Q: How do you come up with your amazing home ideas? Is it all on your own? Do you have some secret inspiration method? Like the built in wardrobes in your master bedroom and the doorway widening trick that you pulled in your den/kitchen/dining area. I just wish you could teach me how to think like you so I could come up with some original ideas to make my house feel like it’s unique and cool instead of lame and boring! – Lisa
A: First of all, we’ll say this: we’re 100% confident that nothing that we’ve ever done to our house or on this blog hasn’t been done before. We repeat: there’s probably not one original project that we’ve taken on out of the 500+ that we link to on our Projects page. In fact there are probably multiple designers and regular people alike who have done a lot of the exact same things that we’ve tackled (from widening doorways to creating bedroom built-ins) before us, better than us, and maybe even cheaper than us.
Really, it’s true.
It’s kind of like advertising. As a copywriter I felt like every commercial I wrote must have unconsciously been inspired by something else (from my own life and personal experiences to other amazing ads that I studied in college or even from pop culture-ish things like TV or a favorite song). A script couldn’t really come out of thin air, since all that we soak up and experience on a daily basis makes up our sub-conscious and somehow reemerges when we’re channeling that part of our brains and trying to be creative.
And thus I’ve come up with this simple explanation: inspiration is everywhere and we’re like ShamWows- just absorbing it all.
Most of the time we don’t even know that it’s happening. We’re listening to a song or going for a walk and then bam, an idea pops up. Sometimes it’s obvious where it came from, like when we created the post card wall in our office after reading about it in a magazine (read more about that here) or when we whipped up some tone on tone stripes in our bathroom after being inspired by Jenn from Design Star Season Two (read more about that here).
And sometimes it’s just something that we’ve seen done a whole bunch of times that we can’t wait to try (like upholstering a chair, painting a ceiling, making a headboard, building a vanity out of a night stand, taking the door off of our linen closet, or painting the back of a bookcase). These are basic things that lots of DIY lovers have tackled, and in each instance we were excited to try our hand at something that we’d seen successfully done a bunch of times, both in magazines, the blogosphere, and even in our friends’ homes.
Sometimes a project that we take on is just a tweak on something that we’ve seen and thought “hey that’s cool but we can’t afford it”, like when we covered glass vases with cork after seeing a sweet but pricey cork lamp in a shop in Delaware (read more about that here).
Heck, sometimes we honestly have no clue where on earth an idea actually came from, but we’re sure it wasn’t all us (how could it be when we’re so surrounded by inspiration everywhere we look?).
The takeaway here: there’s no secret fountain of creativity, and the best way to tackle your home makeover head-on is to immerse yourself in inspiring TV, magazines, and life in general to find something that really excites you. Then take that ball and run with it baby! We actually think that 1% of the “hurdle” to making over your house is finding inspiration. That’s the easy part (read more about a few ways to do that here).
The other (more challenging) 99% of the process is actually deciding to get moving and committing to doing something that you’ve thought about- even if you’re nervous. Paralysis doesn’t lead to a new looking casa- action does. We’ve toyed with lots of things, but thinking about ideas doesn’t make our house look different. Actually tackling those tasks with excitement and a mild sense of “this-should-work… right?” usually does the trick. You can read more about how we prep for projects and gain confidence as we go here. But the whole act of committing to executing something that you’ve toyed with is really the way to that “I’m so happy I live here” feeling when you walk in the door.
In short: we’re so not special. And the whole mission of this blog is to encourage everyone out there to just do it. Wait is that someone’s slogan already? My bad. The point is that if we can do it, you can do it. There’s nothing magical about us. Quite the opposite actually. We’re so normal it’s crazy.
So go forth and DIY something! What are you guys up to this weekend? Anything particularly fun going on in your house?
Nichole@40daysof says
Great inspiration, guys! This weekend will hopefully be the end of the saga of trying to detach a giant mirror stuck to the bathroom wall.
Pray for us, we need it!! :)
http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/artsy-fartsy/
YoungHouseLove says
Eeks! You can do it! Sending good mirror detaching vibes your way.
xo,
s
Karla @ {TheClassyWoman} says
Thanks for being so honest and humble as always. It’s true I suppose that the projects have been done before but they’re usually new for me which I love! Your idea with the weekly photos of Clara is something I definitely want to do when I have kids. Such a great keepsake. Those cork flower boxes are so handy too!
