Using Pictures of Decorated Living Rooms to Inspire Your Design Project

Use pictures of decorated living rooms as inspiration for your own decorating project. This is a fail safe way (for those who don’t want to hire an interior designer) to get the look you dream about without first experimenting in your own home. It is often hard to visualize a certain style without first seeing a picture. You may even think you love a certain type of decor until you actually see it used in a space. Using photos of already designed rooms will also enable you to make small changes based on your personal taste. You will usually able to find many comparable items from the room at reasonable prices.

Find an Inspiration Room

The first step is to start getting inspiration from books and magazines. Spend a few hours looking to make sure you find something you really like. Cut out pictures and keep in a binder or box and make sure to note if the magazine offers a “where to buy” section. You may want to buy some items exactly as you see them and find alternative items for other pieces of the decor.

Do the Big Things First

Take care of the big things first. Paint the room and buy the furniture, area rugs or other main focal points. The accessories are easier to find and fill in when you have the proper canvas to work with. Are you on a budget? Don’t forget about flea markets, thrift stores, estate sales, ebay, craigslist and garage sales. Find the furniture in the silhouette that you want. You can re-upholster, re-paint, sand and otherwise fix up old furniture to look like new furniture as long as you have the silhouette/shape that matches the pictu re in your decorated living room.

Here’s another thing to pay attention to: you don’t have to match your picture exactly, you just have to match the parts about it that you like. For instance, look at your living room picture and imagine a slightly different shade of paint: would you still love the room? If so, you have some wiggle room. If not, make sure you have the paint exactly and try the same thing with the couch. Could you get away with suede instead of leather? Brown instead of black? Explore your options up front so when you are shopping, you know where you can bend and where you need an exact replica.

Accessorize Your Space

If you can’t find perfect replicas, just find fabric and sew (or get someone to sew) pillows. If you can’t find the perfect lamp, embellish a lampshade to put on the perfect lamp post. You can even create your own art if you can’t find something perfect. The possibilities are endless. There are countless resources online for DIY home decor. Google exactly what you are looking for and you are bound to find something relevant. Using pictures of decorated living rooms to inspire you is one of the best ways to hone your style, your creative shopping skills and your DIY talent.