How to Find Inspiration for Your Home Decor Ideas

By Cathy Hobbs Tribune News Service

Whether it’s in nature, pages of a magazine, a friend’s home, hotel or designer show house, design inspiration is wherever you find it. Recently, more than 60 top designers met at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York to create one-of-a-kind vignettes to benefit charity. The annual event is called Design On A Dime and is sponsored through Housing Works. All items are for sale and proceeds benefit those affected by homelessness, HIV and AIDS.

Show houses are held in various forms throughout the country and are a wonderful way to be inspired for ideas for your own home. Other sources of inspiration include retail stores, restaurants, magazines, showrooms and even nature.

A bold, dramatic piece of art serves as an inspirational springboard for a creative color palette.

Photos courtsey Design Recipes

OTHER WAYS TO FIND INSPIRATION

Often we ignore what is right in front of us. Whether it is a pretty flower, display or well designed public space, the reality is you can find inspiration virtually anywhere. Many designers travel with sketch books to always document great design. Along similar lines, many designers also photograph any design element they find interesting. This isn’t for the purpose of imitating, but being inspired. Look for interesting color combinations, textures and interesting use of design.

HOW TO FIND INSPIRATION

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>>>> A candy-inspired theme by Cathy Hobbs serves as inspiration for a children’s room.

HOW TO FIND INSPIRATION

Continued from page 16 Visit museums, exhibitions, art shows and design events. These venues tend to not only attract talent, but the very latest in design.

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN

Inspiration is not always about what is the latest and greatest. While newer items may be appealing, so can vintage pieces that may be capable of being refreshed and repurposed. Not sold on using vintage items? Consider mixing items that are new, bold or unique with those that are more vintage in nature.

ASK QUESTIONS

Remember, whether it’s a piece of art you spotted in a restaurant, wallpaper on the wall of a room in a designer show house or display piece in a retail store, that piece is likely available for purchase or can be sourced and purchased from a manufacturer or artisan directly.

Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design and home staging expert with offices in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C. Contact her at info@cathyhobbs.com or visit her website at www.cathyhobbs.com

©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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YOUR HANDYMAN Continued from page 4

daylight around an exterior door when closed you can seal up this gap with inexpensive weather stripping found at any hardware store. A drafty door lets in cold air in the winter months and hot air in the summer and even a small gap under the door will let mice come and go as they please. Most types of weather stripping are easy to install, inexpensive to buy, and will quickly pay back in reduced heating and cooling bills.

Dripping Faucets: Much like Chinese water torture a dripping faucet can give you heart failure when your water bill arrives in the mail, and a dripping hot water faucet can keep your water heater working on overtime. Most drips can be fixed with a new rubber washer or a new valve cartridge, but sometimes they can signal the end of the road for an older faucet which can usually be replaced with a new model for about $125 or less for the budget conscious homeowner.

Attic Insulation: Many of the older homes found in Santa Barbara have no attic insulation and the attic heats up the house in the summer and cools down the house in the winter while your furnace races to keep up. Probably the most common attic insulation are the rolls of thick pink fiberglass batting that are easily installed and is like covering your house with a big fluffy pink down comforter. Sale ads for rolls of attic insulation at the big box hardware stores always seem to appear at the end of fall and early winter and give you an opportunity for a relatively inexpensive way to make your home much more livable while reducing your heating bill.

Saving Energy

Mark Baird is a General Contractor & the Owner of “Your Handyman” servicing Santa Barbara since 2006. You can contact Mark at 805-968-1234 or email him at: mark@yourhandymansb.com. Visit his website at: www.yourhandymansb.com.