If you’re renovating or decorating a home, it’s all too easy to fall into an inspiration trap. Decision fatigue takes over, and all those ideas you thought you’d dreamed up turned out to have hundreds of identikit versions proliferating all over Pinterest.
It’s both simple and appealing to fall in love with the images we see on social media and form our design schemes from there. There is no doubt that these are great resources for inspiration, but developing your own sense of personal interiors style may require a little more legwork.
Take some comfort in the fact that this is tricky for most of us, as London-based Angela Hill and David Owen know. They are the husband-and-wife duo behind the cult Idea Books; it’s the fashion industry’s ultimate secret weapon, selling vintage, esoteric, and rare books on fashion, photography, and design.
Designers like Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière flock here for tomes that are unique, special, and crucially, will offer that much-required point of inspirational difference to help a collection stand out.
Developing a true sense of your taste and style stems from many facets, from travel to architecture. Look around you as you walk a city’s streets: magazines, cinema, art galleries, and even delicious food and vintage china can offer inspiration.
These are all great ways to exercise and build your design muscle, with the ultimate purpose being to hone a home style that’s truly yours.
Planning makes perfect
But before you put all that inspiration into practice, start with the basics. “Planning is everything,” says Helen O’Toole, design consultant and team lead at Kube.
“It’s one of the key elements that can make or break the success of the project,” she says, explaining that it helps to avoid making expensive mistakes, it makes working with contractors easier, and prevents the overwhelm of last-minute decisions.
As a kitchen designer, O’Toole is most focused on this aspect and says that her inspiration often starts with understanding how people use their kitchens.
“Inspiration might come from creating layouts that minimise movement while maximising space. Sometimes, it’s about designing for comfort – easy access to cooking tools, counter heights that suit the user, and thoughtful storage solutions.”
More broadly, she says that books, artists, and travel are all huge sources of inspiration to her. Additionally, the internet is a rich seam to mine. Pinterest, O’Toole says, is “a fantastic tool for curating specific design styles”.
She also name-checks the design website Houzz. “I love browsing through their extensive catalogue to see what’s trending and gather ideas from actual kitchen renovations.”
Instagram too, is a huge help, particularly if you’re looking for kitchen ideas. “Following interior designers, kitchen specialists, and home renovation accounts keeps me up to date with new trends, emerging designers, and creative ideas,” she says.
Leverage the experts
Flipping the script, Jennifer Crofts of The Sofa Factory says you don’t have to do it all yourself. That’s because the experts are there to help. “We blend creativity with craftsmanship to design unique pieces,” she says.
“We often look to nature, incorporating organic shapes, textures, and a focus on natural materials like wood, to evoke a sense of timelessness and serenity, as well as a focus on quality that will have our furniture stand the test of time.”
“We are inspired by the past itself,” explains Crofts. The company offers vintage and antique furniture and is also a reupholstery specialist. “We believe in upcycling quality furniture to adapt to modern styles”, she says. “We like to refresh older pieces while still keeping that feeling of originality, without removing its history.”
Crofts points out that she and her colleagues “encourage customers to find creativity and individuality in bespoke furniture,” and they have a number of ways they can do this. A huge range of furniture styles combines with fabric choices in the thousands: think patterns, velvets, tweeds, linens and more. This inspiring selection allows customers to “create the perfect piece of furniture for their home”.
Seeing the space
Before you’re ready to commission your dream kitchen or create the ultimate mid-century livingroom suite, you’re likely to have a bit of prep work to do.
Some of us are good at visualising a space no matter what’s already in it, but most of us aren’t. One tip is to look up at the ceiling, getting a sense of the size of the floor area, which can help to give you a picture of the space you’re working with.
If that’s not doing the trick, a little decluttering might be in order. Derek Liddy, who is head of marketing at Nesta Self Storage, says that “clutter creates visual noise, making it difficult to see the true potential of a space”.
He points out that trying to renovate around furniture and clutter slows down the process and can make even small projects feel chaotic.
“Having a clear space makes it easier to visualise layout changes, test different furniture arrangements, and see how natural light interacts with the room,” he advises. “Self-storage provides a practical way to temporarily remove furniture and personal belongings, protecting them from dust and damage while allowing designers and homeowners to work with a blank canvas.”
He adds, “A well-designed home should feel open, calm, and functional, but when rooms are packed with excess furniture, sentimental items, or seasonal belongings, it’s harder to achieve that balance.
“Clutter can also lead to decision fatigue – when there’s too much around you, it becomes overwhelming to choose a layout, colour scheme, or even new furniture that works cohesively.”
He also points out that not everything needs to be on display year-round. “Off-site storage can free up valuable space at home while keeping important items safe and accessible when needed.”
