The Mother of All Inspiration

Where we draw inspiration from to give our homes the look and style we desire comes from a vast variety of sources.  Some we’re not even aware of when the lightbulb moment or subtle suggestion arises.  Let’s look at some obvious and not-as-obvious inspirations to tune into.

Clothing and Accessories – You see a dress or a top in the store or on someone and think it’s really cute.  Something about its pattern or print or texture sticks with you, and the next thing you know, something oddly similar shows up in your shopping cart in the way of a throw pillow or bedding piece.  You may or may not even realize the connection, but fashion just impacted your home design.  The same can be said about the potential relation between a faux alligator skin purse and a dining room chair or button tufted ottoman as well as a chunky necklace and drawer pulls on a dresser.   

Advertising – I’ve often said I’m a marketer’s dream.  Commercials and other ads can prompt action on my part pretty easily when I am so inclined.  From buying household cleaning products to making a trip to a department store because of something seen on TV, we can be swayed by what is put in front of us through various media.  Even the settings behind a product for sale, like a pristine kitchen or cozy family living room, can have you thinking about an overhaul on a small or large scale, or just incorporating a neat piece that caught your eye. 

Online Designers and Compilers – Hitting Pinterest boards, web image searches, and not-sold-in-stores online hot spots for goods can all be eye candy to someone looking for both inspiration and how-tos for a project, recipe, or creative suggestion.  We design a party look and menu off of someone’s creative display they shared online.  And we find unique pieces someone’s making in their home that we have to have, as not just anybody can pick one up on a local store’s shelf. 

Seasons – Thirsty for lemonade?  Think a cold slice of watermelon would make a great after dinner treat?  There is something about the rotation of seasons that bring back around season-specific interests that make them feel fresh and new and totally desirable at just the right time.  As we approach summer, just watch and see what seasonal favorites you’ve gone without for several months now that start popping up to deck out your table spread or next gathering to make it feel totally in-season.

The mother of all inspiration can be found just about anywhere that strikes your fancy and lends itself to motivation in the design department.  Happy Mother’s Day to those special ladies who do so much and do it with style!

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 10th.

  

Mayday! Re-dos to the Rescue

As we turn the calendar page to May, we know that summer is just around the corner.  If the crafting bug bites and your decorating aspirations could use some uplifting, here are some hands-on ideas to the rescue.

Problem: “I love seeing the store shelves lined with outdoor seasonal décor, but decorating outside isn’t really my thing.”  Solution: Bring it in!  Those boxwood topiaries are beautiful, but you would be heartbroken if they “walked off.”  Take items being marketed for your patio or porch and let them adorn your living space.  Topiaries in large planters can also flank the inside of your front door and look like picturesque statues in your entryway, while smaller versions can add height to a centerpiece down the center of your dining table.  Painted pots for plants can house an indoor herb garden, rolled hand towels in a guest bathroom, or double as your kitchen utensil caddy for the season.  Those lanterns that could hold citronella candles on the patio table could just as easily light up summery scents and rest on your coffee table.  Don’t feel obligated to keep the outdoors out all summer.

Problem: “What could I do with all these old picture frames I’ve taken down that are just being stored?”  Solution: Repurpose and reuse.  In our digital age, some family photo picture frames have gotten the boot.  Take mismatched frames, remove their backing, and spray paint them to be a cohesive collection.  Hang them in a gallery grouping as simply open frames.  Return the backing (minus the kickstand or hardware) and glass to a larger frame and fill it with craft paper or fabric to make a tray for remotes in the living room or coffee service in the kitchen.  Screw in tea cup hooks to the upper inside of a small open frame you’ve painted and hang it in your back entryway to hold keys.  Hang a low gallery wall for interchangeable kid art with ribbon and clothespins suspended from open frames.

Problem: “These bookshelves look bland.”  Solution: Do a wrap job.  Give old books new life and décor status when you wrap the covers in craft paper.  Do different shelves in different complimentary shades, go monochromatic, or choose different prints and patterns in one color family.  The end result is an eye-catching work of [cover] art.

Problem: “My mismatched glassware is in a sad state.”  Solution: Spring for a matching set, and let the oldies-but-goodies move up in the world.  One set of matching drinking glasses for the dining table is great for company and everyday use as well.  If breakage and loss has turned your glass cabinet into a regular police lineup of nearly-no-two-are-alike, put a new set on your shopping list and pull out some for new roles.  Use painters tape and spray paint to give new life to a few juice glasses to hold toothbrushes and cotton swabs on the bathroom counter.  Turn a newly-painted drinking glass into a vase.  Paint a few to use as tealight holders to incorporate into a centerpiece display. 

Hit the refresh button for the upcoming season by rethinking common uses and giving new decorating life to tired pieces.  Bring your own re-dos to the rescue this May.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 3rd.