Unlocking Creativity: My Interior Decorating Inspiration

Hey lovely readers! Today, I’m spilling the beans on a topic I’ve never written about before – where I gather those interior decorating ideas that bring magic to every nook and cranny of my space. So let’s chat about the whimsical, and often roundabout journey of my decorating inspiration.

One of the first things I do when looking for decorating inspiration is to raid things I already own. I love to move things from one room to another. Finding a new use for a piece of furniture often inspires me to rearrange existing decor to suit the new look. Sitting in a room and just looking will spark ideas if I let it. Sometimes you have to not do anything to be at your most creative.

The House Itself:

It’s the biggest pull to want to start decorating the moment you move into a space. I get that. I’ve done it. You want to make the space feel like home. But if you give yourself some grace and spend time with your house you can learn about its history, Then the house will start to speak to you. I know that sounds a bit nuts, but it’s true. By living in the house for a while (or in our case renovating it) you begin to see how the spaces work and the details you’d like to add.

For example, the trim around our windows was never originally there. The skirting was shallow in depth and the walls were bare of moldings. But as we began to strip back the layers, discovering wallpaper and old floor covering, the house dictated that I should add trim to replace the ‘frills’ we had removed. Because we had taken the old busy wallpaper and floor coverings away it seemed right to put pretty details around the windows and doors. As the details were added we noticed that the original (and not well-crafted) skirting didn’t fit the new look so we chose a deeper, more colonial-looking skirt to complete the look. We didn’t plan on these trim pieces. It just happened as we worked.

Nature’s Palette:

The world outside my window is an endless source of inspiration for me. The colours from the park over our creek seemed to be screaming to be part of my decorating. I love bringing the outdoors in with the season. Introducing blossoms in spring, fruit, and leaves in autumn, and dried branches in winter. In this house, I went one step further. I made nature more permanent by stripping the timber doors and choosing a natural palette of green and cream.

Once I make a colour or design decision I like to confirm it in my head.

I go straight to Pinterest to confirm my choice. (You know how I claim to NOT be a green person) I searched for images with this color scheme. When I found other images like the one above I knew I made the right decision. After that, it was a matter of figuring out how to bring this scheme into our home without ‘copying’ the idea. I never copy images directly, but use them as a source of decorating inspiration. I play with the colors and textures in other ways until they fit my style.

Pinterest is my go to. Not so much to find an idea but more to solidify my choice.

Instagram & YouTube:

I find decorating inspiration from Instagram and YouTube too. And as much as I hate to say it, I unfollow accounts if they no longer inspire me.

Some of the newer decor accessories I’ve purchased have been because I have seen them on other accounts (Yep. I’m influenced by influencers!) An example of this would be the wicker wall sconces I bought for our bedroom. I saw these on an account I follow and knew I wanted them straight away.

However, I’m not influenced by decorating trends as much as by seeing an item and falling in love with it. I’m pretty much at home with my style and what will work within the parameters.

When I watch a YouTube clip or a reel, I don’t go out and copy what the person has done. But I might think, “Oh panelling. That’s what my space needs.” Then I research styles and colours to fit my home. I get creative with lots of ideas and sometimes don’t end up using any.

Textiles/Fabrics & Art:

We all know by now how the journey into my green obsession began with that William Morris Wallpaper I never ended up using. However, that wallpaper was such a decorating inspiration I went down a rabbit hole into the world of historically inspired wallpapers. The wallpapers ended up becoming the backbone of my scheme for the house.

Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be decorating with green as the neutral color! Now I have two green bedrooms and a green hall.

That wallpaper was expensive so I began to look for similar less costly options. I discovered new designers on Spoonflower who make fabrics that are similar and could be used in soft furnishings. Once the creative door was unlocked the possibilities abounded.

Creativity is not about being ‘arty’ but about not being afraid to make a mistake. So what if you hate the color after six months? Repaint it. Wallpaper it! Once you take a leap the ideas flow. And if all else fails I go for a walk or take a shower and think about the problem. For some reason, I get great ideas from those two activities.