The Unconventional Way To Find Design Inspiration For A Room Renovation

One of the biggest challenges for DIY interior designers is creating a cohesive look to tie a room together. When the majority of your design inspiration comes from the algorithm on TikTok or Instagram, you can end up with a room that looks like a hodgepodge of the latest trends, without an overarching theme that's the hallmark of a professional designer. One way you can overcome this problem is by creating a character to function as the driving force behind your perfect design style. This type of fictionalized character is known as a persona and is a common concept used in marketing. It's easy to get distracted by the next hot product or celebrity designer's DIY. However, no matter how amazing it looks, if it doesn't fit into your room's overall aesthetic, it can make your design scheme look awkward and amateurish. 

If you have a design persona, it's easy to avoid these types of mistakes. After all, Holly, the sophisticated, well-read, globe-trotting art buyer, wouldn't be caught dead painting her kitchen with a knockoff Olive Garden faux exposed brick treatment. A fully fleshed out character lets you immediately recognize when you're getting sucked into an influencer's design rather than staying true to your own. Think of your design character as a good angel sitting on your shoulder to warn you about falling for a trendy architectural feature that will soon make your home look dated.  

Marketers and business leaders create personas for their brands to ensure they're correctly targeting their audience. You'll be doing the same thing, but you won't need all of the technical data and research. Instead, you can focus on the creative and fun aspects. Start by giving your persona a name and back story. The better you understand your character's personality, the more useful it will be to you. Is your persona male, female, or nonbinary? How old are they? Where did they grow up? What do they do for a living? Once you have the basics down, think about what's important to them, such as their goals in life or how they spend their free time. What motivates them? What's their style? Do they dress up or down? What's their idea of the perfect day? What type of stores do they shop at? Are they more likely to DIY a project or hire a professional?

Also, think about their day-to-day life. If they have pets, did they bring home a stray mutt that was hanging around the supermarket dumpster or special order a purebred show dog? This should be fun, not a chore. Call up your inner artist and dive deep into the details. Draw a picture or create a collage that helps you visualize your persona. Create a digital or physical mood board. Once you have a thorough understanding of your character, you can start filtering your design choices through them. Would they flip for the new color capping paint trend or go overboard with a flamboyant wallpaper? By considering whether your character would approve of a decorating decision, you can avoid wasting time and money on cringy decor mistakes.