How I Use Pinterest and Instagram to Find Design Inspiration

Inspiration is a crucial element in the creative process. However, finding inspiration can be challenging at times. Wouldn't it be nice if it could be summoned on command? Lately, I have been feeling particularly uninspired, struggling to come up with new ideas as my creativity has been in a bit of a lull. But, I wanted to share the two sources I always rely on when I feel fresh out of ideas – Pinterest and Instagram.

Our current renovation project is the mudroom (see mudroom plans), and I knew I wanted to go with a flooring that would complement the rest of the black and white flooring in our house, but I didn't know what. We have a white mosaic pattern with black accents in the powder bathroom, black mosaic with white accents in the upstairs bathroom, and black and white checkered in the laundry room, so I took to Pinterest for some ideas. But instead of searching "mudroom flooring," I searched "English hotel lobby" and landed on this beautiful moment.

Pin Source

Now, this might not be exactly what I'm going for, but the beauty of Pinterest is that once you click on a pin and scroll down, you're met with "More like this." You can go down a rabbit hole, getting closer and closer to what it is you're looking for, all while saving pins to a board, training the algorithm to show you more of what you want to see. Eventually, you will have curated a board of inspiration like this one I've created called "Mudroom."

Of course, you're likely not new to all that Pinterest has to offer, but are you taking advantage of the "Saved" folders on Instagram yet?

Whenever I stumble upon something that catches my eye on Instagram, I save it to a designated folder. This makes it incredibly easy to revisit these snippets of inspiration for later, plus it trains the algorithm to show me even more goodies just like that.

Sneak peek at what I've been saving lately ;).

You might also be surprised by the search function on Instagram. When I'm on the hunt for fresh ideas, I often start by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the app. This is known as the "explore page," where you might stumble upon things Instagram suggests. But if you want to get even more specific, you can type something into the search bar.

When I was searching for cabinetry ideas for the mudroom, I searched "mudroom cabinetry." Shocker, I know! But it helped me get some color and layout ideas.

Once you find the inspiration you like, you can save the post into specific folders by holding your finger down on the bookmark icon and selecting a collection to save to.

I hope this helps give a little insight into how I find inspiration for my home. I'm curious how you stay inspired when it comes to your home, so go ahead and spill in the comment section.