We’re often asked where our inspiration comes from. The short answer: everywhere. Other blogs and design magazines, everyday life, family and friends, clothing, nature, and yes—sometimes reality TV. Guilty as charged: I take photos of the TV for inspiration and for fun. Those screenshots end up in an iPhoto folder labeled “TV pics,” and every so often I scroll through and laugh at the memories. Sometimes I remember why I snapped a shot—“That was Law & Order, I loved that ceiling”—and sometimes I just enjoy the odd expressions frozen on the screen. Below are a few of the TV shots that made the cut.
The Modern Family house is a big one on our inspiration list. We’d love to borrow their landscaping ideas for our own yard someday.
Another Modern Family capture is from the Clive Bixby episode—shot in a hotel lobby that I adore. I photographed the headboard shape because it seems like a fun candidate for a DIY plywood-and-foam headboard, maybe for a kids’ room in bright fabric.
This Law & Order: LA frame was taken while we were still house hunting. I snapped it, hoping for arches and tall ceilings like these in our future home. That didn’t quite happen, but we still love our house—and the memory of dreaming big. We did manage to get exposed beams in our place (white in the kitchen and darker in the living room) that run in similar directions, so maybe it all worked out in a roundabout way.
From America’s Next Top Model, I admit this pause-face is hilarious, but what caught my eye was the brown-and-white headboard fabric. It felt worth saving for future bedding or upholstery inspiration.
We watched The Kids Are All Right on Netflix after moving, and the deep-blue wall color stood out. We considered a similar shade for our guest room—and eventually went even deeper on our own walls.
Another frame from The Kids Are All Right shows a large stone paver walkway that curves out from the house in a clean, triangular pattern. We’d love to recreate that open look someday when we rework the landscaping and transplant many bushes.
One Flipping Out shot shows dark wood doors with large panes of frosted glass. It’s a refreshing alternative to the typical ornate oval-glass doors—a cleaner, chunkier frame that feels modern and bold.
Another Flipping Out image features tangerine gourd lamps (which could easily be replicated with thrifted finds and spray paint) and a wavy mirror that resembles faux oyster shells. Both pieces caught my eye.
A last Flipping Out capture highlights glass pendants paired with dark cabinets and white countertops. We don’t have white stone in our kitchen and prefer to work with our mid-toned granite, but I still appreciated the contrast and saved the image for future reference—maybe for a client or a rental project down the road.
A Celebrity Apprentice screenshot stopped me because of the floors. That look inspired the design of our console table, so the show gets a little credit for that piece.
From The Big C, I loved the board-and-batten detail behind the sofa. It’s a hallway treatment I still dream of DIYing, and this photo was a handy visual reference—preferably with Laura Linney in it.
A frame from Secrets From a Stylist sparked plans to thrift or craft a larger, chunkier media cabinet to balance the giant wood console we built. The white-framed case with wood-fronted doors in the show is exactly the kind of mix we like.
And sometimes you spot something random that just blows your mind—like this off-angle from Bachelor Pad that John noticed. Look at all the ceiling lights in the room behind Jake. The houses on TV can feel surprisingly homey, but I imagine they must look very staged in real life (and probably warm under all those lights).
Who else takes TV screenshots for inspiration? I can’t be the only one. Some of my photos have odd blue tints or awkward freeze-frames thanks to glare, but they serve as memory joggers, which is all I need. Maybe you all just kick back and watch TV like normal people—no judgment either way.
On a different note, did anyone else go Missoni-crazy at Target? We missed the initial drop but managed a late-night run. Most of the collection was picked over, but I did snag a tiny pair of rain boots for Clara and couldn’t resist a geometric vase for the back of our living room console. The vase’s bold pattern and metallic finish echo nearby chunky silver lamps, so it felt like a good fit.
The vase will probably migrate around our house, but for now it livens the console with pattern and shine.
I also picked up a few headbands for myself. They’re a nice compromise for someone who lives in ponytails: I can let my hair down while keeping it out of my face—though let’s be honest, I’ll probably wear them with a ponytail anyway.
How was your Missoni haul? Was everything already gone where you shopped? I heard about people spending a small fortune to grab pieces and resellers listing items at high prices online. The frenzy was real—but if you managed to score something, I’m genuinely jealous.