A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

As an interior designer, it's my job to help my clients create a home that's an expression of their tastes and personal style which will be conducive to their lifestyle. So, when I meet with a client for the first time, I ask them to describe how they would like their home to look, their style and what "feeling" they'd like their home to have. While all my clients can clearly articulate what they don't like, some will struggle to describe what they do like and want.

In the days before the internet, I would encourage my clients to "read and rip" through magazines, collecting images to help them identify and communicate the design elements they liked best. Today, we have Houzz, Pinterest and countless websites with seemingly endless design ideas but inspiration can come from many places.

  

When you're looking for what to do next in your home, look on the internet and home magazines for room views of finishes, furnishings and accessories but then look in some less likely places too. Nature, food, art are all wonderful places to begin. They can present amazing color combinations and provide wonderful insight to personal preferences.       Think of the colors of the four seasons; the soft, fresh pastels of spring, the bold, bright summer hues, the deep, rich jewel colors of harvest and the cool neutrals of winter.   Food may sound like an odd place to look for home design inspiration but food is a great way to articulate the shade of your favorite colors.   Chocolate Brown Lemon Yellow Cherry Red         Vacations can be a great source of ideas.  You may be looking to bring home the feel of a luxurious hotel, the warm glow of the lighting in your favorite restaurant or the cozy feel of a bed and breakfast.

Art can be the launching point for design style and color palettes for one room or the entire house. It says a lot about your personal taste and makes you feel good about your room each time you enter. Goethe wrote, " A person should hear a little music, read a little poetry and see a fine picture every day in order that the worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful God has implanted in the human soul." Aside from a house of worship, there's rarely a more perfect place to restore oneself that at home. So, whether your artwork evokes a memory, a day dream or just makes you smile, don't under estimate its the role it plays in creating the end result of your home.      Cultivating Individuality in Your Unique Home! Celeste Jackson