Q: How do you come up with your amazing home ideas? Is it all on your own? Do you have some secret method for inspiration—like the built-in wardrobes in your master bedroom or the doorway widening trick you used between your den, kitchen, and dining area? I wish you could teach me how to think like you so I could come up with original ideas to make my house feel unique and cool instead of boring! – Lisa
A: First off, let me be honest: almost everything we’ve done to our house has been inspired by something we’ve seen before. We don’t claim to invent new ideas out of thin air. Plenty of the projects we’ve shared—widening doorways, creating built-ins, upholstering chairs, or painting ceilings—are things lots of people and designers have tackled long before us. Often others have executed them better, more cheaply, or in different styles, and that’s totally fine.
Creativity rarely arrives as a lightning bolt from nowhere. In my experience, inspiration accumulates from everyday life—what you see, read, watch, and hear. As a former copywriter, I noticed the same thing in advertising: scripts and slogans often echo pieces of other work, personal memories, music, or cultural moments. Our brains absorb all of this background material and then recombine it when we need an idea. So inspiration is everywhere, and we’re just good at noticing and storing it for later.
Sometimes the origin is obvious. For example, we built a postcard wall in our office after seeing that idea in a magazine. Other times a TV designer or a blog tutorial sparks an idea—like tone-on-tone stripes in a bathroom after watching someone else’s project. And often we attempt things simply because we’ve seen them execute well multiple times: a headboard, a painted bookcase back, a vanity made from a nightstand—these are common DIY moves that we were excited to try ourselves.
There are also cases where we’ve seen a beautiful but expensive item and decided to adapt the concept in a budget-friendly way. One project was inspired by a pricey cork lamp we spotted in a shop; instead of buying the lamp, we experimented with covering glass vases in cork to capture the same texture at a fraction of the cost. Those kinds of tweaks—taking a concept and making it accessible—are a big part of DIY creativity.
And sometimes we honestly can’t trace the source at all. An idea will arrive while we’re on a walk, listening to music, or doing routine chores. The important thing to remember is that inspiration doesn’t require a single source or a secret formula—it’s a mix of exposure, attention, and curiosity.
That leads to the practical takeaway: finding inspiration is usually the easy part. If you surround yourself with interesting design—magazines, TV shows, websites, rooms you love, and even everyday objects—you’ll naturally pick up ideas that speak to you. Then the more difficult step is committing to action. Thinking about a project won’t change your space; starting and finishing it will.
Fear and indecision are the biggest obstacles. Many people stall at the planning stage because they worry about making mistakes, spending money, or not getting perfect results. But small steps matter: pick a project that excites you, gather a few references, and jump in with a trial mindset. Accept that things might not be flawless the first time, and view each attempt as practice. That willingness to act is what transforms a house into a home you love.
We try to encourage readers to take that leap. The blog exists to show that ordinary people can make meaningful changes, and that most projects are within reach with some patience, research, and elbow grease. There’s nothing magical about us—we’re regular people who notice inspiration, pick what resonates, and commit to seeing it through.
So if you want to make your house feel unique, immerse yourself in the things you like, adapt ideas to fit your budget and taste, and then start. Action beats perfection every time. What are you planning for your place this weekend? Any projects you’re excited to try?