How to Find Ideas for Your Apartment Decor
Living Pretty Ep25: Apartment Styling - Where to Find Ideas for Your Decor
So you want to level up your apartment styling, but you’re wondering where to find ideas for your decor. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the huge ocean that is Pinterest, and you’re just not sure how to find decor inspiration in a way that doesn’t paralyze you.
In this video, I’m walking you through how to find apartment decorating inspiration in 4 ways that aren’t Pinterest. You’ll see that you can find easy home decorating ideas that may get you thinking about your interior styling in different ways!
So if you’re wondering where to find decor ideas, need some studio apartment inspiration, or you’re wondering how to decorate a small apartment of any configuration, I’m here to share some tips!
Watch the video now!
↓ Wanna read the episode? ↓
I’ve made some slight edits in the transcript below so that everything makes more sense in text form. But overall, this is almost a word-for-word dictation of what I say in the video. I’m a much better writer than this, I swear, haha.
So you want to style your apartment and make it inspiring, pretty, and a true reflection of your personality. But how do you even find ideas for what to actually do with your decor?
You may have a vague idea of what you want your space to look like, but right now it’s like this weird, mysterious, amorphous cloud of Pinterest pins in your head and you’re not really sure what you want specifically.
So in this video, I’m going to walk you through a few simple actions you can take to find ideas for your decor, get some clarity on your style, and create a space that actually feels like you.
And if you’re new here, I’m Steffi, and I’m the creator of the style blog Moda Misfit, and you’re watching Living Pretty, the place for apartment styling tips and small space decor inspiration. So if you want regular doses of that, then be sure to subscribe to this channel!
So, it can be really hard to know what’s worth your time and energy when it comes to seeking out decor ideas that will actually help you as you shop and plan your space.
And now that shopping in person is off the table for the most part because of Covid-19, that eliminates the experience of getting decor ideas simply from seeing things in person.
So what can you do to get inspired and figure out what you want when you’re stuck inside?
Well, I’ll tell you what I’d do if I were just starting to decorate my apartment. And if you have any methods on how you get ideas for your decor, tell them to me by commenting below!
So, here are some ways to get ideas for decorating your apartment…
1. Facebook Groups
So, I realize Facebook is kind of a sad and dark place these days, especially given what’s going on in the world right now, but did you know there are actually pockets of Facebook that are quite lovely and inspirational?
Yes, I’m talking about Facebook groups. Certain Facebook groups.
A decor-focused Facebook group can be an awesome place to get ideas, because unlike a lot of decor blogs and magazines, Facebook groups are filled with real people who are sharing real ideas, photos, and experiences. And they want to interact.
So, in one of these Facebook groups, you’re not just getting ideas - you’re getting a sense of community and support. Ask a question in a decor-focused Facebook group and you’ll get a bunch of people who are eager to give you ideas, feedback, and encouragement.
I host the Living Pretty Facebook group, and that’s exactly how it is. It’s filled with the sweetest, most supportive people who post photos of what they’re doing with their spaces and lift each other up every day. And we just geek out about interior decor together, it’s awesome.
It’s really a just lovely corner of the internet, and it’s great for anyone who wants to get interior decor inspiration - especially small space dwellers.
If you want to join the Living Pretty Facebook group, click here! And once you’re in, feel free to introduce yourself and post a photo of your space, or ask any questions you might have about interior styling!
2. Old School Scrapbooking
Another thing you can try to get ideas for your decor and get your creative juices flowing is a bit on the old school side, but can be very effective.
And that’s to create a good, old-fashioned vision board using magazine clippings.
I’m all for using Pinterest to find inspiration, but if you’re getting overwhelmed and overstimulated by the mess of pins in your brain, then you might want to scale it back a little bit.
And at the end of the day it ends up being a fun art project, and who doesn’t love that?
Now, you may be thinking “but Steffi, why would I use magazine clippings when I can make a Pinterest board? Pinterest has waaaay more options than a magazine.”
