Inspiration & Style

Jun 12

Looking for home design inspiration but don’t know where to start? Feeling stuck for ideas? In this post, I share three simple tips to spark your creativity without getting lost on Instagram or Pinterest. These reliable strategies will help you find your personal interior style and boost your creative energy!

Magazines and Books- Gather a few magazines and interior books, such as house and gardens, world of interiors, vogue living, home beautiful, Elle decor, the art of home, sacred spaces, redefining comfort, travel home (or your favourite interior and lifestyle book or magazine). Lay them out on the floor. Simply flick through and identify with a sticky note what stories resonate with you. This emotional connection will often spark inspiration with something already existing in your home. Once you have identified stories, select pages that resonate with you, try and do this without judgement or force. Simply identify what it is you like about that particular image.
Gathering Inspiration from Images: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Observe the Details
  - Describe the Setting: Note the location, type of space, and general ambiance.
  - Lighting: Consider the natural and artificial light sources.
  - Views: Pay attention to what is visible outside windows or doors.
  - Furniture Placement: Observe how furniture is arranged.
  - Decorative Elements: Identify key accessories and decorations.
  - Focal Points: Notice any dominant features or centerpieces.
  - Additional Elements: Look at colors, textures, and shapes.
- Identify What You Like
  - Feelings: Does the image make you feel calm, excited, or inspired? Why?
  - Specific Elements: Note specific aspects you are drawn to (e.g., colours, textures, styles).
  - Memories: Does anything evoke personal memories or cultural associations?
- Reflect on Your Preferences
  - Style: Are you drawn to minimalism, eclectic designs, vintage styles, etc.?
  - Space: Do you prefer open, airy spaces or cozy, enclosed areas?
  - Light: Do you enjoy natural light, soft ambient lighting, or bold, bright lighting?
  - Decor: Are you attracted to specific decorative items like plants, art, or unique furniture?
- Dissect More Images
  - Compare and Contrast: Look at a variety of images within the same category.
  - Consistency: Identify recurring themes or elements you consistently like.
  - Diversity: Explore different styles and settings to broaden your perspective.
- Identify Patterns
  - Themes: Determine if there are common themes or motifs in your preferred images.
  - Colours and Textures: Note any repeated colour schemes or texture preferences.
  - Furniture and Layout: Observe consistent preferences in furniture styles and room layouts.
By following this guide, you'll be able to systematically gather inspiration from images, recognise your unique tastes, and apply these insights to your personal and creative projects!
Travel- Travel is a powerful source of inspiration for design and interiors. Personally, It will always, first and foremost influence elements of my style and design. The more I travel, the more I flex my muscles with design and welcome authenticity into my home. But not all travel needs to be jetting off on a plane to Bali or 6 weeks backpacking through Europe. It could be a simple road trip heading North for a few hours on the weekend. It’s amazing what a new scenery can do for your mind, body and creativity. Sometimes simply taking yourself away from your home allows your mind to rest and reset and often you come back with fresh eyes! Explore a new area, visit a little coffee shop, boutique, or vintage store. Soak in the culture, design, ambience, differences or familiarities and take a notepad a pen to document the feelings you feel on this trip. Snap pictures of architecture, interiors, products, clothes, trinkets or landscape that resonate with you. Your emotional connection with travel will help and inspire your creativity. Once again, try to avoid putting pressure on yourself to find an answer, creativity and inspiration will come.
Nature- Don’t overlook the power of nature to inspire creativity and your style. It could simply be walking through the woods and bringing fresh foliage back into to your home and placing a vase on the kitchen table to elevate your space. Nature can inspire style with its rich palette of colours, textures, and patterns. Natural elements like wood, stone, and plants add warmth and authenticity to a space, grounding us and creating a connection to the outdoors that promotes well-being. Fresh foliage is my number one styling accessory, and free resource for inspiration! Could it be yours too?
Often we can get stuck in a cycle of looking at homes on IG, or Pinterest for inspiration, and although these platforms are immensely helpful as a source of ideas, one can quite quickly get caught up creating a home that looks like someone else’s… If it never feels quite right, this could be a reason! The truth is, Inspiration is everywhere. We just sometimes have to stop overanalysing it. What one tip could you implement today?
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