I'm currently in the process of some room makeovers (the living room reveal is coming soon!) but I do find it hard to nail down exactly what kind of look I want to achieve. You might think I'd find it easy but I actually feel overwhelmed by choice most of the time. Do you find that too? How do you find home decor inspiration?
There are all the obvious ways of course, and I'll cover some of those in a moment, but surely there are more obscure ways that help us feel less overwhelm and more focus in our next decorating project.
Here are a few of the ways I like to go about finding home decor inspiration for my home makeover projects. (And they're not all standard and straight forward so read on).
So this is probably the most obvious, to a lot of people Pinterest has a wealth of inspiration for home decor projects and it's really easy to search for what you want. The guided search facility is great for digging deeper into your search query, and things like visual search are amazing for finding similar content, particularly if you're ready to make a purchase. Create your own boards to keep track of your finds, and when you look back you'll soon see the kinds of things you love subconsciously, from the types of imagery you've saved. It's very enlightening.
I love to find a round up style article that shows me all the latest trends for every room in one go. I'm a huge sucker for trends, but do love to interpret them in my own way, mixing them in with my existing pieces. It's the best way to keep your home looking fresh but not spend a fortune too. So, I was pretty chuffed to discover the Nectar Home Seasonal Style Guide which rounds up ALL of the latest seasonal trends per room, and with great imagery too. You can download your own copy of the Seasonal Style Guide here.
Furthermore, Nectar have developed a browser extension button which means whenever you're hunting around on the internet for your next home decor purchase, you can check whether you are able to use your Nectar points to buy it. It's a great way to be reminded of how to collect or spend your Nectar points.
Again, probably another obvious one, but I like to do something quite different, and this is a trick I picked up on the fabulous MartinMark Interior Design course. I'm sure we all scour magazines for ideas, but do you go any further than just flicking through the pages? A great tip if you're not sure what style you want for your next project, is to just tear out anything that jumps out at you. Don't think about it too much, just go with your gut. When you're done you can filter out the stuff you really don't like or want until you end up with a collection of pictures that have truly, fundamentally inspired you. It's a great way to see what you are subconsciously drawn to, and I'll bet you are surprised. Go on, give it a go.
I have a lot of home decor blogs that I love to read, for both inspiration and nosiness, but there's a new wave of blogs coming through that are equally as inspiring as some of the older ones (disclaimer: I count myself as an older blog so anyone I've discovered in the last few years is NEW!). Often they're lifestyle blogs with a strong emphasis on decor but do check these out if you're looking for more people to follow.
Are you a fan of Instagram? Well fear not if you don't get the platform because there's a section of it that you may well love. Instagram Stories is where people you follow (or not) post little titbits of their day, from photos, to screenshots to talking on camera. They're a way to get the inside track on people and their environments. Do come and follow me to get a behind the scenes look at my life, home and work. BUT, some of the great IGers, and Storytellers are showcasing their homes in a great way and getting lots of recognition for it. The big fashion bloggers like Erica Davies, the Frugality and The Fashion Lift are all posting about their home decor renovations at the moment and it's a great way to check out some real life style in action. These ladies really are pros when it comes to Instagram so prepare to fall in love with their homes, and their clothes (plus Erica's little dog, Rudy!).
So there you have it, lots of ways to find your home decor inspiration, in a not so conventional sense.
Do you do any of these? Do you do anything different?
Let me know in the comments below, as always I'd love to know what you're thinking.
These are great sources of inspiration, Jen – a really good starting point for people to focus in on what styles they like. I agree, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed by choice sometimes!
Haha, I'm liking your style!
I get carried away and just want to jump straight in, I'm too impatient for moodboards sometimes.
I always feel overwhelmed by choice and I have to say Pinterest is the worst offender for me. There are just so many beautiful images to drool over. However, when I pin without thinking about it I often find it really helps me to define my style. Great advice here!
Definitely interesting to look back and see what you've pinned when you don't think about it. A great way to hone your style.
All great options Jen – Pinterest and Instagram are generally my go-to's these days, so many stylish homes to get inspired by!
Yes indeed, Instagram gives me big home envy.
Totally agree with you! I always get overwhelmed and never know sometimes what direction to go towards. Like you I tend to find inspiration everywhere. Haven't heart of Nector thoug, will have a look.
I agree about being overwhelmed, I wrote a post on it a couple of months ago when i was drowning in inspiration. Too much choice out there, I'm sure it never used to be that hard. I'll take a look at the nectar stuff as I hadn't thought of that before. Thanks for this post, it's comforting to know I'm not the only one suffering overload! looking forward to the living room reveal.
Thanks for the tips. Your blog is so full of value i love it.
I always feel overwhelmed by choice and I have to say Pinterest is the worst offender for me. There are just so many beautiful images to drool over. However, when I pin without thinking about it I often find it really helps me to define my style.