‘What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.’ ~Ecclesiastes 1:9
Cait @ Hernando House says
I love this post! I like being reminded that other people are inspired by books, tv, magazines as well :)
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
I think you guys need to give yourself some credit!
Sure anyone can exactly copy a photo out of a magazine, buy all the pieces, make it look great. But that is not at all what you guys do. Sure people have made headboards and such before, but it’s how you take all of those little inspirations and make them into your own cohesive space that makes you so talented!
Sarah says
Great post! I always feel better after reading posts like these, when I look at my living room/kitchen and think “sigh why can’t I make these over in a snap like John & Sherry?”
This weekend we’re tiling our half bath with some snazzy teak gray tile we found at the Tile Shop – with Mobe Pearl Grout and then implementing a white vanity, white toilet, white beadboard, and Glidden’s “natural wicker” for the upper wall above the beadboard….. can’t wait to see the finished product!
Amanda says
You are definitely inspiring people! I love your tutorials and really enjoyed the table setting videos that you did with Katie! It makes dinner special when I can throw something together before I put the food on the table! I also made silhouettes of both of my boys! They are really cute Halloween/Fall decor on our mantel!
Amanda says
Although many of your ideas have been done before, it’s fun to read an honest opinion about them and whether or not they’re worth the effort (like the soda bottle glasses). Thanks for all your hard work in rounding up creative ideas!
Mike @HA says
So true. I often wonder about that with song writing… there are only so many chords and melodies out there, I’m sure I’m not the first to sing it! But to even begin making a melody you have to know what notes are in a scale. To tie that into design, you have to know what’s possible and what you like, then you can make your own design – even if the elements are nothing new.
Jessica @ How Sweet says
It’s almost always NEW to me! And I love it!
Laura says
I’d love to know some of the blogs & magazines that you read. I know you mention them every once in a while as part of a post & I’m not sure if you have posted that topic before… but I’d be very interested.
YoungHouseLove says
We have a list of blogs that we love in our blog roll (see the Link Love tab on the button on our sidebar with our mugs on it?) that you can reference to see some of our daily reads. We also love sites like myhomeideas.com and houseandhome.com for eye candy galore. As for magazines, I’m obsessed with House Beautiful, Do It Yourself, Better Homes & Gardens, Fresh Home, and old issues of Cottage Living and Domino that I have stockpiled.
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
My home improvement time has been severely hampered by college football season (GO GATORS!) but I am still slowly finishing all the projects that this blog has inspired. By springtime I should be finished and will feel like I’m living in an entirely new house!
Knowing that you guys are not experts, but just get in there and DO IT has really helped me move from thinking about changing things to actually changing them.
Thanks!
Kristin says
What an amazingly inspiring post, and so true! Thank you!
No home-related projects going on here this weekend, as I am preparing for a talk I will be giving next week. When I’m done with it, the next weekends will be devoted to bedroom renovation!
brandt @ New House on the Blog says
Props for bringing in Steve Porter. His Slap Chop video is just as good.
And it’s really amazing how much advertising has changed from totally new concepts (the infamous Volkswagen ad?) to rehasings of what works and pop culture influences. As a former worker in the advertising world, I totally know what you mean.
Actually, we’ve ripped off you guys for inspiration, we’ve collected, we even took an INSPIRATION WEEKEND to go to stores, look at what they’ve done, and then say “OK, how can WE do that.”
Amanda V says
Yeah!! This reminds me of US magazine when they have the section called “Stars: they’re just like us!” Y’all’s (did I just type that?) picture would be you two scanning a magazine on a corner in Richmond with the caption “They get ideas from magazines!” :O)
I completely agree though! I cannot wait to try out that window that DeeDee (I think that was her name) from your Nate Berkus appearance did! What inspiration!!
Lindsey says
You guys are amazing! My husband and I are closing on our first house Monday! Wish us luck! I think more than anything my head feels like it’s going to explode because of the constant “We need to do this” “We have to do that” so I’m really trying to calm myself down and realize making your house the way you want doesn’t happen overnight and I’m ready to embrace the mishaps and the fun that will come with creating our unique space. You all are an inspriration and we totally intend on using the “Projects” section weekly!
Keep up the amazing work! I look forward to it everyday!
Vivvy says
I think it’s amazing that you guys are doing so much DIY, and many of these projects are huge. And with a baby!
