Putting the interior of a home together takes work but thanks to Pinterest, a virtual pinboard, decorating has become much easier. While cutting out and storing pictures from magazines is a common planning tool, creating virtual boards and “pinning†your favorite looks saves both time and space. By using Pinterest for inspiration, and by following these four steps, you can streamline your style and ideas, which will essentially make decorating just about effortless.
- Create your boards. Everyone is different when it comes to decorating. Some know their style and all the things they like without question while others aren’t so sure. No matter where you fall, creating boards will help you figure things like this out. If you have multiple rooms that you plan to decorate, create individual boards to reflect each space (i.e. “laundry room,†“kitchen,†etc.). If you’re slowly tackling one room at a time, then only focus on creating boards that are necessary, so you don’t get overwhelmed.
- Utilize social media. If you have any social media accounts, you know sharing can be a beneficial way to spread information. Not sure about an idea? Share the pin with fellow online friends and ask for feedback. You’d be amazed at how many people are willing to give input. With that said, if this is a professional, rather than a personal project, be sure to share less with friends and more with other professionals (i.e. designers) or clients you are dealing with.
- Thin out your ideas. If you haven’t already figured it out, pinning can be addictive. Before you know it, you’ll have more boards and ideas than you’ll know what to do with. This is why it’s important to step back and edit your boards a bit. Thinning out your ideas can make things seems more manageable and realistic. Look at your pins to check for duplicates or ideas that are similar. Weed out ones that would exceed your budget or skill. Projects will be much easier when you have a more streamlined approach.
- Edit once more and then finalize. Often, a second (but brief) edit will be needed. Take a glance at your pins one last time to ensure that you only have images that reflect the results you wish to achieve. Finalize your ideas and then start making your pins a reality.
For an inspiration boost, it’s a good idea to follow some other decorating gurus. Some great pinners worth following include, but are not limited to:
- Houzz
- HGTV
- Better Homes and Gardens
- Pantone
- The Land of Nod
- Country Living
- Traditional Home
…and of course, us!
