HOW TO MAKE DESIGN PERSONAL: AVOIDING THE PINTEREST TRAP

The age of Pinterest and Instagram have made diverse, gorgeous, and well-staged designs available to us, quite literally, at our fingertips. But just like the whole of social media, the rooms you seen designed on Pinterest aren’t as real as they feel. You might feel inspired by an image, then get frustrated that you (or your *ahem* designer) can’t replicate that in your space. But here’s the thing:

Design is unique to each room we do. We can’t just mimic the vibe you saw on Pinterest and suddenly have a cohesive look at home, because the design needs to fit the FUNCTION of each individual space AND the personality of each inhabitant. But your Insta feed and your favorite Pin board are great places to start as you define your style and make changes at home.

So, how do you make the interior design of your space personal? We focus on two factors (and YES, you must consider them in this order):

FOCUS ON FUNCTION

When you personalize the way your home functions, start by thinking about the way you USE each room.

1. OBSERVE. Where do things pile up and get cluttered in your home? Address those areas with functional solutions that determine which furniture pieces are missing. Do you have a catch-all place for your keys and wallets? Is there a place to sit when tying your shoes and somewhere to store hats and gloves when you come in?

2.  LIVE + EMBRACE. Next, make observations as you live in the space and see how you naturally use it. Embrace the flow of how your home is used and enhance it, don’t try to force solutions that go against the instinct of the space. If everyone tends to gather in the kitchen…take that information and make that space more useful, don’t try to force them elsewhere.

THEN FOCUS ON AESTHETICS

After function is established, we can turn our focus to the look of the space. This is where your inspiration Pins can come into place, as we establish the beauty, form, and, emotional effect we want from this room or home. This is where we want to draw from your personality and preferences. We use two key ways to make sure the space is a reflection of the client.

3. PERSONALIZE WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE ‘RULES’. Incorporate family heirlooms – your grandmother’s serving dish or a treasured souvenir from your honeymoon. Don’t be afraid to mix styles and colors. If the object is something you LOVE, it has meaning and emotional connection and that is what makes it right for your home. 

4. ADD MEANINGFUL WALL ART.  Art should be personal, and reflect something about you and your family. We work to help clients choose their art and photography in terms of size and placement, but we always make sure the pieces themselves reflect the client. Investing good framing can make any object, like a coin or ticket stub, look like art. Streamline family photos to choose your very favorites that span the years, and put them all in black and white if you want a more neutral palette.

The images of perfectly designed rooms you fall in love with aren’t a template…they are a VIBE. Take that vibe, and make it yours. Need help? We got you. Contact us about your upcoming project today.