Finding inspiration for your home decor can be a complex process. In this post, the Fig Linens and Home team lists seven foolproof sources of interior design inspiration.
First, we will go over curating a room based on functionality. Next, we will go over how to take inspiration from travels, the seasons, fashion, the latest trends, based on the latest in bedding, and from designers and tastemakers, you love.
Let's dive right in!
Seven Foolproof Sources of Interior Design Inspiration
Design Inspiration Idea #1: Creating a highly functional bedroom
Before you consider any aesthetic inspiration, the number one thing to consider is the function of your space. Sure, wall-to-wall mirrors with a bright neon carpet could be a fun bedroom design, but it might also distract from the sleep that's supposed to take place in the room.
To focus on function and create a relaxing space for sleep, read our blog post on the 7 Ways to Make Your Bedroom Feel More Relaxing. You will want to focus on choosing relaxing colors, soft and luxurious sheets, and accessories like plants and candles to give a positive scent to the bedroom.
Design Inspiration #2: Home Decor Influenced by Your Travels
Looking to countries that you love to visit is a major source of interior design inspiration. Different cities and cultures around the world are known for varied design styles that can be seamlessly incorporated into your home.
For instance, Fig Linens and Home's regional guides for design inspiration offer home decor styles inspired by some of our favorite travel destinations. Check them out below:
- Spring 2023 Home Decor Inspired by Portuguese Design
- How to Create Chic and Modern Parisian Interior Design
To design your home as inspired by your travels, the first step is to decide where you want to source your home decor inspiration. This is not to say that you cannot source ideas from multiple locations, but you want to choose carefully in order to create an intentionally eclectic design rather than a disjointed space.
After deciding on your inspiration, the next step is to buy furniture, linens, and accessories sourced from this area. For example, many of our clients that like French-inspired design shop brands like Alexandre Turpault: Luxury French Linens and Yves Delorme Paris Linens.
Read our interview with Kelcy Jenkins of Passport by Design on How to Create Interior Design Inspired by Your Travels for comprehensive advice on how to tap into your globally sourced interior inspiration.
Design Inspiration #3: Change Your Decor Based on the Seasons
The seasons can act as a great inspiration for interior design, insofar as you will want to change your design seasonally. For instance, darker, rich fabrics and colors like velvet and jewel tones are beautiful for fall, but they may feel a bit stuffy in the warmer months.
There is also a functional aspect to these seasonal changes. Especially when it comes to replacing your summer linens with winter linens, seasonality can play a huge role in your comfort. If you keep light, gauzy cotton covers on your bed in the winter, you will be uncomfortably cold, while a winter-weight down duvet in the summer will be much too hot.
To keep your home current with the seasons, the Fig Linens and Home team recommends starting with a neutral base and trading out soft furnishings like decorative pillows, throw blankets, and curtains with the seasons to keep the space fresh.
The following guides offer advice on styling different rooms in your home based on the time of year. Read on for infinite seasonal inspiration!
Guides for Updating Your Home for Spring and Summer:
Design Inspiration #4: Home Decor Inspired by Fashion and Cultural Events
We have spoken extensively on the blog about the relationship between fashion and interior design. To draw inspiration for your home decor from the world of fashion, it is important to pay attention to the latest in cultural events.
You can look directly at top fashion designers and their work on the runway through events like Fashion Week and the Met Gala. These runways and red carpets feature the latest designs from heritage houses like Chanel, Valentino, Gucci, Balenciaga, and Miu Miu, which often appear in mainstream interior design a few seasons later.
Why not get ahead of the curve by looking to these events for inspiration now. The following guides make bedding recommendations based on this year's newest runway looks:
- Decor and Bedding Trends Inspired by Fashion Week 2023
- 2023 Bedroom Style Edit: Upcoming Bedding Trends as Predicted by NYFW 2022
- 5 Interior Design Looks Inspired by the 2023 Met Gala
Aside from looking directly at the runway, you can also look at cultural events that are inspiring trends. The latest iteration is the "Barbie-core" trend, spawned by the upcoming Barbie film featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. The trend has inspired a variety of incredibly fun, hot pink interiors.
Another great example is Harry Styles' residency at Madison Square Garden, which inspired a variety of over-the-top, glittery, and striped interior styles that we wrote about in the article Harry's House: Decorate a Home Inspired by Harry Styles' Residency at Madison Square Garden.
Design Inspiration #5: Read About the Latest Trends in Interior Design
Reading publications that focus on home decor like Homes & Gardens, Elle Home, House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, Vogue, and Architectural Digest is a great way to learn about the latest and greatest in-home trends. From season to season, new ideas about what's cool emerge in interior design. With the accelerated trend cycle, this turnover is predicted to happen even faster going forward. Paying attention to home design trends is a great way to get new and novel ideas for decorating your home.
At the same time, the trend cycle can be fickle and lead you to invest in pieces that you won't like a year from now. To counteract this tendency, use trend predictions as inspiration, rather than looking to them as gospel. Choose the aspects of a trend you'll want to see in your home for years to come rather than emulating an entire room you've seen on TikTok.
For instance, if you love the trending Coastal Grandmother Aesthetic, try starting with a few chic, linen pieces to give your home a coastal feel without overcommitting to the look.
Checkout our guides to some of the hottest home decor trends of 2023 here:
Home Inspiration #6: Browse the Latest Styles from Designers You Love
Each season, the Fig Linens and Home blog releases articles on the latest developments from our designers and covers our bestsellers. Reading these pieces is a great starting point for understanding the inspiration behind designs you love and deciding if the new collections are right for your home.
Checkout out our collection guides below:
- Colorful Pillows: The Designers Guild x John Derian Collection
- John Robshaw Bedding and Pillows for Fall and Winter 2022
- Designers Guild Spring/Summer 2023
- New Arrivals: Cashmere Throw Blankets by SAVED New York
- Spotlight on Kevin O'Brien Studio Fall 2021 New Arrivals
- New John Robshaw Decorative Accent Pillows
- New Arrivals: Spring in Full Bloom with Sferra
- New Arrivals: Yves Delorme Spring 2021
- Fall Favorites: New Arrivals in Bedding
- John Robshaw Spring 2020 Collection
Home Inspiration #7: Take Advice from Your Favorite Designers and Tastemakers
Emulating the styles of designers, influencers, and tastemakers that you love is a great way to bring flair to your interior design. Following your favorite interior designers on Instagram is a great place for initial inspiration.
We frequently consult with Westport tastemakers to learn about what they love. For instance in our article Shop Small with Samantha Yanks of the Connecticut Edit, we spoke to Westport Magazine Editor-in-Chief Samantha Yanks about her favorite small businesses in Westport and her design style. Articles like this highlight the importance of local businesses and showcase the prettiest styles around town. Looking to local tastemakers like Happily Eva After and Lemon Stripes can help you find inspiration and create the home decor you will love.
This inspiration can also come from learning the techniques and inspirations of popular designers. For instance, John Robshaw takes his design inspiration from his travels in India and South East Asia. Watch the video below from Architectural Digest to learn more about his process and hopefully be inspired to makeover your own home!
What is your favorite way to find design inspiration? Do you consider function, the seasons, travels, fashion, interior trends, new collections or influencers and designers the most heavily? Do you look at a combination, or a source we didn't mention?
Let us know about your favorite sources of inspiration in the comments below, we'd love to hear your opinions!
Sophie Edwards
Sophie is the head content writer at Fig Linens and Home. She is a bedding, linens, and luxury homeware expert with an interest is the intersection of interior design with fashion, travel and culture. She has a BA in creative writing and sociology from Sarah Lawrence and an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography.