In this digital era, finding inspiration can be overwhelming. We get serious decision fatigue. When I'm feeling overwhelmed with digital design inspiration I take a step back and a I close my computer. I recently had the opportunity to speak with KATU's "Afternoon Live" to share these tips. You can watch my segment here!
Here are my 5 tips to help you on your design journey that don't involve Pinterest!
1. Start Small & Give Yourself a Deadline
In my experience you need two things to keep your project moving. You need a time and you need a deadline.
Your need at least 3 months to collect thoughts and ideas. I have found that decisions made under pressure are dangerous and homeowners never tend to be happy with the results from a rushed decision. In addition, 5 Months is too long. We tend to lose interest. Start small by focusing on room at a time and give yourself 3 to 4 months to collection ideas before you make any purchases or decisions.
2. Start an Inspiration Book
Give yourself a space to get creative and collect beautiful things for the sake of beauty. A lot of times we only look at photos of lighting for lighting inspiration. We only look at photos of kitchens for kitchen inspiration. I teach my clients that a design journey is creating a piece of art. It's a curation. It's a symphony. We need to dig deep into our creative souls to pull ideas and colors that inspire us. I've had clients inspired by a rock they found on a walk on a beach or a tiny painting their friend made them. Find a special place to keep images and items that make your heart skip a beat.
3. Buy a Polaroid Camera
Remember the days when you had to be really careful with what you took photos of?! Oh the good old days.
We take too many photos with our phone and we forget why we snapped all those shots, they become lost in our digital clutter. When we have film we're more judicious and conscientious about what we capture. If you're traveling or going to a furniture showroom, bring a polaroid camera. You will notice that you only want to use it when something REALLY catches your attention.
The added benefit is that now you can look at the photos! You can display them. You can add them to your inspiration book. This physical reminder of what inspires you keeps you on track and off the internet.