Yes, you’re right, Pinterest is way bigger than a magazine. But that’s the problem. Now, I’m not saying to totally abandon Pinterest. Quite the opposite, actually - Pinterest is probably the best tool for finding decor ideas.
But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of Pinterest, it might be a nice exercise for you to draw some decor ideas from a smaller source.
So, next time you’re at a grocery store, grab a few magazines. They don’t even have to be decor magazines - just anything that you find visually appealing. Grab a glue stick and something to stick your images onto. I prefer using a journal, but you can go all out and use a poster board if you want.
And just start cutting out the images that speak to you. Embrace the fact that you have a limited amount of images to choose from. There can be beauty in limitation.
You may discover something about your own taste that you might never have discovered with the endless sea of Pins at your disposal.
3. Start with Art
Now, my next tip for finding ideas for your decor is to start with art.
In a practical sense, I’m talking about simply using wall art as a jumping off point that informs the rest of your interior styling.
Go to a site like Society6, browse around, and see what tickles your fancy.
You’ll get a ton of insight into your personal style through the art you gravitate towards, and the act of selecting one inspiring piece of art can start a domino effect of ideas for the rest of your space.
So, I recommend gathering a bunch of your favorite pieces of wall art into a moodboard (I gave a tutorial on how to create a moodboard in Canva in this video - I’ll link to it in the description) or even just save them to a Word doc - whatever is easiest for you.
And once you have a bunch of your favorite pieces of wall art saved in one place, look back and study what you’ve gathered. What do they have in common? Are there any colors, patterns, or subject matter you see repeated among them? Noticing those throughlines is a great way to gain some clarity on what your overall style is.
Also, when I say “start with art” I’m not even just talking about wall art. I’m talking about whatever form of art inspires you.
What music do you listen to? If your favorite album were a decor style, what do you think that would look like?
The styling in my apartment is definitely a manifestation of the kind of music I listen to. Not just because some of my favorite musicians are literally on my walls, but the whole mood of my space is reflective of the dark alternative music I tend to gravitate toward.
So ask yourself, “what are my artistic interests? What art do I love to take in?” And think about how you can interpret that in your space.
4. Hash It Out with Hashtags
My next recommendation for finding ideas for your decor is to hash it out with hashtags on Instagram.
This tip is for you if you prefer something a bit more practical and straightforward than the artsy-fartsy tip I just gave.
Searching through hashtags on Instagram is kind of like a mini-Pinterest experience, where you can save down the images that inspire you, but it feels just a little more personal.
There are some incredible interior decor-focused Instagram accounts out there. And for the most part, they’re not professional designers - they’re regular people who are doing beautiful things with their homes. And posting about it.
Spending time on an inspiring decor-focused Instagram account can get you to realize just how attainable a stunning space can be. Because if they can do it, so can you.
So how do you find inspiring decor Instagram accounts? Hashtags.
If you live in a studio apartment, for example, and you want ideas on how to style your studio, search #studioapartment.
And as you find images that click with you and your style, you can save them down and come back to them later, just like you can on Pinterest.
The danger here though is, like with Pinterest, this can lead to feeling overwhelmed with ideas and falling victim to shiny object syndrome, so my advice with this is to be very mindful of the photos that you’re saving.
Try not to treat it like a free-for-all where you just save every image you like. Approach each Instagram image with a very critical eye and ask yourself “is there something here that I’m genuinely connecting with or do I think this is just pretty?”
What you should end up with is a highly curated pool of Instagram images that actually serve you and inspire you as you’re styling your space.
So there you have it! Those are just some ways to find ideas, get your creative juices flowing, when you’re starting to style your apartment.
Tell me, what’s your biggest roadblock that you face when it comes to finding ideas? Comment below and tell me!
And if you want daily glimpses into my studio apartment life, follow me on Instagram @moda.misfit.
And if you want regular doses of apartment styling tips and small space decor inspiration, then subscribe to this channel and hit the bell to be notified when a new episode goes up every week.