen dress might say that they lean towards organic-shaped furniture and natural light. Together with scent, the colors you choose to wear, the word choice and tone of your voice, and the type of clothing you wear, form a design language that is quick and intuitive for understanding more about you and your unique design aesthetic. The Chameleon - Why Color is the Fastest Way to Know Your Style The colors that a person chooses to wear to express themselves, especially to a public event, give me a first look at not only their color preferences but also their chosen aesthetic and time period interests. After all, color wasn’t accessible to the masses until about 170 years ago during the Industrial Revolution and Victorian age. (Learn about that here in my HABITUS article and podcast) Now, color is so available that it can easily become a marker for personality and preference. Our chosen colors aren’t random but a micro-expression of our psychological upbringing, our nervous system, and have even been hypothesized as being a clue to what organ systems might not be functioning properly. (You can read more about that theory here with the Luscher Color Test) I will go into a few colors to demonstrate. Wearing white or beige means a person prefers simplicity and clarity, and often relates to minimalist and Japandi’s light and airy color palette. Wearing jewel tones means a person often prefers luxury or even glam aesthetics. Wearing pastels like lavender or blush emanates sensitivity and softness, meaning the person often leans towards romantic styles like cottagecore or romantic minimalism. The more highly saturated the color, the more likely the person is to be confident, extroverted, future-focused, or dramatic. The more muted the colors, the person is likely calmer, more introverted, more reminiscent of the past, and generally has more restraint. When I need more information about an acquaintance’s color preference, I comment on that color in the room and pose it as a question. Like, “Her pink dress looks lovely on her!” talking about someone across the room. Most people either agree wholeheartedly or mildly react, telling me subtly what they think of the color. So maybe when you are networking or meeting people for the first time, consider wearing more saturated colors to evoke a sense of confidence and extroverted connection. I will include further color psychology fortune-telling in another article. The Pitch - The Soundtrack of Someone’s Style Often in networking or social situations, we observe the conversations going on around us. This is another opportunity for me to listen to your unique style. The tone, pace, and choice of words are an emotional palette all in their own. Cross-Modal Psychology refers to how sound influences how we experience color, form, and space. Humans often raise the pitch of our voices when trying to be liked. Women may tend to raise the pitch of their voice more as a cue for warmth or likability. Men might lower their pitch if they want to seem more dominant in social interactions. When observing and talking with people, using a higher pitch means their emotions are likely bright, playful, and curious, and can lean towards light color palettes, minimalism, and more delicate furniture. Those who use a midrange pitch have emotions associated with balance, order, and clarity. They often lean towards aesthetics like mid-century, Scandinavian, and smart design features. Those who have lower pitches have emotions associated with depth, power, and gravity. They lean towards a darker color palette, historical styles, and rich textures. The next layer to someone’s voice is their word choice. I will provide a few examples. If someone uses words like organized, efficient, or tidy, they have a high need for cognitive clarity and often lean towards Scandinavian and minimal design aesthetics. People who use words like calm, zen, or retreat are stress-conscious and often lean towards Japandi and nature-based design aesthetics. Those who talk about hosting, entertaining, or hanging with a group of friends are showing you their need for social connection and orientation, and often lean towards transitional or more glamorous aesthetics. As you can see, the voice is an emotional mood board. Giving you clues to what a person thinks in the moment, as well as their general personality. The Wardrobe - The Architecture of Appearance Last but not least, I take note of the clothing choice of my new acquaintance. The clothes we choose are never random and are architecture in motion. What people wear often mirrors the environment they love. I mentioned some examples in the color section, but I will continue that explanation here. Those who wear vintage, thrifted, or unique pieces embody individualism and sentimentality. They tend to lean towards vintage and eclectic styles. People who wear colorful layers and mixed prints are often risk takers and have an expressive personality. They lean towards Maximalism and Retro aesthetics. Wearing metallic accessories implies that you are glamour-seeking and luxury-oriented. This person often leans towards Art Deco and Luxe Modern styles. Finally, those who wear monochromatic colors and have sleek, updated haircuts have a more modern mindset and prefer interiors that are minimalist and urban. This one seems to be changing as our culture has started to shift toward an old money or grand millennial styling. This modern take values eclecticism or the modern version of craftsmanship. Aesthetic Versus Time Period Every person I meet seems to have a unique combination of both Aesthetic Preference and Time Period Preference, even when they aren’t aware of it. We all know a person or two, or can spot them in public, who has not changed their haircut or wardrobe since the 90s. I am guilty of it! I love a good skinny jean. Sometimes it is more subtle than a bad haircut or jeans that haven’t cycled back into style. Based on what I shared above, I reluctantly but often categorize people into style houses so that I can remember them more easily after networking. These four houses, just like Hogwarts houses, incorporate both time and aesthetic. Instead of a hatting ceremony, the house you are in is decided by a mirror that evaluates everything we just discussed above. I will share these and possibly a quiz with you in a future post. An Irish Goodbye With that knowledge of my crystal ball, I am throwing a cloth over it and blowing out the candles. We will return to our previous program regarding sleep, but expect more crystal ball and design fairy godmother installments to come. If this article and podcast inspire you to make changes in your own space, and you want more design insight and inspiration, please subscribe below. Ai was used in the making of the visuals for this article. Also, there is an affiliate link. Get full access to INTREPID at intrepidinterior.substack.com/subscribe