We have a small 2 bedroom apartment that I would love to make over. With both of us working, and our 2 year old running around, it’s been pretty daunting. All I’m hoping for right now is that our living room doesn’t look like a tornado just landed…and maybe we can get a nice duvet cover for our bedroom.
Lexie says
Thanks for the informative post! This weekend I am finally going to start painting our baby girl’s room. I chose Olympic’s Cavern Moss, which I think will look great when softened up by all of the pale pink vintage fabric I plan on using in other nursery projects. Maybe you guys encountered this, too, but when people ask about the baby’s room and I tell them I’m painting it green, I’ve actually had several people say, “Oh! I thought you were having a girl.” Hah!
lisa says
sherry, this is off topic, but did you happen to find/buy that mirror you were looking for and was not available at the time? just wondering. hope you were able to find it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lisa,
Alas, it was not meant to be. But maybe we’ll DIY our version of it one day. It can always serve as inspiration, right?!
xo,
s
Aya M says
We just bought our first house this past spring(a foreclosure) and we’ve steadily been working on it ever since. Your blog is definitely a HUGE encouragement to us, especially for the days we feel like we’ll be painting and repairing and redoing for the rest of our lives…
So, thanks for your honesty and humor and great ideas(no matter where they come from). I know two readers who are excited for you and cannot wait to see what house #2 will be!
Elizabeth says
Just out of curiosity, did you write any commercials while in advertising that we may be familiar with? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elizabeth,
John and I first crossed paths making this baby commercial (I wrote the script and John sold it through to the client) and the rest, as they say, is history (yes that’s Becki Newton who’s now on Ugly Betty). I’m probably best know for my Got Milk print ads though (you know the celebrity milk mustache campaign? I wrote the ones for Meredith Viera, Kelly Clarkson, Simple Plan, and a few others). That was fun because photogs like Annie Leibovitz and David LaChapelle shot them with us. Oh the glory days of our youth!
xo,
s
liz @ bon temps beignet says
I definitely have “Painting Paralysis”
http://bontempsbeignet.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-to-do-list-painting-paralysis.html
I finally picked a ceiling color (Harvest Brown) but the wall color is so hard to pick because our room changes colors so much throughout the day. Sigh.
http://bontempsbeignet.blogspot.com/2010/08/ceilingharvested.html
Irene says
good post :) ahh, we’re building our ikea cabinets and installing our Marmoleum checkerboard floor (gray and black – like you, wasn’t original but I was inspired by a single picture I googled)
Joy says
I’ve been working on our bathroom. I took down the wall paper last week. I started painting my samples of color on the wall without taking the glue off. I totally forgot about the glue. You can’t see it or feel it so I forgot it was there. I ended up buying primer and going over the paint. I have 3 coats of primer on!! I’m nervous because I didn’t do a good job at taking the glue off around the ceiling. I don’t think my gray paint is going to go on smooth. I’ve only done 1 coat of primer around the ceiling, should I do another one?
Thanks!! Keep up the good work. I love checking your blog daily:)
YoungHouseLove says
We also learned the hard way that the glue has to come out (no amount of paint or primer will remedy those bumps). So the best thing to do is let everything dry and sand things down to fully remove the glue. Good luck!
xo,
s
mike @ the lil house that could says
You guys are incredibly inspiring! And to do it all with a baby? I can’t even do a tenth of it with a crazy cat!
cj says
Hi guys! You have totally inspired so many people. With creative minds I think a lot of visualizing comes naturally to you. My question is how do you know what to put where? Like furniture arranging,or hanging artwork? I’m paralyzed as you said with knowing what stuff to put in what rooms or putting holes in walls and changing my mind later!!! Agghh!:) Thanks and Happy Halloween!
YoungHouseLove says
Trial and error. No secret there! We just hold things up, move things around, trying about a million combinations if we have to until we find something that we like. We’re all about learning as we go.
xo,
s
Connie says
I love that y’all “steal shamelessly” when you find ideas that you like AND that you “share shamelessly” with all of us.
I appreciate your great attitude about attempting, succeeding (or occasionally failing and correcting), and moving on.
Good luck in your hunt for Casa Petersik II. When it’s found, I look forward to reading more of your adventures in DIY.
Elizabeth says
I have decided that this blog is a mutual inspiration/motivation society!
