Any groups/forums for Interior Design ideas?

[DoormatBob]

We live in a lovely cottage but it does require redecorating. Neither DW or I are naturally designers so struggle to understand what works.

I read Country Living and Interiors but really looking for more general advice.

Are there any online groups for this kind of thing? I did look on Facebook but only found Public groups and I'm not posting on those as it will appear in all my F&F news feeds!

Don't have huge budget to work with so want to understand more of the fundamental ideas and design choices.

People post for advice on here.

What kind of redecoration does your cottage need (I mean, just cosmetic, or a full renovation?) and what are you struggling with?

Houzz

m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157035762687242&id=642012241&set=p.10157035762687242

House talk by housfolk is a private group.

Sign up to the colour chronicles newsletter by Emma Diaz. She has a cottage and there is so much inspiration on her website and Instagram page: https://www.byemmadiaz.com/

Houzz is good. I am on a couple of private Facebook groups:
The Great Indoors Podcast Group (linked to the podcast with Sophie Robinson and Kate Watson-Smyth)
Little Greene paint fan club (mostly paint and wallpaper posts but not just LG)
Both really good and everyone has such great taste in decor!

Houzz has a design dilemma section which is very active.

You can read or talk about the interiors here.

try Otto Studios - it's a vintage and antique home decor shop, great for rustic country cottage home stuff otto studios website

If you're looking for inspiration and expert advice on luxury home interior design, there are several great online communities to explore! Websites like Houzz, Pinterest, and Reddit’s r/InteriorDesign have active discussions where professionals and enthusiasts share ideas. You can also check out design blogs and social media groups for curated trends and styling tips. Whether you're revamping a single room or redesigning your entire home, these platforms offer endless creativity!

I had a similar challenge with our own cottage a while back, we wanted to refresh the rooms without going overboard on budget. One thing that helped was joining smaller design forums and browsing through curated collections of ideas rather than only relying on big public groups. It gave us a clearer sense of what colours, textures and layouts work in traditional homes without being overwhelming.

If you’re after inspiration that feels tailored rather than generic, I’d suggest exploring Molecule Designs. They share a range of interior concepts that balance practicality with style, which can be especially useful when you’re working within a budget. You can click here: https://www.moleculedesigns.co.uk/ to see some of their ideas, it might give you a starting point before making decisions about bigger changes.

Sometimes just seeing how others pair simple elements, such as neutral walls with rustic wood accents, can spark the confidence to try it in your own space.

Try Pinterest too. We recently decorated our house from top to bottom. If I were to do it again, I'd work out a palette of colours for the whole house. I think Little Greene offer a reasonable colour consultancy service, you can always choose another brand's paints matched if you prefer.

Anyone help i hate curtains and need help with colour scheme

Help i hate curtains
Need advice re cushions rug colour scheme

You might be best starting your own thread but I'd switch the curtains out for pencil pleat curtains. Curtains with eyelets look cheap (they are actually cheaper since they use less material)

Instagram and tik tok are good, there's loads of country style house renovations on there, also as a PP said Pinterest is good for ideas.

Go on Instagram and follow someone like Tradchap. He transformed a bland quite small house. Once you start following someone, other designers will pop up

Firstly you need to put the tv at an angle in the alcove… you’re spoiling a lovely window.

Also move the sofa from its shoehorned position to a more central position.

I think the curtains themselves are fine. Maybe get rid of the feature wall and it’ll appear less dark.

your rug is way too small. Rugs should sit under the front two legs of the sofa.

I'd also pull your sofa out so that the arm isn't up against the wall. It makes it look crammed in

@Joanyboney111 It would probably be best to start your own thread as you'd get more responses that way.

However, you need a much larger rug (as @user701 says, the front legs of your sofa should sit on it) and imo you need to introduce more pattern/colour to the space. This could be in the form of curtains, preferably pinch pleat or similar which are a more classy looking option than eyelets.

Also, cushions which need not cost an arm and a leg, but are a great way to bring interest in the form of colour/texture to a decorative scheme. Somewhere like Dunelm will have rugs, curtains and cushions etc in lots of lovely designs.

I'd definitely move the TV out of the bay window but am not a fan of TV units (or any furniture for that matter) on an angle, so I'd probably consider wall-mounting it in the recess, but on an angled bracket so it can be swung out as necessary. Possibly incorporated into built-in shelving with cupboard storage beneath.

Houzz is great, and also if you're looking for useful articles here is a good one with interior design ideas on a budget https://interior-design3d.com/low-budget-interior-design-ideas.php
Some Facebook interior design groups may help, but I quit Facebook years ago, so can't really recommend anything in particular, though I remember them being quite useful back in 2020.

If anyone here loves experimenting with interiors, try focusing on floors first — carpets, rugs, runners, etc. They change the whole vibe! I’m currently researching how colours and patterns influence calm vs. energetic spaces. Would love to see your favourite examples for inspiration!