Hey all…
So many people are at a loss as to how to begin designing a new space. I always ask my clients to choose design inspiration. What is that, you ask? Well read on….
A design inspiration is something, actually anything, that provides you guidance in designing your space. It could be an item you love, a painting, a picture you have taken, a building or park, or just about anything else! This inspiration can lend itself to the colour scheme, the feel of the space, the texture of furniture pieces, or the overall look and feel of the design.
Let me give you an example. Below is an image of a pillow I found online. I fell in love with it! I love the colours, the birds, the leaves…everything about it. I loved it sooo much that I went to every store (it was carried by one store in particular) to find it. Turns out it was a seasonal item that was sold out. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was! But I did have the image of it and decided I would use it as my design inspiration for my home office.
The Pillow!
My design inspiration for my office. It is colourful, feminine and fresh!
How Did I Use My Design Inspiration?
I wanted my office to be cozy, colourful, feminine but also functional (that’s the left brain side speaking). I used the colour scheme from the pillow to guide my choices in the items I needed to purchase – office chair, rug, art. I wanted feminine aspects to my design so I purchased an old Queen Anne desk and a very old Victorian picture frame (I mounted a cork board behind it). I painted the desk and picture frame to update them. I also purchased an antique armoire for storage.
The cosy feeling was captured through all these items but also in the lighting I chose – free standing lamp, small spot lights for the corners, and a fun wee lamp that I have had for years. The art work also reflects the colour scheme and consists of florals that I fell in love with.
Here is the design board that eventually guided my purchases. Unfortunately, the papasan chair didn’t work out. We did renos and it turned out it would not fit into my new office space. Bummer, eh?
If you want to see pictures of my completed office, they will be coming soon to my website! Want to know when they are posted? Sign up for my newsletter.
What Can You Use for Your Design Inspiration?
Fabric: go to a fabric store and browse. If you find a pattern/colours you love or even a texture, ask the sales staff for a cutting.
Agate: go ahead and search for “agate” online. You will be amazed at the colours!!
Pillows: search online or head out to the stores. Find a pillow you love! It could be the colours, texture, image on the pillow. Buy it! Otherwise you could be out of luck if it goes out of stock. I should know.
Art: You can search online for an art piece that speaks to you. If you go to an art gallery, taking pictures is a no-no; but you may be able to find that artist’s work in a brochure the gallery has or on the artist’s website. Or maybe you already have an inspiring piece of art to base your design on.
Architecture: check out some old and new building designs. Maybe it is the feel of a particular space that you like. Note your feelings and snap a couple of photos. Was it the smoothness of the materials used or the rustic vibe of the place that brought those feelings on? It could give you direction for a design style.
Nature: Flowers, birds, water, trees….all of these can be an inspiration for your design. Check out the Instagram campaign I ran last year (scroll way down to the bottom of my feed). One example is my hummingbird design below. I’ve also designed rooms based on pillows, shoes, and more. So check out my Instagram account!!!
Clothing: Open your closet – you can get a really good idea of what colour scheme you like. Maybe you have a lot of neutral clothes but your accessories are colourful. Maybe your clothes have patterns or unique textures.
Once you find your design inspiration, it will help guide you in creating your new space.
Good luck and have fun in finding your design inspiration!
Cheers,
Roxanne
P.S. If you need help in your design, just contact Roxanne.
P.P.S. I know there are a lot of hummingbirds in the blog. I swear it was not intentional. 🙂
