Have you ever looked at an inspiration photo and thought to yourself "Wow! I want to emulate that!" only to realized that what you have to work with is just too far from the inspiration to even come close?

Yeah.... me too.

Yes, all of the time TQ. I am always looking for inspirational pictures for ranch homes but all the rooms either have high ceilings or other architectural features that my 8' ceiling plain ranch home just doesn't have.

Tomato, I prefer to view inspiration pics as tid bits of ideas, elements that spark my/our imagination vs. a complete pic I wish to copy. I feel inspiration is all around us if we're open to new ideas and contemplate their possiblilties. I also feel that carbon copies are not true reflections of our personalities, passions and lifestyles. Rather than thinking "Oh my...I can NEVER duplicate that which I am drawn to visually", we should focus on elements of the design that we can draw upon, putting our own spin on things that make it truly unique and personal. One should always be open re. seeing things in a new light for it's that open mindedness that sparks our individual creativity as well as our ingenuity.

I am envious of you both. Although I find pictures lovely to look at, I rarely find anything that I would want to duplicate.
I did see a picture of a living room that Sarah did that I would absolutely LOVE to have but the basic room that she did is so far different from mine as to be impossible to copy in any way.

One enormous problem that I have is that the colors I love are soft greens and blues and one rarely finds pictures, fabrics, wallpaper, etc in the shades that I prefer. Even finding one inspirational fabric is so difficult but my life isn't over yet and neither is my search:::::smile:::::

Love Lu, hang in there. Tho color trends come and go (often to return again), it's not impossible to find fabrics or papers in the colors you seek. The keys are patience and perserverence. Meanwhile, don't lose site of your goal nor paint or do anything drastic till you find that all important inspiration piece.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Froo Froo,

Right on Froo - on everything!

When I see great inspiration photos, there is always something structural that I can't copy, or I love some piece of furniture or accessory that when I look up the credits for, it says 'found by homeowner at antique shop, or inherited, or a gift' so no way can I duplicate anything like it.

Vignettes make beautiful photos but most of the time it features a rare collection of something! LOL

I am one of those that sees inspirational photos as a way to see:
the scale of a type of furniture,
placement of pieces of furniture,
How a particular color such as bright turquoise fills a room.
How light fixtures look in a space
How dark flooring, light flooring, wood, etc affects a room
How drapery styles affect a room
How storage ideas get neatened up

So, there will always be inspiration for me even if the photo is not my 'style' or color combination.

As my decor is pretty well established, I'm usually looking at photos just to enjoy the mood or environment they show, rather than as inspirations that I might want to emulate.

I know what you mean, though. I'll look at a room with fabulous artwork and know that I'll never have the funds to buy that level or quantity of art. I kept an old issue of Victoria magazine for years that featured some exquisite antique Venetian glass goblets even though I know I'll never own glasses like that. A person can enjoy dreaming, though, right?

When I look at various things--magazines, in-store vignettes, online photos, etc.--I never look at them to duplicate.

Rather, I break down what it is that I specifically like about it, and do I have something already that will give me the same "feel" if I update it, style it differently, rearrange it, etc.

It's easier this way. If I wanted to copy a room or vignette exactly, I'd be very disappointed.

However, with my take on it, it allows for inspiration to be found everywhere--hotels, museums, store/mall displays, magazines, online photos, decorating books, theme parks, and more. I've even found inspiration in certain Welcome Centers when traveling.

quote:

vignette

Is this a collection of items grouped together? Pardon my ignorance

A Vignette is something like a chapter in a book, a leaf off a vine, meaning if you look closer you can see a small world of its own as part of a whole. A window display would have a Vignette of what you will find inside the shop.

So, in our homes we make Vignettes of smaller spaces we love, such as at Christmas time when we do a Holiday display that goes beyond just a wreath, for example a manger set up. On the dining table we will set up a Vignette for the table setting and mostly centerpiece that tells a story, such as a holiday, event, anniversary, Valentine's day, and so forth.

I guess a well coordinated outfit is a loose example of a vignette in the fashion world.

A Vignette of your favorite items in the foyer of your home tells the visitor all about who you are what you are like with the items you place there for guests to see.

my interpretations not copied off the internet.

Forgot to add: A lot of French words for Interior Design phrases have found their way into our culture and we still use them such as Voila, which you hear all the time on HGTV as said 'wala', drives me crazy. It means See there, or there it is, or look there as a proud Ta Da! type saying, like It's revealed!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

Yes! All the time,... Pottery Barn rooms are so much larger than I have, and most of my dream rooms are in huge mansions.

My problem is usually small space and i already have stuff i wouldn't know what to do with it.

Oh, who wants a copy of someone else's house anyway!!!!

Design is about coming up with NEW ideas that will suit you and YOUR space.

I love looking at inspiring pics, especially of vignettes, not to copy them, but to use them to create the feeling they invoke. When I see a pic, for instance, of a room that uses rustic and refined pieces, it causes me to think about the things I have with those attributes that I can put together.

Inspiration is about mental/emotional stimulation for creativity.

quote:

Originally posted by Love, Lu:
One enormous problem that I have is that the colors I love are soft greens and blues and one rarely finds pictures, fabrics, wallpaper, etc in the shades that I prefer. Even finding one inspirational fabric is so difficult but my life isn't over yet and neither is my search:::::smile:::::

This surprises me as I used to get expired wallpaper books to use for crafts and there were many papers and matching/coordinating fabrics in those colors. Have you spent some time with the wallpaper books?