Kristen says
Thanks for this post. I always feel like I’m slacking in the creative department because I see things that inspire me and try to make it my own. Nice to know I’m not the only one! :)
LauraC says
Such a sweet post guys! While you are right, you still really are an inspiration to all of us, and have definitely had an impact on my design. I didn’t like all the white and neutral so much when I first started reading your blog, but now I love it. All our curtains are hung “high and wide”; my kids’ room has the same white curtains you have from IKEA, and I painted a buffet table white solely due to your influence. And that’s just the start. We won’t even mention spray paint. ;-) Happy Friday!
Larissa S. says
Everyday I find the inspiration that I need in this blog. I certainly would say you may be normal people but your DIY, design, and those wriring skills are extrodinary.
Through your gentle urgings assuring me that I can do it… I bought some paint, brushes, sand paper and turned an old ugly china cabinet into something almost worthy of Pottery Barn. I even managed to impress my husband in the process SCORE for me! This weekend I am applying new hardware and muscling that bay boy into it’s final resting spot in my dining room. I CAN’T WAIT. Thanks for your dedication to your followers.
kathy says
I know you guys are house-hunting experts, but I was wondering if you were also looking at houses that are priced well below what you can afford, and then vetting them out according to your required square footage?
I found my house that way – not focusing on price, but more by s.f. (and other parameters I had set up, just as you’ve mentioned before).
Have a great weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes indeedy! There’s no house to cheap! We’re leaving no lisiting uncovered these days.
xo,
s
justjillian says
thanks for the inspiration!!!
my problem is always “just doing it!”
just-jillian xoxo
http://just-jillian.blogspot.com
Elizabeth says
Thanks for sharing your commercial experience. I am quite familiar with the Got Milk ads. My fiance was in one years ago. Too funny.
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
What great inspiring words Sherry. You are so right about just do it. Try at least. You might fail sometimes, but why not try first. We DIYed our whole home also and friends and family always ask me the same question “how did you think of that”? I don’t know either, I just have always been pretty creative. Books, Magazine’s, Blogs other people houses and even stores sometimes too have always given me great ideas. My husband is shocked sometimes when I do something and at first he is like “what are you doing” and then he says “oh…..I like it”. So just do it ladies and gents, just do it. Find something you love and try it out.
We are actually going shopping this weekend for Vinyl tiles. We want to see how this product looks. We need to redo the flooring in the apartment in our home where my Mom lives and instead of having to pick up the old ceramic tile that is there now, we want to go over it with this product. And if we really like it we might just put it in our Laundry Room once we do that makeover. ;) We hear it’s pretty easy to install, so hopefully it is. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100627985&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100627985&ci_src=64119933&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads&locStoreNum=1267&marketID=20
Laura says
There’s also “original ideas” that come from making due. Our porch started off looking sad and in need of attention. So far I have:
-Removed the small section of peel-and-stick tiles and de-gooed the area. (Cost: whatever a can of paint thinner is)
-Painted the whole floor with the garage floor paint the previous owners left us, which was just enough for one good coat over the whole floor (Cost: free)
-Bought a futon on craigslist and begun painting the frame to weatherize it. (Cost: $105 for futon and paint)
I still have to buy a waterproof cover for the futon mattress, but other than that everything else is a matter of waiting for a good deal – a clock, maybe a rug, maybe a table if we feel like we need one out there. It should look pretty good in spite of being super low budget.
hjc says
Great post Sherry! I’ve often had this discussion with my husband/sons when thinking up new projects/ideas/inventions. The part about moving forward to the “action” is especially true. We get stuck in the thinking phase way too often.
I realized this morning that I’ve been playing a game with YHL posts, trying to guess by the title who the author is. I am pretty good at this game, although today was especially easy – “pish posh” is Sherry all the way!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, love that game. Feel free to comment when John or I throw you off with a title. I’d love to know when I’m channeling him or he’s channeling me!
xo,
s
Gina at Temporary Nest says
I LOVE DIYing and I’m getting more and more brave about the projects I tackle. But my go-to’s are sewing based projects since I’m better at weilding a needle than a screw driver. So this weekend I am going to sew a dress for a wedding my boyfriend and I are going to next week! Can’t wait! So fun!!
carmel @ our fifth house says
Love the ShamWow plug :) I love your writing in addition to all of your great projects! I just referred a friend to your site the other day when she asked me a question about how to paint her night stand. BTW- I seriously doubt anyone has done a project cheaper than you two!
