You hit that yard sale over the weekend and found a piece of décor that you absolutely LOVE. The only problem is that it won’t fit into the current design of your room… So what do you do? Do you leave this perfect piece where it lays? Or do you accept the challenge, huck it into the back of your truck, and bring it home with you?

If you answered the latter, then read on.

In the field, interior designers say something along the lines of a piece “speaking” to them to describe this feeling. Feeling that natural draw to a unique piece of décor is the first step to remarkable interior design inspiration.

But just buying one piece of décor is not enough. Keep reading for our 4 steps to interior design inspiration.

 

1.  Find your signature piece. We’ve already talked about being drawn to a piece of décor. Some designers describe it the same way you’d describe finding your sole mate. You may not know exactly what it is about the piece that makes you want it, almost to the point of obsession, but you’re certain that if you walk away then you will dream about that piece for years to come. When you feel this draw, buy the piece, because that feeling is a masterpiece waiting to happen.

2.  Choose your color palette. When you are creating a color palette around a piece of décor, you would be doing the piece an injustice to choose boring neutrals and other “safe” colors.

If your piece is one color, then make sure to use this in your palette. Then choose a complementary color to really make the color of your piece pop. Remember back to Art 101? Complementary colors are colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel. After you have your two complementing colors, choose one (or two) more colors that are a lighter or darker shade of one of the other two colors you chose.

If your piece is multiple colors, pick one or two of the most prominent colors and use those for the main bold colors in your palette. From one of the two colors, also add a color that is several shades lighter or darker to your palette.

After defining these three colors, add one or two neutrals, such as black, white, grey, tan. Make sure these neutrals are in the same color family as your other three colors (more red-toned or yellow if your palette is warm, more blue- or grey-toned if your palette is cool).

3.  Define your style. What style will you glean from your piece? This is where you should let your creativity rumble. Decide whether you want to play up a design that is funky, bold, clean, simple, cute, masculine, retro, vintage, chic, pretty, elegant, and so on.

4.  Accessorize. Now it’s time to rock and roll. Use the steps above to dive into the design of your new, unique room. Stick to colors that fit into your color palette or at least shades of your color palette. Keep in mind the theme and “feel” of the room you’re designing.

Remember that everything looks best in odd numbers, so if you’re clustering a few accessories together, go with 3 or 5 accessories instead of two or four.

Don’t forget to play depth to your advantage. Not everything will look best scrunched in a corner or up against a wall. Try a few different placements and see what helps open the space up.

And always remember your light. Show off your interior design inspiration by using light to highlight as well as brighten. Lamps aren’t just functional; they’re also art!
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