Thursday, May 20, 2021

9 Best Sites for Interior Design Inspiration


When looking for design inspiration, you can find plenty of interior design websites that offer ideas and advice. In fact, there are so many it can be hard to sift through them all and find the one that has what you want.

Do you know what you're looking for? Interior design sites aren't created equal. Some are good for color inspiration, some lean more towards DIY, and others focus more on ideas for flippers.

Check out these websites for ideas, inspiration, and, in some cases, just design eye candy.

Baer's Furniture

Baer's Furniture's Florida Inspired Living blog is a great place to learn about coastal, cottage, tropical, and, yes, laid-back Florida style. If you are looking for an always-on-vacation vibe in your home, you've come to the right place. You'll find plenty of fresh tropical interior design ideas and a whole lot more.

Houzz

Houzz sits near the top of every list of design websites. Whether you are looking for color inspiration, to learn more about design styles, or just for some DIY tips, you'll find it. The information is wide-ranging, which can be intimidating, but the content is intricately organized, which makes things easier to sift through.

Architectural Digest

Don't be fooled by the name, this well-known magazine covers more than architecture. The website provides a wealth of design ideas, color inspiration, and real-life projects from around the globe.

The fun part: tours of celebrity homes, and lots of them.

Apartment Therapy

Another misnomer, Apartment Therapy is more than just designs for small spaces, although you'll find a lot of inspo if you live in an apartment or condo. The photos are design quality, the DIY tips really work, and their resources for gardening and keeping house plants can help even the brown-thumb type. Whether you like bright colors and boho style or neutrals and mid-century modern, you'll find plenty of ideas.

Laura U

If you are looking for high-end interior design inspiration, Laura U is the perfect resource. You'll find tons of eclectic, cutting-edge décor ideas. It focuses on elegant and unusual projects in the Houston area. Go straight to the journal section, where you'll see trends, design tips, and clever ideas from the Laura U team.

Young House Love

If you're looking for home improvement and decorating tips, Young House Love has both. It has tons of design ideas and before and after photos of real-life home transformations.

But wait, there's more. An entire section of DIY and decorating tips offers everything from minor tweaks to big projects.

Eye Swoon

The name will draw you in, but the visual inspiration will keep you here. At Eye Swoon, you'll find gorgeous photos of room designs and DIY projects as well as detailed room elements such as tablescapes, shelf styling, and more.

Sherwin-Williams

For color inspiration, go to the color experts, and that would be Sherwin-Williams. On the site, you'll see stunning color inspiration images, and you can use the ColorSnap® visualizer to try out colors. The site also offers a lot of DIY help and tutorials for home decorating projects.

Bromstad.com

If you are searching for color inspiration in your interior design, your search ends here. Filled with beautiful, vibrant colors and stunning photos of design projects, this blog demonstrates what you can do with color. Whether you love color or just want to add a dash here and there, this is a great place to start.

There is no shortage of interior design blogs to go to for inspiration. So whether you are looking for a complete remodel or just a few small changes, you can find any number of sites to spark your creativity. You’ll have plenty of ideas to work with when you are ready to get started.

Is your favorite interior design site on this list? Let us know in the comments.

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Tuesday, May 4, 2021

5 Timeless Interior Design Ideas That Work

In interior design, where trends change with the seasons, changing your décor with every new trend that comes along would make your head spin.

So, how do you make sure your interior design is always on point? How do you create the perfect balance between fun and classic, timeless and trendy?

These tips will help you get a foolproof timeless interior design that is both curated and comfortable.

Image: https://www.interiordesigninfo.com/

What Is Timeless Design?

Before I get into the specifics of how to get the look in your home, here are a few elements of timeless design.
  • Neutrals – a neutral background is a key feature of timeless interior design.
  • Clean lines – highlight the lines and shapes of your house’s architectural details.
  • Colors – feature colors like navy blue, dark green, and black that will always be in style. Dark colors like these complement neutrals.
  • Antique furniture – decorate with antiques that contribute to the timelessness of a space’s décor. Whether a piece that’s been in your family for years or a traditional piece, furniture that's stood the test of time makes for the right atmosphere.
  • Patterns – use time-tested patterns such as stripes, checks, and plaids.
  • Natural materials – stay away from plastic and synthetics.
  • Proportions – select furniture in proportion to the space.
The end result should be a room that exudes subtlety, simplicity, and elegance.

Achieving a Timeless Look in Your Home

If you're ready to get a look for your home that will stand the test of time, follow these guidelines to get the perfect look.

1) Symmetry

When you keep in mind symmetry and balance, your interior design will always be pleasing to the human eye.

There are 2 ways to achieve symmetry in your design:

A) Divide Space in Half

The easiest way to achieve symmetry is to divide the space in half and use pairs of the same or similar objects to create matching halves of the room.

B) Use a Focal Point

The other option is to choose certain focal points and create symmetry around them. You can use a sofa or mantle – be creative, as long as you create a mirror image (matching sofas) or two balanced, complementary halves (mantle as a focal point).

A symmetrical room offers a sense of balance that is pleasing and soothing to the human eye.

Image: https://decoholic.org/

2) Use of Classic Patterns

Classic patterns are the hallmark of timeless interiors – plaids, stripes, florals, and damasks. This means giving up animal prints, chevrons, and cluttered geometric prints. If you love these patterns, use them mindfully, and be aware that these patterns don’t always weather the test of time very well.

Another guideline for using patterns is to limit the number of patterns in a room to three in three different sizes. For instance, consider mixing a large striped sofa with checked curtains and a floral rug. You can play with the sizes however you like as long as you have three scales.

3) Quality over Quantity

It is important to keep in mind that quality materials are timeless. This means that instead of cluttering up a space with multiple pieces that confuse the eye, you use a few quality, eye-catching pieces.

Choose good quality furniture, upholstery, and accessories. With high-quality pieces, you get outstanding durability and a beautiful look that lasts.

4) Creating a Focal Point

Focal points add an aesthetic dimension and elevate the look of any space. They are accents in a room that draw the eye in a pleasing way. Some rooms have natural focal points, such as a fireplace, French doors, or a large picture window with a gorgeous view. If the room doesn’t have a natural focal piece, you can create one by painting a statement wall or adding artwork.

5) Tone Down on the Tech

It seems like we can’t live without our devices, so if you can't give up your TV, at least hide it or tone it down. It helps that TVs and speakers aren’t as big and bulky as they used to be. Tech has gotten smaller and more inconspicuous, so even if you are the most avid TV viewer, it is easier to create décor in a way that doesn’t put the TV front and center in the space.

When putting your spaces together, keep in mind that all trends have an expiration date, so avoid incorporating them in a major way. Instead, be mindful with color, customize your style, and be practical. Whether your style is classic, eclectic, or somewhere in between, you can create a timeless design as long as you keep the basic guidelines in mind.