After a long, tiring day out, there's nothing like coming home to a space that you know will be your safe haven. When every nook and corner tells a story about who you are, your dreams and aspirations, it's like a welcoming embrace that feels familiar and warm. These stories transform a house (a place one merely dwells in) to a home that feels much more intimate and personal, injected with life and infused with personality.

There are many ways to do this such as scenting your home with a fragrance that triggers a happy memory, or curating a room based on an interior design style that reflects your own personal taste. Here are three timeless ID styles to inspire you.
The minimalist style is one that favours clean surfaces without clutter in sight. Rather than furnishing countertops with an array of items, it takes a more intentional approach and makes us look inward to our own consumption patterns and, oftentimes, wastage. If your home has limited space, this style is great due to its multifunctional furniture concept such as a dining table that doubles as a workstation or a coffee table that opens to reveal more hidden storage. Guests will instantly know that you're someone who treasures a calm, harmonious environment with a slow and steady approach to life.
Are you a plant mum or dad who loves the sunny outdoors? Then consider the Mediterranean style that captures the relaxing and vibrant spirit of the Greek islands and Majorcan beaches. If your home has a ton of natural sunlight, opt for big arch windows and an open concept. Elevate your abode with natural materials such as clay, linen and dark pinewood. This is an excellent aesthetic choice for those who love colour in their life and want to tell their story through a beautiful collection of souvenirs and ever-growing nursery of plants.
If you're a lover of both the traditional and modern, then the Mid-century Modern interior design style could be the one for you. It remains one of the most popular styles to this day due to the many iconic designs that have come out of the 1950s and 1960s such as the Charles and Ray Eames Lounge Chair. Featuring a mix of materials such as velvet, wood, metal and leather, the Mid-century style is great for those with an eccentric yet glamorous taste.
The importance of colour in your home cannot be understated. Much like smell, colours can make us feel different types of emotions and even dictate our moods just by looking at them—which means whichever colour you pick for your rooms will inadvertently decide how you feel about your home. While everyone has their own personal responses to colour, there is a general psychological pattern that resonates with most people.
Hover over the colours to find out what feelings each shade evokes.
If things are still unclear, not to worry! With Jotun's 2023 Global Colour Trends, the brand introduces three distinct colour palettes that are purposefully designed to inspire a beautiful and healthy ambiance.
Click on each colour for more details.
You are the meditator. Characterised by soothing colours of soft pastels and healing greens, the Serene Presence palette is perfect for someone who takes a calm and slow approach to life. Always taking things one step at a time, your ideal start to the day is with a short meditation or journaling session. Having colours such as Dusk Green and Lavender Touch in your home office would be good due to their gentle and meditative properties that will help keep you focused and centred throughout the day.

You love having a clear head—which also means a clear space. Interior design styles that complement Serene Presence are Minimalism, Scandinavian, Japandi (a combination of Scandinavian and Japanese elements) and Bauhaus. All of these work to create a spa-like atmosphere that is harmonious and introspective.
Click on each colour for more details.
You are the meditator. Characterised by soothing colours of soft pastels and healing greens, the Serene Presence palette is perfect for someone who takes a calm and slow approach to life. Always taking things one step at a time, your ideal start to the day is with a short meditation or journaling session. Having colours such as Dusk Green and Lavender Touch in your home office would be good due to their gentle and meditative properties that will help keep you focused and centred throughout the day.

You love having a clear head—which also means a clear space. Interior design styles that complement Serene Presence are Minimalism, Scandinavian, Japandi (a combination of Scandinavian and Japanese elements) and Bauhaus. All of these work to create a spa-like atmosphere that is harmonious and introspective.
Click on each colour for more details.
You are the adventurer. With Naturally Grounded's selection of warm earth tones, soft yellows and oranges, this colour scheme is best reflected in an individual with a naturally daring and adventurous spirit, fuelled by wanderlust and curiosity. You love being active and partaking in outdoor activities such as cycling, hiking and bouldering. As you feel a connection to the outdoors, shades such as Herb Garden, Burnt Ochre and Rustic Brown will delight your senses, and you won't feel trapped even when you stay in.

You feel the best when you're surrounded by nature, so it would make sense that the style that suits this colour palette the best are Mediterranean, Bohemian and Country House. Complete with a ton of hanging plants, tiled backsplashes and warm carpets, this colour palette conjures the peace of nature and the refreshing simplicity of rustic life.
Click on each colour for more details.
You are the adventurer. With Naturally Grounded's selection of warm earth tones, soft yellows and oranges, this colour scheme is best reflected in an individual with a naturally daring and adventurous spirit, fuelled by wanderlust and curiosity. You love being active and partaking in outdoor activities such as cycling, hiking and bouldering. As you feel a connection to the outdoors, shades such as Herb Garden, Burnt Ochre and Rustic Brown will delight your senses, and you won't feel trapped even when you stay in.

You feel the best when you're surrounded by nature, so it would make sense that the style that suits this colour palette the best are Mediterranean, Bohemian and Country House. Complete with a ton of hanging plants, tiled backsplashes and warm carpets, this colour palette conjures the peace of nature and the refreshing simplicity of rustic life.
Click on each colour for more details.
You are the visionary. This colour palette is for the bold creative thinker with big ideas. Consisting of sophisticated reds, blue accents and gallery-style naturals, the Curated Living palette is both a balance of tradition and modernity that's made for personal creative expression. You have distinct and, at times, eclectic tastes in art, music and the like, which is why this timeless palette is perfect for creating a home-as-art-gallery feel. Now, you can finally express your artistic sensibilities with colours that are as creative as you are.

Hues such as Poetry Red, Soft Savanna and Collected Blue will not only keep you inspired, but empower you to tap into your creative potential to bring your ideas to life. This balanced and curated combination will work best in the Mid-century Modern style, as well as Industrial and even Bauhaus elements due to the use of organic shapes and colours.
Click on each colour for more details.
You are the visionary. This colour palette is for the bold creative thinker with big ideas. Consisting of sophisticated reds, blue accents and gallery-style naturals, the Curated Living palette is both a balance of tradition and modernity that's made for personal creative expression. You have distinct and, at times, eclectic tastes in art, music and the like, which is why this timeless palette is perfect for creating a home-as-art-gallery feel. Now, you can finally express your artistic sensibilities with colours that are as creative as you are.

Hues such as Poetry Red, Soft Savanna and Collected Blue will not only keep you inspired, but empower you to tap into your creative potential to bring your ideas to life. This balanced and curated combination will work best in the Mid-century Modern style, as well as Industrial and even Bauhaus elements due to the use of organic shapes and colours.
Ask yourself deeper questions such as, "What do I want to feel in this room?", "What does this colour mean to me?", and "What story do I want to tell?"

This will not only allow you to curate a room that looks good but ultimately makes you feel good as well, prioritising your mental well-being first over aesthetics.
Click for tip!
Text: MARISSA CHIN
LAYOUT DESIGN: AMOS YIP
PHOTOS COURTESY OF: JOTUN MALAYSIA