Drawing design inspiration for my place
I need some serious design inspiration.
Ever since I moved to Vancouver, I’ve never had a place that I can truly call home. And because of that, I haven’t spent any time or money designing a unique space, or even buying any furniture. I’ve been saving the whole designing experience for my first home – and now that the time has come … I feel a bit overwhelmed! :) Over the past few days, I’ve been figuring out what kind of furniture I will need, where to put everything in my new space, and of course – paint colour! As a graphic designer, I feel like I have a bit of experience choosing complementary colours, textures and patterns. But nothing to the extent of an entire home.
So GMBMFB Readers, what websites do you use to draw inspiration from when looking to decorate your place?
So far I’m using Apartment Therapy and IKEA Hackers. Maybe also some websites that you can buy cool, funky, unique things from (that ship to Canada)? Because while I love the idea of buying second-hand and refinishing furniture to suit my style, I don’t have the time to do it and my slight OCD tendencies will end up driving me crazy. But also, part of me thinks I should just go the IKEA route, because 1) it’s cheap, 2) I most likely won’t have this furniture forever, and 3) it’s cheap.
40 Responses to “Drawing design inspiration for my place”
Author comments are in a darker gray color for you to easily identify the posts in the comments
Leave a Reply
As seen in…
Recent Comments
Categories
- annual goals (24)
- banking (27)
- blog (192)
- budget (96)
- car (41)
- contest (26)
- credit card (20)
- credit score (10)
- debt (28)
- design business (37)
- down payment (28)
- education (15)
- EI (16)
- emergency fund (18)
- entertainment (194)
- fitness (165)
- guest post (19)
- health care (56)
- housing (59)
- investing (43)
- job (301)
- making money (55)
- miscellaneous (308)
- monthly challenge (52)
- monthly goals (118)
- motivation (38)
- property (43)
- recipes and food (27)
- relationship (121)
- retirement (30)
- saving money (179)
- scooter (24)
- spending (447)
- sponsored post (10)
- tax refund (23)
- travel (313)
- vlog (2)
- weekly spending recap (93)
This is the exciting part of having a new home!
I would recommend living with your place for a bit before you make any decisions..it saves money in the long run.
There's hundreds of great design sites to give you inspiration, one of my faves is the Design*Sponge sneak peaks.
:)
My recent post Managing Our Budget- May 2011
You're likely in a better financial position than I am, but I'm opting to go for secondhand furniture and to replace it with quality pieces as time goes on. I can't afford a lot of new stuff, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to find some used pieces I like (enough). This ultimately might be entirely frustrating as I do have a design in mind and I fear I won't find the pieces to complement it, but I like the idea of scouring for a bargain.
Yeah, I've done the secondhand furniture thing for years. In fact, I don't think I've ever bought anything new, except for a few bookshelves from IKEA. I think my space is small enough that I would only need a few items, so I feel like I will be able to afford it. I've given myself a comfortable "home decorating & renovation" budget.
I would check kijiji first because you can often get used ikea stuff or quality furniture in perfect shape for WAY cheaper. I have been following AT's Small Cool 2011 and find some much inspiration from the vibe of other people's places.
My recent post Bustling- Pick Up
For inspiration, I check out Morning's Light (http://sunnysblog.typepad.com) and French By Design (http://frenchbydesign.blogspot.com). I don't use them for specific product recommendations, more for general vision and some "ooooh, that looks so comfortable/me/uncomfortable/beautiful/perfect/impractical."
First, congrats on your new place! I can't even imagine how excited you must be. I don't really have any specific design suggestions for you, but just a couple pieces of advice. 1) Scavenge the thrift shops. Like, go regularly just to browse. You can find some real gems if you're patient. And Ikea isn't even really that cheap! 2) Don't fall into the trap of wanting to have your new place looking perfect right away. Just make sure you have the bare minimum (bed, couch, desk, etc.) to make it livable and fill in the rest as you go. In no time your place will look fantastic because it'll be a real reflection of your style, and not because you bought a bunch of stuff for the sake of buying stuff to furnish a house (if that makes sense).
My recent post BrokeTO Breaks Down the Election- The NDP
Thanks for the tips! :) I would love to go regularly to thrift shops, but unfortunately I just don't have the time. I've been looking online at different stores around Vancouver, and considering those prices, IKEA is insanely cheap. I don't want my place to look picture perfect right away, but there are some pieces that I will definitely need – like a bed, desk, coffee table, TV stand and table/chairs. All the other little things I can buy as I go along.
For purely inspiration, I would check out Dwell Magazine and Azure Magazine (and their associated websites!). Great for a some ideas!
