Where do you get ideas for making home look nice?

[Honey1975]

We've just moved and although I love the house it doesn't feel like our home yet, I guess it takes a bit of time.

Neither me or DH are very creative and we are rubbish when it comes to colours and home decor. The lady who lives here before had it furnished so nicely in ways I would never think of but of course it was very personal to her.

I've looked online and at pinterest but find the number of ideas overwhelming and don't know where to start.

What do other people do who don't find this stuff comes naturally to them? We have a trip to ikea planned but I don't really know what I'm looking for!

A lot of what we do is in keeping with the house - we live in an Edwardian arts and crafts house with lots of original features so we are lead by that and try to do things which are in keeping. Then you have to weigh up what makes the place liveable and factor in what you like. My sister bought me a subscription to House Beautiful magazine when we moved - useful because you can see what others have done, what is out there and fashionable and you get ideas.

Go to different shops, look online.
Don't have too many matching items
De-clutter but no overly unless you're going for minimalism
Have things that reflect your personality
Google images for different styles I like modern glam for eg
I like Pinterest plus all the other interior design sites
Look at lighting, how art is displayed, what accessories, soft furnishings you are drawn to etc.
Get tester pots for paint and try things out of your comfort zone

Follow different interior design blogs online. Instagram etc.
Find a 'theme' - scandi, minimalist, cottage, traditional, rustic.

Then pick colours you like and then search accordingly.
Scandi grey...
Cottage blue...

When you find styles then shop around. Ikea is always versatile, made, wayfair, next all have really amazing home ranges.

orfuckitandjustbuymismatchedstuffyoulikelikewedid

I go running at dusk on the posh roads near me so I can nose in people's windows for ideas when they've got the lights on but haven't shut the curtains yet.

But on a more socially acceptable note, buy a few interiors magazines but go for the ones that feature 'real' reader's homes. They're always a bit easier to copy than the style type features as they haven't been put together in a studio or shoot location that isn't a real room. I always end up wondering where the hell they put the telly (and why there is always a perfect pyramid of limes on the table!)

Reader homes tend to be more realistic and you can then look at where they bought their stuff from and try those places for similar styles. Sometimes one really stand-out item like a colourful armchair or fancy wallpaper is a good starting point and you can add things around that.

Are you on Facebook? There's a page on there called DIY on a budget official. It's amazing! I got all the idea when I decorated my flat earlier this year. And most of it is cheap to do!

There are other diy pages too but that's the main one.

I subscribe to an magazine app called Readly which is fantastic - you can read as many magazines as you want for £10 per month. There's lots of home ones on there, so you can read all the back issues of Ideal Home etc to get some ideas.

I would consider what is important to you. What kind of atmosphere would you like? Do you feel happier in a cool, minimalist home or do you prefer cosy, warm colours with evidence of your own personality?
It's all about what makes you happy. I paint and the house is full of my paintings. The subjects are my family, places we have been to, flowers, plants bought for special occasions etc. It's not everyone's cup of tea but we wouldn't change them because they are "us". Then there are book cases as we love to read but these days people have iBooks or a kindle and perhaps don't want the clutter. I would look around and take your time. Your home is you. Good luck and have fun.