Finding inspiration...

Finding inspiration for that next home project can often come from the most unlikely places. We’ve all been on Houzz, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. for ideas. But somehow those can feel flat and 2D in our 3D world. Get off the sofa and try some of these ideas. Let’s think outside the box or better yet…what if there was no box?! Poof! (that’s your head exploding)! And this image…I found it AFTER I wrote ‘what if there was no box’ now that’s mind blowing right there folks.

1. Go out for a walk and see what you stumble upon. Perhaps it’s something you can pick up and take with you like a branch, bark, flower, leaf or a pebble. Or maybe it’s something you take your own photo of and make a few notes about what inspired you to take the photo. Maybe it was a picture of a crow in the tree. What do you like about that photo? Is it the colors, contrast, how it makes you feel? Think beyond the color and look at the texture and finish. Is it shiny, reflective, matte, smooth, rough. What specifically attracted you?
2. Take a weekend trip to Vancouver BC, Portland, Walla Walla, Methow Valley, wherever. Every city has something different to offer and looking at new things and places always gives us a fresh new perspective. Visit some local home stores. They likely have vendors that you’ve never seen before.
3. Invite a friend over and have them help you re-arrange your living room. Sometimes we get stuck and get in our own way about how a space can/should function. Someone who doesn’t live in the space can often have a perspective we never considered.
4. Visit real estate open houses. Many of them have been staged and edited down so you can really see the space and not all the clutter that prevents us from really ‘seeing’ the potential of a space.
5. Visit home tours when they come around, typically Spring or Fall. Consider finding home tours outside your own city. These are so fun to attend because they have either been photographed for a magazine or they want to be so they will decorate and furnish with high end furnishings and art.
6. Start rummaging around your attic, closets and drawers for items that have been stashed away and never displayed. Maybe you’ll find some trinkets from a past trip to Paris or Hawaii that will provide new inspiration. Often there is a piece of art you bought way back when but never framed so you stashed it away!
7. Visit an antique mall on a rainy weekend. Or make a weekend out of finding all the consignment stores in your area. You’ll see tons of great items that will get you excited to make some changes. Maybe you’ll start an entirely new collection. Maybe you’ll find those dining chairs you’ve been looking for and all they need is a fresh coat of paint and new fabric. Maybe you’ll find an inspiring piece of artwork that launches an entirely new color scheme in your home.

The point is, don’t stay stuck and in the same old rut. Our lives are always changing and so should our spaces. Our tastes, our styles change. That’s OK and that’s a good thing. Who wants to live with the same thing for the rest of our lives? I sure don’t. There is always someone out there who will appreciate what you are willing to let go of. Now go out there and tell me what you found. Tell me what you were finally able to let go of. I’d love to hear from you…really!