What Inspires You?

Last year my husband and I went to Italy for the first time. As it is with most vacations the best souvenir are the photographs you take; and every time I look back at my photographs it transports me in part to the general feeling I had at that time. However, with Italy, it was the one place I've visited that create a longing to go back. Maybe it's Italy, or maybe it's me, but I am eager to return.

So, in the painting below we have Henry Holiday's depiction of Dante Alighieri meeting his Beatrice near the Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence, Italy. Beatrice was Dante's inspiration for his writing La Nuova Vita and La Commedia Divina. In the painting Holiday nods to the fact of her influence by putting Beatrice in the center of two other women, we will call them the three graces (muses, or sirens, depending on their purpose), whose purpose was to inspire someone (usually male) by the quality they represented (usually related to the arts).

(Dante and Beatrice, Henry Holiday 1839-1927)

The truth is, we can take inspiration anywhere: beauty can be found anywhere. So for your challenge: find a moment, place, an item, something in nature to inspire you. Contemplate why it inspires you and see where it leads when you think about incorporating it into a design for your home or office. It can be as simple as replacing pillow on a bed or sofa, or changing the paint colors of a room.

Here are a few photos that are inspired in someway by my trip to Italy:

Patterned tiles! The variations of patterned tiles in Italy are numerous yet consistent in the look and the feel, and are totally Italy! Like the tiles, the printed papers and wall murals fit right in this category. I spent most of my time in Florence looking for the perfect printed paper to bring home to my friend in Denver. And just like what is shown in this picture tiles are a great way to influence the design of your home. There are many quality tile manufacturers replicating tiles inspired by historical Italian designs. Visit your local tile professionals to explore what's out there for purchase.

If you want to think beyond tile but like these patterns, think about finding wallpaper, or hire a muralist for wall, or furniture redo.There are many ways to pull out color and design elements from the inspiration of a single tile. You could even design a floral garden with this pattern, motif and colors.

Photo credit: www.onekingslane.com

Next, this piece reminds me of the modern lines on the new Italian design, especially found in the glass work of Murano, Italy. I love the white, with the warm glow of light emanating from the center. This would work really well in a modern styled home.

Italian Designer Mamati. Image found on www.digsdigs.com.

This photo was taken on our trip to Firenze (Florence), Italy at a restaurant called Gilli. This is their candy display. What I love about it is the sheer joy of color. The way the colors complement each other and though together can be overwhelming, in small form remind me how easy it is to add bright pops of color in any room I am designing. Let people find small bits of joy in your home. You can interpret this literally by placing a glass jar full of bright little hard candies like these, or just by using the idea of these colors in your pillow fabrics, etc.

Photo credit: S.McNutt

This photo reminds me of Venice, Italy. I loved the color of the water against the buildings, which were often a great contrast of rust warm oranges. Just as this photo shows below, one way you can find inspiration is choosing a color palate for your home that invokes the colors you are drawn to and that remind you of your travels. Colors are a great way to invoke emotional responses. Later, on another post, I will cover how to follow color theory for specific rooms in your home and the emotional response those colors invoke. 

Photo credit: Mylittleloves.com

I hope this post inspires you to be inspired. I hope you are challenged to create home wherever you find yourself. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to seeing what you create. 

S. McNutt