Finding interior design ideas isn’t the hard part. (Just flip through any lifestyle magazine.) Finding the “right” design is.

Should you go with safe but boring? Flashy but tacky? Or just give up on the whole idea of interior design altogether and just throw in whatever looks good with your sofa?

Luckily, no matter your design know-how (or lack thereof), it’s totally possible to change your home from “ho-hum” to “hot.” The best part is, you don’t have to copy anyone else’s design! All you need is a little bit of self-awareness — and the list below.

If You Are: A fashion-savvy trendsetter

Your Interior Design Style Is: Contemporary

“Dated” and “old-fashioned” are not in your vocabulary. You don’t mind going with the flow, but you’re not afraid to take risks and kickstart trends either. The moment anything new comes up, you’re sure to take first dibs.

Naturally, your home should embody all things chic too. Spruce it up with trendy set pieces. Use your innate sense of style to figure out which goes with what. Like you, your home should convey a sense of energy and dynamism.

If You Are: An ambitious go-getter

Your Interior Design Style Is: Modern

You take your job — but not necessarily yourself — seriously. You’re the first to show up to work, and the last to leave. You can see yourself five, ten years from now just as clearly as you see the screen in front of you. In short, you’re the quintessential corporate person.

Someone like you would feel right at home in a place that reflects a high-powered lifestyle. Take a leaf out of your favorite CEOs’ books, and decorate your place with sleek, futuristic pieces. Combine these with clean lines and simple yet elegant accents, and you can have a space that’d give even Silicon Valley magnates a run for their money!

If You Are: A laid-back, live-in-the-moment type of person/A parent

Your Interior Design Style Is: Scandinavian

You don’t really want anything too fancy. As long as you can come home to a place where you can eat, sleep and have a great time with your friends and family, you’re good to go.

With a Scandinavian design, you can have an ambience that’s warm yet fuss-free. This design emphasizes the use of subtle, natural colors and materials, which bring out the more colorful pieces you complement them with. Top it off with comfy rugs and blankets, and you’ll have a space fit for the Nordics.

If You Are: A nature/marine lover

Your Interior Design Style Is: Nautical/Coastal

Prefer beaches over buildings? If you can’t visit the ocean every other weekend, let it come to you (in a manner of speaking).

Make your walls as blue as the waves. Pepper your desks with seashells and other ocean souvenirs. Decorate your home in such a way that it feels like you have your very own Boracay — minus the crowds!

If You Are: A simple, practical person

Your Interior Design Style Is: Minimalist

People say a lot of things about you, and “no-nonsense” is usually one of them. You believe in cutting to the chase, and in not giving anything more time, energy and space than necessary. You’re far from a social butterfly, but you do have a quiet strength that people respect.

Like the Scandinavian folks, you value utility over beauty — though you don’t want to completely forgo the latter. Give your space an air of understated elegance without being “boring” by choosing your pieces carefully. If each of them is as beautiful as they’re useful, and they all come together like a well-conducted orchestra, you’re on the right track.

If You Are: A free-spirited nonconformist

Your Interior Design Style Is: Eclectic

You don’t always go with the crowd. (In fact, you go against them more often than not.) But you don’t avoid things just because they’re “too mainstream” either. You believe in marching to the beat of your own drum, regardless of whether it goes with or against the music. You’re an individualist through-and-through, and you’re not afraid to let people know it.

Of course, telling you how to create an eclectic design defeats the point of eclecticism. Let your imagination run wild. Mix and match pieces that showcase your unique personality. Combine elements of all the other styles shown here.

When it comes to choosing interior design, it helps to match it to your personality, rather than the other way around. Take a good look at the design sets above, and let them inspire you into breathing some much-needed life into your home!

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No need to look far for beautiful homes to live in. At the Mango Tree Residences in San Juan City, you can enjoy a relaxing oasis within a sprawling urban area. Drop by the gym to shape up after work, visit the yoga station to stretch your limbs, or drink in the beautiful view from the al fresco lounges.

What’s more, the Mango Tree Residences’ location puts it within arm’s length from major thoroughfares and establishments. If you’re a young professional, for instance, you can easily access the Central Business Districts in Ortigas and Makati via the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge.

For more information about Empire East and its homes across Metro Manila, visit www.empire-east.com; or call 810-3333 or 0917-8-EMPIRE. You may also like/follow @empireeast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.