Overwhelmed, Not Inspired? How to Find Home Design Solutions Specific to You
When it comes to home and design, there is no shortage of places to turn for gorgeous photos. You could spend months combing through Pinterest or Instagram for ideas. It’s easy to find inspiration that works aesthetically but it can be hard to really narrow in on what works in your specific space. So how can you get inspired by spaces that you can actually execute on?
Old Town primary bath, by Marks-Woods
Here are a few of my favorite ways:
Open houses and real estate listings: Real estate listings showcase a home at its absolute best. Spaces have been staged with how they can best be used. The opportunity to walk through a home that has been meticulously staged and decorated allows you to really experience how an ideal space functions.
Neighbor’s homes: If you live in a subdivision where there are a limited number of home styles but a plethora of actual homes than you’ve struck gold for inspiration. Every home that is your exact same model can be used for comparison and inspiration. One of the most common requests we receive is to “repeat what you did at my neighbor’s house”
Local home design experts: Check out local design expert’s social media feeds and portfolios. These are experts who are sourcing locally, honoring the design aesehetic of the area and are also accessible and available should you choose to hire them.
Movies and TV shows: Movies and TV shows offer the perfect inspiration for design since you’re able to better see how a space actually functions vs. seeing a static image. Hollywood magic also knows no limits and “homes” are build on soundstages where you don’t have to be practical. Those idealistic over-the-top spaces stick with you. Take Cher’s closet in Clueless. Everyone knows that closet because it’s so epic. You won’t see that closet everyday, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done in some way shape or form in your home. For me personally, it’s the library in the Beauty and the Beast. My forever home will have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with a gliding ladder.
Bring the vacation home: Hotels and resorts are perfect sources of inspiration since they are expertly designed to evoke feelings of comfort, luxury, and self-indulgence. If you’ve stayed in a memorable room with an unforgettable bathroom, track down photos of the space and decode what features you most appreciate. The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome is at the top of my list when it comes to #interiordesigngoals. But when it comes to taking a space home, it’s the bathroom at the Hotel Bennet in Charleston that most reflects my style and taste. Features such as a chandelier over an oversized standalone tub, large windows, detailed custom cabinetry and marble tile serve as the foundation to the Bennet’s bathroom, and are easily replicated as we did in the Old Town primary bath (shown above).
Hotel Bennett, Charleston, SC
At the end of the day, inspiration can come from anywhere but will feel most authentic when it reflects you and your specific space. And no matter where your inspiration comes from, expert interior designers like those at Marks-Woods Construction will be able to translate your ideas into a dream space.
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