Q: How do you come up with your amazing home ideas? Is it all on your own? Do you have some secret inspiration method? Like the built-in wardrobes in your master bedroom and the doorway widening trick that you pulled in your den/kitchen/dining area. I just wish you could teach me how to think like you so I could come up with some original ideas to make my house feel unique and cool instead of lame and boring! – Lisa
A: First off, we’ll be honest: very little of what we’ve done is entirely original. We’re confident that most projects we’ve completed or written about have predecessors. In fact, among the 500+ projects linked on our Projects page, many of them have been done before—sometimes by professionals, sometimes by other homeowners—often better or more cheaply. From widening doorways to creating bedroom built-ins, these ideas circulate widely in magazines, blogs, and homes.
That’s not a bad thing. Inspiration rarely comes from a single source. As a former copywriter, I noticed my scripts were influenced by personal experiences, ads I studied, TV shows, music, and everyday life. Creativity often draws on the things we absorb, and then those bits resurface when we’re trying to solve a design problem or imagine something new.
In short: inspiration is everywhere. We soak it up like sponges.
Often an idea catches us unexpectedly—a song, a walk, a conversation—and suddenly a concept appears. Sometimes the origin is obvious: for example, our postcard wall in the office came from a magazine feature, and our tone-on-tone bathroom stripes were inspired by a designer we admired. Other times we borrow ideas we’ve seen many times and want to try ourselves: upholstering a chair, painting a ceiling, building a headboard, turning a nightstand into a vanity, removing a closet door, or painting the back of a bookcase. These are common DIY moves because they work and scale well to different budgets and styles.
There are also instances where we tweak a concept to suit our budget or aesthetic. We once covered glass vases with cork after spotting an expensive cork lamp in a shop—same vibe, smaller cost. And sometimes an idea feels like it came from nowhere, but that’s only because our brains combine lots of small influences into a fresh take.
The main takeaway: there’s no secret source of creativity. The easiest step is to immerse yourself in inspiring content—TV, magazines, blogs, museums, or simply paying attention to what you love—and collect ideas that excite you. Finding inspiration is often only about 1% of the challenge. The remaining 99% is deciding to act on an idea.
Action is the hard part. Thinking about projects won’t change your home—doing them will. Commit to something, even if you feel nervous. Experiment with confidence, accept small missteps, and you’ll learn as you go. We’ve found that actually starting a project brings momentum: prepping, testing, and iterating builds both skills and enthusiasm. That commitment is what transforms a space and gives you that satisfying “I’m so happy I live here” feeling when you walk through the door.
In short: we’re not special, and that’s exactly the point. This blog exists to encourage everyone to try the projects that appeal to them. If we can do it, you can too. We’re ordinary people who enjoy making things better and sharing what works.
So go ahead and DIY something this weekend. What are you planning to tackle in your house?