When beginning any project, we need a starting place; a foundation from which to create our desired outcome. Inspiration is a perfect place to begin a design project. Pages torn out of magazines, digital images saved on Pinterest boards, the stuff we dream about; all of those seemingly disparate pieces are source to our inspiration. It helps us to develop the big idea, yielding to a plan or a way of procuring elements.
Because, person by person, our aesthetic sense is so personal, developing our own perspective or point of view means that we create something original rather than simply imitating the look of someone else’s vision. Sure, we can appreciate something that another has created in their own space, but we want to make our own mark, right?
The images below are the inspiration for the bathroom remodel project my husband and I tackled this past summer. Color, line, shape, and texture - all seen here - informed the choices we made along the way. For this project we called the inspiration "Lakeside Fall".
INSPIRATION FOR PAINT COLOR
The bright blue water reflecting the sky was the inspiration for our choice of a soft blue. We used Sherwin-Williams Balmy SW 6512.
INSPIRATION FOR SHOWER CURTAIN AND TOWEL HOLDERS
There was something compelling about the inspiration branch and vibrant yellow of the leaves that plays off the calm blue water. The bronze twig was a unique find for towel holders and the geometric yellow shapes on the shower curtain represents the vibrant leaves. We wanted to ensure that there was some vibrant hue to foil the calm, cool tones of the surrounding finishes.
INSPIRATION FOR FLOOR TILE
We were fortunate to find a budget-priced, large format, porcelain field tile for the floor. The Vitra Uptown tile (in matte white) has flecks reminiscent of grains of sand, but also a slight striation for movement.
INSPIRATION FOR ACCENT TILE
The inspiration photo of the dock and water had variety and depth to bring many different colors together harmoniously. We chose Lunada Bay glass mosaic tiles for their nature and watery effect. Rather than going with the more traditional square tiles, we chose the "wings" in a trapezoidal shape.
INSPIRATION FOR MIRROR AND LIGHTING
A beveled-edge mirror purchased from Wayfair and Hinkley lighting echoed the movement of glistening water.
Any time there was a choice or decision to make, we could use our inspiration images and ideas to guide us and keep us consistent - which ultimately helped us to create a unified space.
What is your inspiration? Once discovered, things begin to fall in place and really take shape!