Find Unexpected Sparks

Design from the heart.

Don’t be discouraged by making material selections! Use our method to finding unexpected sparks to help light your way to a beautiful home.

Posted 10/31/22

It’s a fact; all minds don’t think alike. Which is why making interior design selections for the home is delightful for some and near torture for others. Many within this latter group will look to home décor magazines or television shows for inspiration and yet still find themselves lost or their final selections soul-less. Well, we’ve got a theory as to why.

Your home, its design, and its décor are all a reflection of its dwellers. Playing paint-by-numbers with someone else’s vision will simply never convey the same personality and human-touch as designing from the heart. But then exactly how, you ask, does one employ this method? We say: by seeking unexpected sparks.

Read on and we’ll light ‘em up.

Spark 1: Your favorite clothes

Try this on for size. Imagine the outfit you’d choose to wear if you could only wear one thing for the rest of your life. Or maybe the outfit the miniature doll version of yourself might sport to best convey your character. What is it? Perhaps a simple crew-cut tee and perfectly worn-in denim? Well, bingo! We’ve got a spark!

Fashion has long been a source of inspiration for manufacturers of interior design materials. So let it be one for you! Denim, in particular, lends itself beautifully to floor coverings like area rugs or upholstery for furnishings and is just as timeless as the pair you wear. Logic holds that if you’d choose to wear this material everyday if you could, you will love it just as much within your home.

Photo credit: iStock

Photo credit: Stanton Theodore Stripe

Now that you’ve seen how a peek within your closet can inspire, there’s much to imagine! A love of chunky sweaters may translate to nubby woolen rugs. Years-aged cowboy boots may point to hand-scraped wood plank floors. Crisp linen shirts may infer clean, bright porcelain. Try laying out a head-to-toe look and a room’s worth of materials may have just selected themselves!

Spark 2: Your favorite season

Imagine your favorite time of year. Do you find joy in seeing twinkling frost-sprinkled trees when you wake? Or stepping out to the first hints of a crisp Autumn after a summer of sun? There’s another spark!

The sights and sensations of nature are an excellent place to seek an unexpected spark for your interior finishes and décor. If it’s a perfect fall day that melts your heart faster than a pumpkin spice candle, lean into that inspiration! It easily translates into a palette of changing foliage hues and materials with an irregular, textural hand-feel. Think jutes, tweeds, raw edges, and hammered metals.

Photo credit: iStock

Photo credit: Stanton Autumn Plaid

If it’s summertime sunshine that makes you glow, try translating this into high gloss reflective surfaces. If it’s sprouting spring florals, you may be nurtured by organic shapes and meandering patterns. And if it’s the icing of winter, milk glass and monochrome neutrals might just be your perfect match.

Spark 3: Your favorite eatery

One of the great things about plaid is its pattern versatility. When it comes to life as checkerboard or tattersall check prints, it reads as effortless elegance pairing nicely with most any design aesthetic. This explains why checks are a much-loved “elevated basic” for flooring, especially for adding interest in smaller rooms or up the staircase as stand-out runners.

Look around. The contrasting mosaic tiles, bright brass pendants, white marble counters, and architectural accent molding. It makes material selections almost too easy! In fact, if you break down the essence of just about any well-designed restaurant, you’ll find this to be true time and again! Snap a wide-angle shot and your job is practically done.

Photo credit: Sebastien Gaudard

Photo credit: Stanton Gotham Square

No need to take the activity too literally; simply try to identify the primary anchors of the design (colors, patterns, materials, or shapes) to inspire yours. From there, your space can come to life just as beautifully but with your own personal touch!

Love a moody speakeasy? Look to jewel tone velvets and dark wall and floor coverings. Maybe a nostalgic diner is more your cup of tea? Go for vintage touches and bright chrome accents. The options are endless when you start with this spark!

Spark 4: Your favorite getaway

How about a jet-set!? Let’s tap into that wanderlust for our final spark and use your most-beloved vacation spot for inspiration. What environment can elicit a deep-breath or a yearning to hop back on a plane for a visit? Is it an oceanside retreat with the sound of lapping waves, sand between your toes and the glow of orange and blue as the sun sets? Boom – a spark!

Whether it’s the colors, textures, or reminiscent shapes, there’s much to pull from your travels to inspire gorgeous interiors. Seek out the iconic elements to inform your design selections and you’ll be sure to get your home one step closer to your getaway.

Photo credit: iStock

Photo credit: Stanton Mesa Meadow

Remember, it’s not just the outdoors that can light you up, but also the inside and out of buildings as well! Take a look back at photos you’ve snapped, and you may find yourself drawn to certain color palettes, floor and ceiling elements, or architectural styles.

Once you’ve found your spark, feel free to gather your inspiration then stop by one of our showrooms or schedule an In-Home Shopping appointment! Our Experts are here to help bring your vision to life.

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