Abstract

Forming personal identities is an important and multifaceted lifelong developmental task. One facet of this task is personalization of space. We generate the meaning of a space by taking possession of it through changing it, to reflect our interests, abilities, personalities, lifestyles, values and, ultimately, our identities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to apply and extend Erikson’s developmental theory of identity formation to include the role of personalized spaces in experimenting with identity formation and expression. It was found that individuals used personal possessions and personalized their spaces to negotiate their developing identities as they interacted with both their social and physical environments. The main conclusion was that changes in identity evolved with changes in house design and interior possessions and vice versa as individuals transition through life stages.