Some of My Favorite Sources of Inspiration

As I was designing this house, I frequently got asked some variation of the question "how do you find this stuff?" To which I never had a great answer, because quite honestly, I spend a lot (like a lot a lot) of time thinking about home decor and consider it just another hobby.

I also consume information about home decor via a lot of different streams, so I don't necessarily remember where I first saw or heard about something. For whatever reason, I can barely remember what I had for breakfast today, but I can remember every detail of my favorite wallpapers or decorative objects and where to order them, but not where I originally saw them. Go figure!

So, I thought today I'd share a few of my favorite sources that I go back to time and again when I'm thinking about a project or seeking inspiration.

Of course, the big elephant in the room is pinterest (follow me here, if you wish). 



I run a bit hot and cold with pinterest. Right now I'm in a cold phase and haven't really been using it too much. I do find it helpful when I'm in the very initial stages of a project and am trying to get my head around a color scheme or decide if certain textiles will work together. It's super helpful to me to be able to look at all the elements I'm considering for a space on a single page and really start to get a feel for how they work together.

I find it less helpful to just scroll through to look at pretty pictures (that's what instagram is for!) and when used in that capacity by me, it just becomes a massive time-suck. 

That's not to say there's no place for electronic media in design for me. In fact, a lot of my inspiration comes from other blogs. I have around 10-12 that I read semi-regularly, but my favorites without a doubt are the ones I'm featuring today.

First up, Elements of Style, by Erin Gates (http://www.elementsofstyleblog.com/). Erin is a designer, author, and product designer who happens to blog as well. Her taste is absolutely on-point, though probably a little more strictly traditional than I am, and I love the keepin-it-real voice in which she writes. 

A few shots from Erin's AMAZING portfolio:








Also, I will do another post about design books, but I have to give a shoutout to Erin's gorgeous book here too (that black and white striped spine kills me!):



Lauren Liess (http://www.laurenliess.com/pure-style-home) also has a blog that supports her design work, and I love what she does. She also has a book coming out this fall, and I cannot wait for it! 



Her style is also traditional with a slight bohemian/natural twist to it. 








Bailey McCarthy (http://www.peppermintbliss.com/), designer and owner of Biscuit Home is my absolute #1 favorite and I instantly become obsessed with everything she does. Sadly, she rarely blogs these days, but you better believe I'm all over it when she puts something new up. 

Her archives also get a lot of play by me, as she combines the dramatic colors and playfulness I love in design, without being cutesy or too over-the-top whimsical. 

Seriously: 



















So good, right? 

In addition to design blogs, I'm also still old school when it comes to reading interiors magazines, and read most of the major ones in hard copy pretty voraciously. I particularly like Traditional Home, Veranda, House Beautiful, and House and Home (Canadian). 

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I not only love to decorate with art and design books, but also refer to certain favorites again and again for inspiration. Those of you have seen my home in person know I have a LOT of books, so I think they warrant their own post. More to come on those soon. 

As always, thanks for reading!