Finding Inspiration for AJD

Well hello! It feels like its been a long time since I have taken to my blog to share. Trust me the past few months have been a flurry of exciting projects, back to school (new school) madness, and just overall busy…that I know we all face!

My life’s crazy may be a winner this month though, see on the first day of school I ran over my laptop bag (pause… moment of silence for my laptop) and with it went all my projects to date, along with the work I was knee deep in. The Moral of the story is, always back everything up and watch out when backing up (shaking my head in my husbands direction, though I won’t tell you who put the laptop bag behind my car and kissed me goodbye while closing my car door) .

I want to share something that is becoming a big part of my interior design journey, it is finding inspiration. I’ve started to embrace the fact that I find design inspiration mostly when I’m not looking. There is so much noise in design now a days, with several outlets for the Do It Yourself masses, I sometimes feel like my creativity is zapped as I am constantly met with what is “in” right now.

I never want to be a part of the current “in” thing, not that those things aren’t nice but…I want to create that next thing. So with that, I try to tune out from all things Instagram, HGTV (Though I love to watch when I can’t sleep in the middle of the night) and other Social Media…especially pinning my free time away. I have learned by tuning out, I can tune in to my voice and particular style to find design inspiration everywhere I go.

If you know me as a designer, you know I can be a bit of a bargain shopper. I will find the look my client wants at the absolute best price! Here in South Florida one place that is a common stomping ground amongst designers is the DCOTA (Design Center Of The Americas) though I enjoy spending the day running around the buildings there I must confess that I love a good trip to Home Goods and boutique Children’s stores like Flora Ottimer! I love the challenge of completely creating a space, with that one perfect thing that can make an entire room take on a life of its own. I find those one off’s mostly at the small shops. The misfits become the perfect fit and I always find them when I’m shopping for random life needs like socks for my 6 year old.

Sidebar: obviously laundry machines eating socks is a real thing, it is the only explanation as to why my daughter’s socks seem to disappear weekly if not daily.

I digress, the point however is that the most unique Items can be found anywhere! Don’t get me wrong, I still find awesome focal points online, and children’s stores, some of my favs are Pottery Barn Kids, Land of Nod and Buy Buy Baby. I just love the hunt of finding unique bargains at stores like Kids and Kribs (consignment shop), TJ maxx, Home Goods, Hobby Lobby and Marshall’s. I am even happier when I find myself randomly creating design stories/making my own staging areas in the isles of the store when I’m off the clock and left the house for a gallon of milk.

Happy Shopping

-J