Design Guide

Five ways to find inspiration

People so often say to me, ‘I just don’t know where to start’ when decorating a house or even a room. To help kickstart your next design project, here are five suggestions of where to look for inspiration...

1.

Collect colour in your camera roll

Putting together colour palettes from photographs I have taken, particularly in nature, is one of my favourite techniques to gather inspiration. There are various apps that can help you to do this which I will link below, but you can just be old fashioned and use a watercolour set or paint chips too. When I hand paint colours I will mix many tones and hues, and then cut them all out into little squares which can be mixed and matched afterwards.     

2.

Pinterest

I am sure most people are familiar with the Pinterest app, which enables you to create mood boards in a matter of minutes. It has completely changed my design life and it is very easy to use, and this is coming from a complete luddite. It is very clever as once you find something you like, the algorithm will show you lots of other similar options, but watch out as you can get lost down a rabbit hole very easily! My strategy is to just go crazy and save anything that catches my eye, and then delete/sort into separate boards of colours or looks later.

3.

Your Wardrobe

The colours you wear and the textures you love are usually the ones you’ll feel most at home with. You can drape them over sofas and leave them for a few days to if the colours and textures speak to you. You may have beautiful print (on a scarf for example!) that can spark the idea for a whole palette.

4.

Interior shops & showrooms

Not necessarily to buy, but to explore and absorb. I love popping into Liberty or small independent interiors shops when I need a creative boost. Seeing how design professionals layer colours, fabrics, and use light in real spaces is so helpful. Take home a few paint cards or fabric cuttings - sometimes one little swatch can spark a whole room scheme.

5.

Get out in nature (or even look through the window!)

The very best designer there is! Whether it’s the golden light of a sunset or the way your window frames the garden, the outdoors is bursting with ready-made palettes, and nothing is more lovely than echoing your surroundings in your home. Another technique is to do a ‘Colour walk’ which I shall talk more about in a future mailer...