It’s always fun to search for interior design inspiration. But when you’re social distancing during COVID-19, your sidekicks Captain Zoom and Surgical Masked-Man can suck the excitement out of the process. True, current sentiments aren’t exactly conducive to inspire your mood board. However, the lull period can be used to find new sources of inspiration, and gain clarity for your vision.
Here are 5 ways you can get inspired and prepare for your next interior design project (all without having to leave home!).
Flip Through Interior Design Books For Inspiration
If your 2020 resolution was to read more, this one’s for you. With all the extra time on your hands not socialising, why not pick up a couple of interior design related books. Spark ideas and learn some tricks of the trade you might never find off the internet. Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB) has a wide selection of interior design related ebooks to choose from. All you need is to be a library member to access the Overdrive subscription account for free.
We recommend the following titles:
Colours express a myraid of emotions. They also have the ability to change the atmosphere of any room. Despite the powerful effects it might have, many homeowners shy away from colour. White walls are safe but blase options.
Atwood’s book breaks down theories of colour. Hailing back to the basics, you’ll learn what colours resonates with you. Thereafter, confidently develop a base colour palette for your home. This is extremely useful when deciding paint colours and selecting decorative items. If you want to go a step further, pick up Atwood’s second book, Living with Pattern: Colour, Texture and Print at Home. The self-explanatory title is an excellent how-to for adding an extra layer of pizzaz to your home.
Since pictures speak a thousand words. Learn how homeowners around the world make small spaces effective and efficient for everyday use. Filled with glossy pictures and explanatory guides, the book is sure to spark idea at least an idea or two.
Thinking of maximising your limited space? This book is for you. Mitton and Nystuen give a run down of how essential design elements such as lighting and furniture inform spatial layout. It’s comprehensive yet easy to understand for beginners with no knowledge about renovation and interior design. A must read for all urban dwellers.
Watch Interior Design Shows
Our second tip is for the Netflix addicts among us. If you’re already whirling in a video content cesspool, why not crash land onto a relevant Netflix episode for interior design inspiration?
INTERIOR DESIGN MASTERS
If you like reality TV competition shows, check this one out. 10 interior designers of varying expertise and experience each contestant compete for a design contract. The ideas which transpire under the pressure of a ticking clock and of course, the life changing prize. What’s interesting for us is that expertise doesn’t matter. It’s the contestant’s ability to adapt and keen attention to fulfilling a client’s needs. Ultimately, isn’t that what it’s all about?
GRAND DESIGNS
An oldie but a goodie. Hosted by Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs is the very reason why I work in the industry. I love watching the entire process of building a home, tangled with the very real complexities of finances, meeting timelines and other screwball events of life. At the end of the show, you’ll come to realise that the stresses of renovations are almost unavoidable. These stresses make the end result so much more worthwhile. Episodes are available on Netflix and even YouTube.
THE WORLD'S MOST EXTRAORDINARY HOMES
This series is a cinematographic step up from Grand Designs. Take a tour of beautiful houses, lavished with exquisite furnishings in the most mind blowing architectural spaces across the globe. When oohing and ahing over the visual masterpieces, don’t forget to take notes on adaptability and innovation. Afterall, the appeal of the show is in how the architects and designers make the building inhabitable despite the challenging environments they are situated in. The World’s Most Extraordinary Home is available on Netflix or on BBC Two.
Tour the World
The world wide web. All travel plans are as good as scrunched into a ball, and thrown out the window for the long foreseeable future at this point. So why not see the world’s greatest art and be inspired from home? We recommend using Google’s Art and Culture platform.
Social distancing and travel bans doesn’t have to stop you from getting inspired by exotic builidngs and artworks from around the world. From the very comforts of your couch, explore the architecture of Paris’ Musée d’Orsay or see lumpy paint swirls on a van Gogh up close and personal. Download the app or check out the website for new sources of inspiration.
Play Interior Design Related Games
Next up, video games. And not any game, we’re talking Sims. If you’re too young, too old, or just not a gamer to be in the know, Sims is an interactive video game where you create simulated persons i.e. Sims. To progress in the game, you’ll need to look after their needs. This includes building and designing a home and town for them (see that tenuous link to interior design?). For the much missed social interaction, play with friends to advance in the game. BONUS: Sims Freeplay is free for download on any device.
Another well-reviewed game is Word Villas. Rated a solid 4/5 on Google Play, it’s been downloaded just over a whooping 44 000 times. It’s part word puzzle, part interior design game and part adventure story. To renovate an old home, you’ll need to solve world puzzles to make any progress. Combined with a tantalising game story line, it makes for an addictive game to take your mind off cabin fever boredom.
Granted, this tip is not interior design at its finest but it’ll give you fun and a semblance of social interaction.
Learn Interior Design Skills
However, if you’re looking for something much more substantial, try learning interior design like a professional.
We recommend the following courses:
- Residential Design and Visualisation (accessible through NLB’s subscription to Lynda)
- Principles of Design by MIT’s Open Courseware
Book An Online Interior Design Consultation
Finally, talk to us! If you’ve been fully inspired and are now ready to create your dream home, schedule an online consultation with us. We’re available to chat about your design ideas virtually via teleconference. Even though we’re physically apart, our level of professionalism remains the same. Social distancing doesn’t have to put your renovation plans on hold. Get in touch to share with us your interior design inspiration today!
