Top 5 Places to Find Home Inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere.  In a social media world, we are inundated with visual stimulus & yet there are times I find myself seeking out MORE inspiration.  Perhaps, that's an overstatement.  I'm not necessarily looking for more inspiration, I'm looking for GOOD inspiration.  Something that speaks to my heart or my way of living, as I work on creating this environment called home.

"Home is where the happy happens."

I've said it before & I'll say it again: Home is where the happy happens.  So how do you 'create' that happy.  So much of it has to do with first, setting the stage.  For me that includes comfortable furnishings, meaningful artwork & a bit of tidiness.  We've been in our new house a bit over a year & now that I understand how we live & function here, I'm beginning to set my stage in a much more deliberate way.  Here are my 5 favorite places to look for home inspo.

1. House Beautiful.  I've been a long time subscriber to House Beautiful & my heart gets a little giddy when I see that cover in the midst of bills or other random junk.  Way back when, it was a House Beautiful article that gave me the guts to paint my kitchen nook kelly green.  No joke.  I loved it & never would have done it if hadn't seen it in those pages. 

And while I can readily admit no kitchen of mine is going to look exactly like this one, because #reallife,  I can look at it and appreciate the design & aesthetic.  And then, I can pull from it.  Perhaps add in some copper, more plants in terra cotta pots, just small little touches that aren't dependent on powder blue cabinets...love them though we may!

Then there is this...notice the copper & the plants in terra cotta?  When you see elements like that repeating themselves in drastically different spaces...you should feel free to incorporate them into your own.  Don't even get me started on those wood beams & that built in bench in the nook.   

2. Pinterest.  Now you can find all sorts of anything on Pinterest.  Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by all the everything.  Instead, make boards for yourself that allow you to build out each room in your home.  The more you pin items you love, the more Pinterest will help you find more of what you love.  It's crazy smart like that. I have an entire secret board for my current house, but you can see lots of my other favorites here.  I'm currently obsessing over bookshelves...and still loving kelly green.

3. Domino Magazine.  That perfectly feminine office ^^^ it was from Domino Magazine.  When you find a pin you like, actually follow it to it's source...you'll be sure to find more inspiration you love.  Domino Magazine is similar to House Beautiful in the sense that none of it quite seems like #reallife.  I mean, the day I have an office that looks like that, well I've #madeit.  But I might arrange my books like that top shelf, or put an animal print on the floor...and the lights on the bookself, I love those too!

Speaking of a good book shelf.  I found this image on Domino as well & I can think of nothing better than falling asleep surrounded by books.

4. Bloggers + Designers.  Tell me you've found a few favorites & stalk their instagram feeds whenever you have the itch to start a new project?  No?  Well I've got you covered.  Here are my 3 favorites...a list within a list...I die!

Studio McGee.  They make my preppy heart sing.  Clean, classic + never over the top.  

Becki Owens.  Her work is California Fresh...and her blog, well its chock full of goodness.  Look here to find great deals & sale alerts.

Jenny Komenda.  She is the queen of DIY and is my favorite mixer of pattern & color, old & new. 

5. HGTV...or really just Fixer Upper.  Joanna Gaines is a master at taking old spaces & making them new again.  While her style might not be yours, you can't argue with her use of creativity in tight spaces.   If you have a trouble spot in your house that doesn't function in a way you like, click through some of her ideas, she is sure to have tackled something similar. 

If she isn't your cup of tea, HGTV has huge photo galleries from a ton of different projects.  Start there to find a designer that speaks your language & enjoy!