Need Inspiration for your Interior Design Project? Siba’s Interior Design Department Chair Shares Her Favorite Resources:
Deciding that your space isn’t meeting your aesthetic expectations and/or functioning the way it should is the first step, but where are the best places to get ideas for the redo? Siba Interior Design Department Chair, Janelle Schrumpf, shares the sources she uses to find inspiration for her clients and students in the St. Louis Metro area.
Interior Design Magazines
Both online and old-fashioned print versions of design and décor magazines top Schrumpf’s list of inspirational resources. Some of her favorites include local publications like St. Louis Homes Magazine. The magazine’s publisher and owner, Suzie Osterloh, has also been a great contact for Interior Design students in St. Louis looking to network and learn more about their new profession. Because they are published regularly, magazines are a great source of the most current and emerging trends in technology, color palettes, materials, finishes, floorplans, furnishings, organizational systems, etc. Schrumpf also recommends checking out Architectural Digest, Interior Design Magazine, The Business of Homes, Environments for Aging, Veranda, Elle Décor, and House Beautiful for examples of stunning homes, expert advice, and beautiful photography.
Museum Exhibits
It might be unexpected, but local museums and tourist attractions can be a great source of inspiration. Schrumpf points to the Global Threads—The Art & Fashion of Indian Chintz Exhibit and Art in Bloom event at the St. Louis Art Museum as two recent examples. Schrumpf also takes her students on field trips to the Frank Lloyd Wright museum in Ebsworth Park in Kirkwood, and to the Campbell House in downtown St. Louis for historic examples of design that still resonate today. We love a field trip at Siba!
Social Media & Blogs
Social media sites like Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube offer an almost infinite supply of images and videos related to interior design. With search functions that make finding categories of interest (both broad and very specific) easily accessible, Siba students frequently get their inspirations for mood boards and new projects by using these platforms to jumpstart their creativity.
Additionally, home décor Blogs offer both insightful articles and personalized experiences in design. Our Interior Design department loves sites like Apartment Therapy and Cassandra Lavalle.
Brick & Mortar Shops and Stores
Schrumpf recommends that her clients visit retail stores and showrooms in their community to fine-tune their personal style and get an idea for the look and feel of the results they are seeking in a newly designed (or redesigned) room/space. Stores like West Elm, Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn, home décor specialty shops like Cool Stuff and Urban Matter, resale and consignment shops like Green Goose, or even big box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot can be a source of inspiration.
During their studies, Siba students frequently go on field trips to showrooms like KDR in St. Louis, which offers both retail services to the public and wholesale services to professional designers.
Online/Web-Based Home Furnishing Retailers
For clients who like to look for ideas on the web, Schrumpf recommends online home furnishing and décor retailers such as Houzz and Wayfair. These sites offer thousands of products in a wide range of prices, which can be very useful when trying to make smart design choices that fit the budget.
Nature and Outdoor Spaces
With recent trends borrowing inspiration from nature and green spaces, another place to find your design muse is outside. Schrumpf suggests taking a walk through your favorite park, a nature reserve like the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area or St. Louis treasure, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and consider the colors and textures you’re drawn to for a color schemes and/or material choices.
Professional Resources
Schrumpf will tell you that the best part about being an interior designer (or a student of interior design) is the access she has to great professional resources. Her favorite spot to see and learn about the latest developments and trends in design is a visit to the annual tradeshow NeoCon in Chicago. Siba students also have the opportunity of accompanying Schrumpf every June to this one-of-a-kind design-centric event, which continues to be a favorite experience of many students in the interior design program.
Students and staff in the Interior Design program also stay active in the St. Louis Chapter as well as the Siba student chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). ASID offers opportunities for collaboration and idea-sharing between professional designers and students, opportunities for students to network with potential employers, and another source of information to learn about new trends to inspire their designs.
Wherever you are in your design journey, hopefully this list gave you some helpful places to find the look you’ve been searching for. And if you want that access to professional trends, perhaps the next step on your path is a degree in Interior Design. You can learn more about our program and all the resources it offers at siba.edu.
