One of my newest favorite DIY shows is HGTV’s “Sarah’s House“, where host and designer Sarah Richardson renovates and redesigns a newly bought home, one room at a time, with effortless panache. I instantly found useful the process she utilizes when approaching each room’s design plan she calls, a “jumping off point”. In other words, she uses that “something special” item to inspire and begin the overall look of each room. Here are some of her “jumping off points” I found intriguing, thinking they might be inspirational to you as well:
Fabrics: a fantastic way to create that “jumping of point”, especially with color scheme, is to find a fabric pattern(s) that stimulates your interest and creativity. Using like colors in other areas of your new room (i.e. furniture, drapes, wall color, accessories, artwork) will tie in key elements and create a cohesiveness that is subtle and stylish.
Bedding/Quilts: because a bedroom’s main focus is usually the bed, bedding and quilts are often a great way to inspire the rest of the room’s design direction.
Indigenous Surroundings: flowers, trees, animals, lakes/ocean, etc. are sometimes the most overlooked when thinking about what to do with a new space. Interestingly enough, nature can be the most wonderful palette from which to choose color in fabrics, walls, and accessories, and wood types and grains.
Paintings: from Picasso to your child’s 1st grade finger painting project, the colors and content are great to build a room around with ease.
Furniture Pieces: whether new, used, antique, or a family heirloom, furniture pieces like the ones below demand great presence in a room as well as style that complements its lines, era, and feel.
Architectural Elements: the period and style of a home can create great inspiration to restore, keep within the era, or go completely sideways. Mainly, unless you want to take your house down to the studs, your house’s “bones” is what it is and should be considered and even used to incentivize your creative juices.
Miscellaneous Items: chandeliers, toys, statuettes, tchotchkes, etc. can pop that idea into your head you never thought existed. I guess the thing I have most learned in the very short time watching Sarah, is that a “jumping off point” can start with just about anything…anything that sparks your interest, creativity, and/or motivation in order for you to create the room that is meaningful and enjoyable to you.
All photos courtesy of Sarah Richardson House on Facebook.