I have found DecorPad has some good ideas – have fun decorating!
http://www.decorpad.com/index.htm
I just bought my first house as well and the designing part of it totally stressed me out! I went out and bought furniture that I liked and knew would fit the space – I live near Toronto, so I was able to walk down random streets and find little (but relatively cheap) boutiques that had one a kind stuff.
When it comes to Home Accents, nothing beats Home Sense, Winners and Marshalls!
have you heard of pinterest.com? it's like a virtual scrapbook/vision board site (handy for magazine editors). when you find something you like on a website, you can 'pin' it, collecting your themes, tones, and items to create your place. i go explore on friends and other users' interior design boards for inspiration and ideas. let me know if you want an invite to join!
Apartment Therapy also has this pretty neat book out on small spaces, it has some great inspiration and it makes a nice coffee table accessory: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/big-book/
The one piece of advice I wish I had known when furnishing my small space was from Sarah Richardson. She says that if you have a small space, don't get all square/boxy type furniture – it ends up looking kind of like you are piecing lego pieces together. Try to incorporate different shapes, like a circle coffee table in front of your couch, into the space. She has some tips on her site too: http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/tips/tip/din…
Great tip! I tend to lean towards squares and angles, so it does make sense to break up small spaces with different shapes. I will definitely keep that in mind when I look for pieces.
http://www.younghouselove.com gives us lots of great ideas, how-tos, etc. I also watch HGTV obsessively at the gym.
My recent post Sometimes- I do gross things
I have gone to home builder auctions, got some solid wood night tables for $60 bucks, I got an sofa they still carry at urban barn (the moma) off of craigslist for more than 50% less than the store plus, no sales tax.. I go to the annual Umbra sale in Toronto's CNE place where I got all bathroom accessories, and some AMAZING umbra+ (their high end unique home furnishing line) items for well under 300 bucks, we are talking about this table – (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jeSuLa5ZscU/SMplpOkKnMI/AAAAAAAAEJs/gon10BmPSM4/s400/blocde_open.jpg) that used to retail for over 1k, I picked it up for 100 bucks there..
If you do want some ikea things, people are always selling their Ikea stuff on Craigslist for much cheaper and again no taxy… so check there first! PLUS you can always negotiate with the sellers on craigslist too.. thereby reducing the cost even more.
I love a site called http://www.sightunseen.com for nuveau ideas, and also http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/
younghouselove.com
I've been following them for close to 8 months now. Not only are they making a living off redesigning their own home, but they have great tips and tricks for a lot of DIY stuff.
My wife has been looking at Houzz.com pretty much every day since we started building our new house. It's just pictures and you can search for exactly what you want, like if you just want to see kitchen cabinets, type that in and all it will show is endless pictures of kitchen cabinets. They also have an app if you have an iPad or iPhone.
My recent post Three Dividend Stocks On My Watch List
I did my first apartment in all IKEA. While some of it was totally worthwhile (couch), I wish I had spent a little more on other parts (dining set – bought a cheap one). I'd definitely recommend throwing some of their stuff in the mix to keep costs down though. And check out the used/slightly dirty stuff from their former displays! You can get some good stuff at a steep discount that way.
As for websites, I kind of went the conventional route and looked at House and Home Magazine ( http://houseandhome.com/ ). Maybe not the most young or modern, but still had some good ideas.
My recent post 2 Bucks
Yeah I tend to agree. While I like IKEA because it's cheap and it looks nice, it's also really generic. I would love to invest in a few key items that I feel reflect my personality. Thanks for the link, I'll definitely check it out. :)
I second http://www.younghouselove.com
they have amazing ideas!
My recent post Pampered Chef
I would maybe do a few things from Ikea but not everything. Some of the things that I would definitely not sacrifice quality would be the kitchen table and chairs and mattress. Cheap tables and chairs will fall apart in a couple years and cheap mattresses are not good for your back. I always like the thought of buying second hand furniture but I can never find what I have in mind when I'm looking. That may need to be a more gradual process.
My recent post Building Our House
Well luckily I have a mattress, and a memory foam mattress topper. And a really (second-hand) nice couch. So I'm okay there. But I totally agree with you. I don't want to cheap out on some key items, and at this point I'm keeping all options open.
Has someone already said Design Sponge? http://www.designspongeonline.com/
Etsy is amazing for handmade goods as well.
My recent post I Will Not Freak Out I Will Not Freak Out
Designing is a process. Definitely live in your space for a while before making decisions about what direction you want to go (although yes, buy some furniture!) Use this as your motto: “Have nothing in your house if you do not know it to be useful or believe it to be beautiful."
