Design Creativity

Unlock Your Inner Designer: Transform Your Home with Forgotten Inspiration

How often have you saved on Pinterest or dog-eared a magazine page, only to forget it and miss out on the design creativity it could inspire?

In today’s blog post, I’m going to teach you how to take all that forgotten inspiration and use it to unlock your inner designer, transforming your home into the beautiful and welcoming space you deserve.

If you’re new around here, I’m Ashley Childers, an interior designer, product designer, and the founder of the Ashley Childers Home Furnishings brand. On this blog, I share pro designer tips and interior inspiration for creating a home and life you love. Now, let’s dive in and unlock the creative designer within you.

Inspiration

Creativity starts with inspiration. Whether you’re a professional artist or a design-loving homeowner, the first step in any creative journey is to collect and study inspiration. You can do this in many different ways: Pinterest, magazines, pictures you took on vacation, a fabric swatch, or a paint sample you love.

The point is to create a visual representation of the images, styles, colors, textures, and details that you’re naturally drawn to. This helps in visualizing your ideas and creating a cohesive theme.

Once you have this collection of images and materials, it’s time to put on your investigator cap and really study what you’re drawn to. Are there common themes? Is it colors, shapes, textures, or moods? Understanding the recurring elements that resonate with you is the first step in defining your personal style.

Designing with Purpose

Designing with purpose means your home should reflect both your personal style and your lifestyle. Start by assessing your needs. Do you need a serene space for relaxation or a vibrant area for entertaining?

Maybe you live alone, or do you have a house full of family or roommates? Do you work from home, or do you need to address issues like limited storage or multi-purpose spaces? Focus on functionality in this step.

I suggest creating a “non-negotiable list.” This list guides your design creativity as much as visual inspiration does. Good design is equal parts form and function, and identifying your functional needs ensures you create spaces that are not only beautiful but also practical.

Consider the flow of your home. How do you move from one room to another? Are there bottlenecks or areas where clutter accumulates?

Do you need to address poor lighting or find a way to corral all your winter coats? Writing these issues down and keeping them top of mind while designing ensures you create a home that truly works for you.

Bringing It All Together

Finally, it’s time to bring it all together. Combine your visual inspiration and functional needs to create a space that’s perfectly personal. Here are a few easy ways to simplify the process:

1. Match Your Must-Have List with Inspiration Images: For example, if you need to address laundry room storage and have a picture of fabulous laundry baskets on your mood board, pair those up. Now you have a visual representation of the practical solution you need.
2. Visualize Each Item: If you don’t have an image for an item on your must-have list, find one. Visualization is a powerful tool in design, so ensure you have a reference for each item on your list.
3. Start Creating: Use your creative blueprint and must-have list to guide your design decisions over time. Remember, designing and decorating your home doesn’t happen overnight. As long as you stay true to your functional needs and aesthetic direction, you’ll create a home you love.

Thanks for joining me on this creative journey, design lovers! I can’t wait to hear which part of today’s post was your favorite. Let me know in the comments!

Shop our favorite items that inspire design creativity!

Don’t forget to connect with me on Instagram @ashleychildershome and on Pinterest for daily design inspiration.

As always, thank you so much for reading. Remember, good design is for everyone, so create a home that inspires you. Have fun tapping into your design creativity and fall in love with where you live, one room at a time.

XO, Ashley