There are many places and objects where you can be inspired to turn inspiration into design. What do you really love? Are you inspired by nature, travel, art, or fashion? Being fortunate to live by the ocean, I know I am inspired by my walks on the beach. I love finding treasures and being surprised by a piece of coral, for instance, that has washed up along the shore. I collect these gifts as they remind me that mother Earth has so much to offer our curiosity. For instance, the colors and beach scenes are enough to capture any imagination. The marine life, sand, seashells, ocean, and palm trees provide many treasures that can be a helpful setting for your decor.

Do you find yourself taking photos and notes of your favorite hotel or restaurant when traveling? We often want to take a slice of our holiday back home with us, and it is a good idea to incorporate those ideas into your home interiors. I recommend that you go back through your old photos and look for the picture that captures that sense of awe.  Maybe adding a distressed wood table that could be reminiscent of the barns you admired in the English countryside could be your inspiration. Or a piece of a patina in your room as a reminder of a beloved city. A marble statue to remind you, Michelangelo’ David. These finds will double as a conversation starter when you have friends over. However, we suggest that you keep it simple. It is possible to integrate multiple influences in a space but stick to two or three. Otherwise, the room looks unintentional and too confusing.

 

Bringing nature into the home can be an element that creates the same wonders we encounter our environment. I have a passion for collecting raw crystals and stones. To me, collecting is an adventure and journey. It reminds me of a time, place, or moment. One of my favorite places on earth is in Colorado. There, I love to connect with nature while hiking, biking, or skiing. I am in awe and marvel at all the vibrant colors. The wildflowers, against the rugged snow-covered Mountain peaks, speaks to me about contrast. I often incorporate this contrast into design. I also love to see how the textures of a rough stone turn smooth thru washed by the river over 100 years. I use different materials in my design to a story about a person or couple; this is what brings magic into your interior space.

There are many forms of art from painting, sculptures, sketching, and collages that can evoke emotion and inspiration for a room. A visit to your local gallery or museum, you might discover that one piece of art that can be a focal point to a room.

 

Fashion and interior design are intertwined. You may not realize it, but much of the interior design trends initially originated from fashion. Usually, what you see on the runway trickles into the home. People use their clothes to express themselves thru fashion and use their home to express themselves in their interiors. Both allow the opportunity to stand apart freely from others and portray how he or she feels about who they are. Fashion designers often are the first in line to spot trends. For example, when there are social movements, such as green living, fashion designers see the evolution and include these elements into their styles. They may source organic fabrics, and choose clean and light styles to create a more natural look. Shortly after that, you will see this same trend in interiors. So if you are trying to understand the next trend in interior design, we suggest looking to the runways to your favorite designers.

Also, we recommend looking through the internet to find pictures of rooms that you love.  There are many websites, forums, blogs, and social media sites dedicated to home improvements and interior design such as our website at ArchitecturalDeisgnStudios.com.  These online resources have countless web pages that include articles, images, and videos about every interior design project imaginable. In most cases, this information is free or costs very little, but it can be extremely valuable to you, especially if the ideas you get, eventually will improve the appearance of your home.  Looking through these websites can provide inspiration and thoughts you never imagined.

So if you are thinking about changing the layout or décor of your home and looking for ideas from other sources, we encourage you to get inspired by nature, art, fashion, or travel.   There has never been more opportunities to find ideas that you may never have even probably considered.

Hi, I’m Cherie Arscott with Architectural Design Studios!  Today I’m going to share some helpful design tips with you on how to accessorize a bookshelf to make it a focal point in your home.  We all know that bookshelves are great for books, but they don’t need to be filled with just books.  Bookshelves also act as a place to show off personal gifts, family photos, and your favorite décor.  Think about how you can make this feature in your home more interesting and beautiful for you and your guests to enjoy.  Whether it is in your living room, home office, reading nook, or bedroom, having a display of the things that inspire you the most is a key component to showing off your unique personality and style.

