Where do i find my design inspiration?
As an interior designer, I find that people often ask me where I shop and what my home is like. It makes sense that they would be curious about my personal style and aesthetic preferences, but I have also had people ask me how I come up with my design inspiration. In other words, they wonder how I find new energy and ideas for each new project.
I have always been a person who loves beautiful things and beautiful places. And I like to look. I am always popping into shops (a home or entertaining boutique = heaven). I’m constantly looking into new products in retail home stores, scrolling Pinterest and Instagram for photos of newly designed spaces and paying attention to other designers who may have new and innovative ideas to inspire me. And of course, since jumping into this industry, I’ve found some inspo at High Point Furniture Market. But alongside all of that - and arguably most importantly - I know what makes me FEEL good. The colors, fabrics, finishes and styling that make me feel best in a space.
I’d say my signature style is Coastal Classic. That is how I sum up the light and airy interiors I often create for my clients. And that is an ideal aesthetic for the part of the country where I live and work, North Carolina (one of the prettiest parts of the country!). In fact, I’m originally from New England, (another of the prettiest parts of the country) and I love the energy that a Cape Cod beach day brings about for me and my family. Being near the ocean means the water and the sky provide endless inspiration for color, motifs, and a light, unencumbered quality for the spaces I create. And you don’t need to actually have an ocean view to achieve it.
If you have ever scrolled my portfolio images, you will see I love blue, I love painted woodwork, I love light-and-bright, I love simplicity, and I love natural materials (such as stone, rattan, and wood). I love rooms with great views to the natural beauty all around us. I love spaces that look like they have breath because that makes me feel like I can breathe.
It’s important to note that there is definitely a place and a time for some mood too. Darker colors, lamp light and cozy nooks and crannies are also right up my alley. It all goes back to what that space needs to do for you - the emotion you want it to evoke for you.
This coastal classic quality is very reminiscent of New England homes, of communities all up and down the eastern seaboard, and of a warm, relaxed, and inviting home and family life. My clients have told me that the spaces I have created for them are “beautiful, elevated and collected, yet somehow at the same time, comfortable, livable and calming for their family living the typically hectic family life in their home.” (Yes, that’s a direct client quote!) THAT is how I want to feel in my own home – my happiest place!
Some of my favorite retail places to shop and find inspiration are Pottery Barn and Serena & Lily. I also love sweet and unique pieces from Anthropologie Home and lighting solutions from Rejuvenation. Their product designs appeal to the feeling I want to create within rooms. I look for items that evoke a sense of calm and contentment. I like to put furniture and colors together that have a carefree sensibility, that evokes a feeling of comfort, of lightness, and connectedness.
Now, I would never want people to think that all the rooms I design look the same. That is not my intention at all. In fact, it is very important to me that I design very specifically to my clients’ preferences and unique needs for their home. I want to unfold the solution that is true to each homeowner, to create their particular nirvana, their happiest place! A space that is timeless, tranquil, refreshing, and personal to them. I believe that every home should be livable, where families can gather, relax, retreat, and enjoy life - and finding the intersection of what that means to me and what that means to my clients is an exciting and rewarding journey.
