I was looking through some of the beautiful rooms that our fans have shared with us on Share Space when I came across Kels21’s beautiful gray and white living room. It looked awfully familiar to me, and then it hit me; I’d seen this somewhere before.

Then I remembered. Does this photo look familiar? It’s our November flyer for our sofa event!

We love when our readers and customers find inspiration in our room sets and our photo styling. As in the cover of our ad, the relaxing combination of white, gray and black is softened by the use of plenty of plush pillows, interesting accessories and unique details, like the tranquil Buddha sitting between the two cushy upholstered chairs. Kels21 used many of the elements of the living room shown in the photo, but made it her own by using accessories and photos that are meaniful to her.

That’s exactly what we aspire to provide with our room settings in IKEA stores. We show floor plans and color ideas and hope to get our customers' creative juices flowing so that they can create their own unique styles.

Creativity can come from a number of sources. For example, when we recently interviewed “Designer Dad” Stephen St. Onge, he talked about how he asks his clients to name a movie or a film which appeals to their visual sense. (You can read the full interview here) In this way, he can start to pinpoint their individual taste.

Here are a few things that help me find inspiration and jump start my own creativity:

• Paintings and art galleries
• Shelter magazines
• Pinterest
• Fabric
• Color combinations found in flowers, fruits and vegetables
• Old graphic prints
• Other people’s homes
• Theater sets
• Clothing combinations
• Antique shops and flea markets
• Product packaging
• Patterns found in buildings and industry
• Organic patterns

There is so much that is visually interesting and beautiful which can inspire ideas for a home that is unique and personal.

Where do YOU find inspiration?

-Janice