~Create Balance through a Chosen Color Scheme

The key to transforming your bookshelf into a stylized design feature really lies in the balance.  Without a sense of balance, a bookshelf can appear overloaded or even spare.  Bookshelves are of course a great way to create a mini library in your home, but they also give you the opportunity to add some character to your space.  One of the main ways to do this is to create balance through color.  Think about your color palette and what accessories will work best with your décor.  Choose a color scheme to use for all of the shelves you are decorating.  Pops of color added evenly throughout can add so much fun to the space.   The easiest combination is to keep everything neutral with the addition of one or two colors that tie in with your whole room.  If you prefer not to use color, use pops of white, or gold and play with textures like baskets, wood, or metal accents.  Once the balance is achieved, your stylized bookshelf may be on its way to be the true focal point of the room.  Don’t forget to decorate around a design concept that moves you, such as nature, history, or even a specific location.

~Personalize

A great way to add warmth and personality to your bookshelf is to add personalized décor such as photo collages and unique and quality frames.  Small photo frames can also be easily layered in front of books to create depth and add a personal touch.  Try to avoid using too many small frames though as it could look a little cluttered when several are clumped together.  It’s a good rule of thumb to choose close up shots for your photos and keep them at eye level because they will stand out better at a distance.  Also, displaying meaningful souvenirs from your vacations and other travels can help to tell a story of where you’ve been that can easily be translated to your guests.

~Less is More

Make sure you pay attention to empty space because sometimes that is exactly what you need to find balance.  Even though it is a bookshelf, you don’t want it to be overcrowded with too many books and knick-knacks.  You still want to be able to accessorize, and by that you will want to add only a few display items.  Keep the accessories simple and only display objects of curiosity on shelves, keeping them clean and calm.  It’s a good idea to have a few different pieces that vary in color, shape, and size and try to stick with bigger items, but less of them.  A lot of small items can make a shelf look cluttered.  Art and framed photos are great items to have because they generally take up a large amount of space of your shelves.  Then you can choose your favorite pieces and make them the focal point to build around. 

~Vary Your Height

Even if the objects your using don’t necessarily carry a theme amongst themselves, you can still create a thoughtful, balanced display by concentrating on the size and height of the items.  Using décor pieces of varying heights helps to create a more dynamic look on your shelves and can fill in empty spaces.  First, think about how much height you have in between your shelves and look for pieces that will fit well into that space.  Consider layering a few items in front of each other to keep the displays from all being one-dimensional.  Put the tallest items in the back and the smallest ones in the front.  This could mean layering some small decorative objects in front of books or placing books in front of a piece of art.  If you’re using a lot of books, it’s a good idea to vary the way you display them.  Try not only stacking books vertically but also horizontally.  This will add an extra layer of texture and interest to your space.  Gather them together in ways you find pleasing and inspiring.  Plants are also a great way to add height and depth to your display.  Consider using a variety of stylish pots and containers to put them in from bowls to pitchers or even baskets to help add character and detail to your bookshelf.  Plants will not only add life to the shelves, but they also help to purify the air, making them great for your home environment.

~Add Stylish Storage

Search for beautiful boxes, vessels or bowls to store things that will help to keep the shelves free of clutter and add some style.  These items are all great for filling in any empty spaces.  They come in a variety of colors and materials, so no matter what your style is, you can easily find something to suit your shelves.  These pieces are great for stacking or layering other items on top.  Smaller pieces are great for setting on top of a stack of books, while larger pieces can make a statement and simplify an area with a lot of smaller items.  Baskets are also great for bookshelves because they fill a lot of space empty.  They can also hold a lot of your personal items that would otherwise be seen and look cluttered if they were sitting out alone on the shelf.  They are also a great way to add texture to help break up the linear look of stacked books or rigid picture frames.

 

~Conclusion

So, if you aren’t happy with the look of your bookshelf at home, take everything down and start fresh.  It may be time to rotate some items out and introduce some new ones.  Then start with these important design tips I reviewed with you today and turn that boring bookshelf into a beautiful display that you and your guests can enjoy daily.

I look forward to seeing you all next time!  Thanks for watching!