Translating Pinterest In Real Life
As a visual person and design lover, Pinterest has always been one of my favorite social media outlets to explore, compile, and share images. I have a type-A personality and like to be very organized, so compiling ideas and imagery into specific boards is something I really enjoy doing. It feels much more organized than my other social platforms. I use boards to document my personal journey in design, like: things I shared on the blog, resources for things found throughout my home, renovation specific boards (before images, resources, DIY projects, progress, the reveal, etc), and I even have a board filled with the images I share on Instagram. Aside from my Room for Tuesday boards, like everyone else (if it wasn’t already obvious in my “10 Pins” series)– I love compiling design inspiration and using Pinterest as a tool. It has turned into such a fun, creative space for me, but I often hear people say Pinterest, in general, feels overwhelming. It’s pretty easy to get sucked in and feel like you’ve gathered allll the inspiration, but then feel overwhelmed when it’s time to apply different ideas to your home. As a designer, I thought I could help you translate Pinterest into real life, and decipher why it’s so important to be intentional about WHAT you gather and more importantly, WHY. Click through for some tips on making the most of Pinterest and ways to apply your saved inspiration to your own home.
Find Your Personal Style
If you haven’t quite figured out your personal aesthetic (or the overall style of your home), Pinterest is a great way to understand what you love and gravitate toward. Begin by looking through your home interior inspiration boards, keeping an eye out for repetitive elements… do you see more warm or cool tones? Neutral paint or bold colors? Do you see modern, minimal spaces or traditional vignettes? Is it more of a mix? Maybe your aesthetic is very eclectic. By understanding what you like (and don’t like), you’ll be ready to design, implement, and tackle projects in your preferred aesthetic. It’s also a good self reflection exercise that can help you better define your style, so when the time comes to makeover a room or explain your aesthetic and preferences to designers or contractors, you’ll be equipped and ready!
Search Wide, Then Narrow It Down
When you’re looking for inspiration, you shouldn’t restrict yourself at first. Let yourself go a bit wild and gather images that catch your eye or give you that feeling you’re looking for. Most people automatically know when an image feels good or attractive to them (pin that one!). The tricky part is knowing WHY you like it. Sometimes I even find myself pinning things that aren’t necessarily my aesthetic, but they spark ideas I can apply within my own home.
For example, when we were designing our kitchen, functionality was super important to us. I really wanted to squeeze the maximum amount of functionality out of our kitchen, so planning everything down to the cabinetry inserts was a must. I made a list of things I wanted to include, based on a serious Pinterest search. I uncovered cabinet features I didn’t even know existed… like our built-in knife block. I pulled that idea from a kitchen that looks TOTALLY different than ours and isn’t even close to being “my style”, but that little knife block was the coolest thing I had seen, and I knew it would be wonderful in our own kitchen. All of that to say, Pinterest was a great way to not only gather inspiration, but it helped me compile a detailed list of features I knew I wanted to include when the time came for me to meet with my Lowe’s cabinetry specialist. It’s a good way to gain knowledge and product info, without having to visit a design showroom or display.
On another occasion, Emmett and I were on vacation and I fell in love with a vintage glass door in our hotel bathroom. The glass had the most beautiful texture! I knew I wanted some sort of textural glass for our kitchen cabinets. After some time on Pinterest, I finally narrowed it down and discovered that I prefer reeded glass after seeing it in so many different applications. It’s nice to be able to see how materials translate in the wild.
Pinterest gives us a unique opportunity to see how these types of things translate in actual homes. My point being- begin by searching wide, then narrow it down and use keywords to better discover specific design elements you’re into.
Be Realistic (About Your Home & Budget)
You may be inspired by an image with a library ladder in the kitchen (guilty!), but your kitchen might not have the room or ceiling height to include that particular element. It’s important to be realistic with yourself in terms of the square footage you have to work with- and your budget. Certain things you see on Pinterest might not transfer well to your home, and if I’m being honest- lots of things probably aren’t even feasible. Instead of being bummed, figure out why you’re attracted to the library ladder in the kitchen image, in the first place. Is it the vintage wood tone of the ladder against colored cabinetry? If so, figure out a way to pull natural wood elements into your bold kitchen cabinets… perhaps a drip rail? Or an island? Do you like the height of the ladder that leads your eye upward? Maybe you brainstorm adding a slender bank of cabinetry that runs from floor to ceiling. Or maybe you just dig a pretty ladder. Would it better fit your budget if you used a readymade ladder towel rack in the bathroom, instead of having a custom one made for your kitchen?
