via my Apartment Guide living room design picks 2011
II love designing rooms and imagining how different elements come together. I enjoy browsing magazines and Pinterest for ideas, but eventually you need to decide what your own style will be. You can look at pictures all day and collect countless ideas, but not every option is right for you.
An inspiration board helps make those choices concrete. It forces commitment on paper and helps you narrow possibilities. For me, acknowledging the size and reality of my home — a 2,500-square-foot house — is the first step toward realistic decisions. You can’t choose every single thing you love, but you can choose a cohesive style you’ll truly enjoy.
Modern Bedroom Design
Last year I created inspiration boards for a contest at Apartment Guide, and on June 20th a new group of bloggers will design fresh boards. I’m looking forward to seeing their ideas and how they interpret the challenge.
For that contest, each board followed specific style and budget guidelines, so the rooms weren’t necessarily my ideal or what I’d choose for my own home. It was fun to imagine rooms without worrying about my personal budget or existing constraints. But when you work within your own budget, home layout, family needs and inherited furniture, decisions become more complex.
Personal style becomes a balance between design dreams and practical realities: budgets, less-than-perfect spaces, pets and kids, and hand-me-down pieces you plan to keep. Those constraints are not limitations alone; they are part of what makes your home unique.
Working within your budget and existing pieces is what creates an authentic, personal style.
via my “Traditional” Coastal Home Office Design Board
I like to see personality and lived-in character showing through a room. Those personal touches and practical choices add depth and beauty.
Quirks and constraints define your current style and give your home a creative, authentic spirit.
Your style will change over time as your life changes and you work with different pieces. Embracing that evolution is part of the fun: using what you already own, mixing in new finds as budgets allow, and making thoughtful edits to create a comfortable, stylish home.
My daughters and I are excited to redesign our home to better reflect our needs and style. I can’t wait to share our progress and show before-and-after photos as the transformation unfolds. Stay tuned for updates on our plans and the design choices we make!
Good luck to the new group of bloggers competing in Apartment Guide’s Your Picks Your Place Sweepstakes — it will be inspiring to see their designs!
Do you enjoy creating a fresh style using what you have?
Keep an eye on Apartment Guide for a chance to win $10,000 to redo your space to match your personal design style. You can follow Apartment Guide on social media for tips and updates on decorating. Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partner with bloggers to participate in programs; as part of that program I received compensation. They did not direct purchases or dictate opinions. Consumer Source aligns with WOMMA ethics, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.