Newlyweds on a Budget says
I’m giving my house a thorough cleaning this weekend! (which I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t done since we moved in about a month ago…)
Kristen says
You guys are so humble! Reading your blog has encouraged my boyfriend and I to try new things. We’ve painted stripes and a stencil pattern on the walls (not in the same room!), repainted an old dresser we found, tons of DIY, etc. We have also developed an unhealthy love of all things IKEA (seriously, we can identify the collections from a single glance).
I think you’re special :)
Kim says
I forgot you used to be a copywriter Sherry. When I read that I immediately thought of Mad Men. Do you watch that show? I wonder if your experience was anything at all like what they portray on TV.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kim,
Old creative directors of ours said it was totally like that back in the day, and it was still pretty glamorous when we worked in NYC a few years back (without all the liquor and smoking of course). We actually had to stop watching Mad Men because it was too close to home for us. Every time a client wouldn’t buy a good idea on the show it brought back old campaigns that we love that got killed by clients left and right. So we were getting all anxious watching it. Haha.
xo,
s
Christine says
Thanks for keeping it real, guys. I think that is why so many people can relate to you and your blog! And thanks for reminding me to take “action” – sometimes I need that kick in the pants to put some of the projects in my head to work!
Happy Friday!
Laurie at House to Your Home says
Everything you said is so true, most of my designs come from an inspiration of something I’ve seen before, even if it’s just a postcard or a salt shaker! I really learned this after I took a modern art class and an intro to furniture, everyone basically tweeks something from the past. Here’s one more thing I’ve learned recently I went to a wine and canvas event where almost 100 women showed up for a night to learn how to create a piece a piece of artwork an artist had created, we went step by step and in the end even though we were all doing the same thing there was 100 different versions of the same painting, some of them good, some of them not so much! Your version of your house is obviously very good!! Great post today!
tarynkay says
We are working on our third bedroom this weekend. It used to be the kitchen, so we scraped up the layers of linoleum, sanded (and sanded, and sanded) and tung oiled the t&g pine floors underneath. I painted the ceiling light blue, which is an idea I totally stole from you guys. Now I’m tempted to paint all of our ceilings not-white- it’s kind of addictive. Thanks for the inspiration! I’ll paint the walls dark grey this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put up the baseboards and window trim and move the furniture in, too.
Heidi H. says
Y’all are the bomb diggity. So down to earth & friendly. Very cool, you two.
Krys72599 says
I don’t know how much fun it’s going to be, but I’m going to be spending some time measuring my existing kitchen, outlet to outlet, counter to counter, door to window…
Soon we’re going to have to start renovating the kitchen – we added a new 2nd floor to our lakehouse and what’s new upstairs makes old downstairs look even older!
My biggest problem is going to be the refrigerator. You’d think an open floor plan would be easy to work with, but it’s not!
jamie rae says
Oh it’s “ideas galore” for me when it comes to my house, but between my husband fishing (he does all the big handy work) and our work schedules the projects move slowly. However, this weekend, we am planning on getting our headboard started (finally!) between the fishing and the halloween time. Notice how I mention fishing? It’s because that is my husbands obsession these days, so we have to work around the time spent with the fish. We have the headboard, and I have a bench that needs to be sanded, painted, and covered, and I have pillows to make. The goal is to start one at a time (headboard this weekend) so that eventually they all get done.
I loved the post, thank you for sharing! Have a blessed weekend!
Thais says
Hi! This is a bit off topic but… Where did you guys get this gorgeous capiz chandelier? I am in love!! Also, would you mind sharing the price range for this chandelier?
Thanks a bunch!
Thais
YoungHouseLove says
We got that chandy at West Elm for around $50! They also sell them at World Market for that range.
xo,
s
Court says
I just decided to start turning one of my study walls into a magnetic wall; waiting for coat #1 to dry now. I can’t decide if I want to do chalkboard on it, or not though.
I did the back of a door leading down to the basement as a chalkboard with the top half as our shopping list and “grown up” notes, and the bottom section is a place for our 4 year old to create some art.
I have the supplies on hand because I turned a (sheetrocked during a renovation) decorative fireplace in his bedroom into a magnetic place to rotate the millions of projects he brings home from school!
Sara says
Speaking of shamwow do you guys have one, and if so does it really work? We are still renters, but look forward to the DIY days that are ahead of us when we finally decide buying is the right choice for us. I love your blog and get inspiration from you guys every day.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
We don’t have one so we have no idea! Anyone else? Shamwow opinions?
xo,
s