See what I’m doing here? This realistic mindset also helps you prioritize what is best for YOUR home and budget.
Apply Inspiring Elements To Your Space
So you’ve saved loads of images you found inspiring, you’ve organized your boards, you’ve figured out what images you’re most attracted to and why, AND you’re in the realistic mindset as to how you can apply that to your own space… now what? Make it happen! It’s time to make your home a place you love just as much as those beautiful photos you pinned! Where do you start? If you’re already on Pinterest, in addition to inspiration- I also find it to be a great shopping resource. In sticking with the ladder example, search “bathroom towel ladder” and prepare to be amazed with lots of product options, DIY project tutorials, and more inspiration on that topic.
I also create secret boards for my shopping lists (because I’m sure nobody wants to see those). For each room renovation, I compile allllll of the products I plan to purchase or use in a single board. It helps me see all of the products together (almost like a moodboard), and it also gives me a resource to use if I ever need to click back into each product for specs, share the resource link with you all, or place another order (like I’m about to do for more marble tile for our basement, argh). I’ll also pin resources like paint colors, so I can always refer back to my secret board, like a digital master file for the room specifications. Even though it gets a lot of flack, Pinterest is a really amazing, handy, FREE tool we should be taking advantage of.
If I’m not working on a room renovation, but see something I like- I’ll pin it to a specific resource board (lighting, plumbing fixtures, furniture, paint colors, etc) to reference later. Who knows… maybe I’ll want to incorporate that gorgeous faucet that popped up in my feed yesterday into our future master bathroom. It’s worth pinning, just in case!
If you’re interested in checking out some of my Pinterest boards, I thought I’d make some lists for you below…
Personal / Room for Tuesday Boards…
- ON THE BLOG
- SHOP MY HOUSE
- INSTA INTERIORS (as seen on @roomfortuesday IG)
- OUR KITCHEN RENOVATION
- PREVIOUS KITCHEN RENOVATION
- BASEMENT BATHROOM RENOVATION
- MY HOUSE (as seen on the blog)
- ONE ROOM CHALLENGE BATHROOM
- ONE ROOM CHALLENGE LAUNDRY ROOM
- ONE ROOM CHALLENGE FORMAL LIVING ROOM
Interior Design Boards…
- KITCHEN DESIGN
- BATHROOM DESIGN
- LAUNDRY ROOM DESIGN
- DINING ROOM DESIGN
- ENTRYWAY DESIGN
- OFFICE DESIGN
- BAR DESIGN
- HALLWAY DESIGN
- FIREPLACE DESIGN
- KIDS ROOM + NURSERY DESIGN
- BEDROOM DESIGN
- CLOSET DESIGN
- MEDIA ROOM DESIGN
- LIVING ROOM DESIGN
- HOME GYM DESIGN
- INTERIOR DESIGN + DECOR
- ARCHITECTURE + MILLWORK
- PET DECOR + DESIGN
- STORAGE, SHELVES, + STYLING
- STAIRCASE DESIGN
- MOUNTAIN CABIN
- BEACH HOUSE
Exterior Design Boards…
Design Resource Boards…
- LIGHTING (lamps, sconces, ceiling lights, etc)
- FURNITURE + DECOR
- PLUMBING FIXTURES
- WINDOW TREATMENTS
- ART + PAINTINGS
- WALLPAPER
- TILE
- PAINT COLORS
Miscellaneous Boards (Things I Just Like)…
- PLANTS + GARDENING
- RECIPES + FOOD
- DIY PROJECTS
- CAMPER RENOVATION
- BEAUTY + HAIR
- FASHION + WARDROBE
- TATTOOS
- FLORAL DESIGN
- PATTERN + PRINT
- COCKTAIL RECIPES
- MUST LOVE DOGS
- WISE WORDS + QUOTES
- TRAVEL + ADVENTURE
- DESIGN + TYPOGRAPHY
Do you love Pinterest as much as I do? I hope those tips help you feel inspired and ready to tackle your next project! Speaking of which, we are moving right along on our basement bathroom and are focused on finishing up the shower wall tile tonight and tomorrow. You can see all the live updates on my IG stories!