For sure! I don't plan on buying everything right away, but do need to decide on a few key furniture items, as well as a general colour scheme.
I have found that how much you pay for something doesn't always mean it won't last. When I first moved out at 17 I bought a table and chairs from Ikea just your basic pine and really inexpensive but nice clean design. Well 28 years later, I still use the chairs daily and the table is now my desk. You can't beat that and really they still look/work great. I love Ikea and I think the quality is for the most part very good and the prices are reasonable.
The few IKEA pieces I have owned over the years, I found they did not hold up well when moving, and also because most of the shelving, etc. is just particle board, it warped quite easily when holding heavier pieces, and just didn't have the durability that I need. That being said, there are some good items from IKEA that I'm sure will last much longer. I bought an inexpensive wood bed frame about 10 years ago (that my sister inherited), and it's still in relatively good shape.
I have great luck reading this blog- she has great design sense, and I get lots of ideas! http://shannoneileenblog.typepad.com/happiness-is…
Design Sponge is great, but for small, home touch items, you can't beat http://www.etsy.com
It's all handmade or vintage, prices are all over the map, but it's fun to dig. Good Luck- it's addicting!
Yes! I have already been scouring Etsy for cool, unique finds. :) Thanks for the blog link. I'll check it out for sure.
I just joined pinterest.com and are there are tons of home photos on there. I'm totally obsessed with it and people are always pinning fabulous photos of fabulous spaces (you don't need to be a member to browse, but to pin your own stuff you do, so let me know if you need an invite.). Other than that, designspongeonline.com is great, as is decor8.com and younghouselove.com
My recent post On the steps toward making a friend and taking actual action and not just thinking about taking action
I'm not sure of any canadian websites, but if you have magazines like Home and Garden, check out their websites for inspiration. Or even have a look through Google images – it can often point you in a direction you wouldn't normally follow.
Also, my suggestion would be to keep the paint and carpet fairly neutral – warm if you're in a cooler climate and like your house to be cosy, cool if you're the opposite. With a neutral decor you can update the look fairly regularly by changing the furnishings and accents, without spending a fortune to do so.
I'm looking for my first home now as well, so have enjoyed reading your story and look forward to seeing what you do with the place. :-)
My recent post -715 Networth
Check out htp://theletteredcottage.net
I'm on my third house now, and the best advise I can give you is to start with just the necessities. Add to it once you get moved in and define your style, because your taste will change. And although IKEA is cheap, buy long term, just buy less (for now). If you find something at IKEA you love, great (and there is lots to love!), but there are two ways to look at the pricing. Yes, it is cheap now, but if you have to/want to replace it in the next 5 years, is it really cheaper in the long run???
My recent post Swagbucks
I've always had the luxury of having my own furniture.
SPLURGE items = Mattress and a couch or sectional. I had very bad luck with the brick. I would never buy anything there again. Always get the warranty on furniture.
Anything else you can buy cheap and eventually upgrade.
My real estate agent always said not to make any big purchases untill you are eventually get into your new place. Dont put anything on credit. As it could screw things up for closing. Dont spend large amounts of cash etc.
Thats my advice
A wonderful site by a canadian and aussie, great pictures and inspiration :) http://www.desiretoinspire.net/
I second the Houzz.com too! I used it to form ideas for our "dark kitchen". You just type in dark kitchen and you see pictures upon pictures of people who submitted photos related to the subject you typed in.
I like apartment therapy too, but it is a bit too "individual" I find.
My recent post The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Deals Websites
PS I also second the splurge on the couch. We bought many things from Ikea too. Ikea isn't cheap either, I find (or maybe I am just too cheap).
We got our kitchen table/chairs from The Brick and that's about it. I had some customer service issues with them as well.
My recent post The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Deals Websites
Lately I've been watching a lot of HGTV and grabbing inspiration from there, so HGTV.com has many different looks or themes and have them for different rooms of the house as well.
I wish there was an IKEA in Hawaii. I actually like their furniture.
My recent post HIATUS
Oooh, how exciting! I've been checking out lots of design sites dreaming of the day I get to decorate our apartment. I've been checking out www, notmybeautifulhome.tumblr.com a lot lately. It's all pictures but I've gotten a lot of inspirations from it. Some very beautiful homes too! Have fun!!
My recent post Weekly Money Check Up
I love Apartment Therapy but only if you have small space design. For inspiration, there's a blog I love called Desire to Inspire. Check it out: http://www.desiretoinspire.net/
My recent post Unemployment Contingency Plans