Although you may know what you like and what you don’t in terms of interior design, you might not always know how best to put a room together. Or, perhaps you’re just in need of a little inspiration and some innovative ideas. Interior design ideas from Houzz and Pinterest can be useful tools in planning your project. Both are helpful, whether you’re just updating or starting from scratch. Both websites offer inspiration in the form of photos, but there are differences between the two. The following is a brief breakdown of the kind of help you can expect to find on each:
Pinterest is sort of community in which you create boards with ideas and photos that you like. In the same way a designer creates a design board when planning a room, you can collect photos of furnishings, accessories, lighting, colors and more to help you plan the sort of room that would visually please you and fit your lifestyle and budget. Searching is easy, simply enter a subject in the search bar and voila! — a montage of photos pops up from other people’s boards and from various companies too. For each photo you pin to your board, there is a space in which to enter comments, enabling you to say why you like a piece of furniture, a color etc. In addition, Pinterest offers:
- commentary from other users of the site
- links to other websites (design-focused in this case)
- almost limitless search options depending on the keywords you use in your search.
Houzz is definitely a more upscale website, with galleries of photographs from designers and architects. Here, you choose your subject matter from drop-down menus and then scroll through the available galleries, usually from multiple professional sources. In addition, Houzz offers:
- links to contributors (designers, architects, etc.)
- the ability to purchase items from their site
- advice and discussions
- stories related to interior design, outdoor living, lighting and more
Both websites are great sources of information, ideas and inspiration, with Pinterest focusing more on the ideas of lay-persons, and Houzz offering advice from design professionals. When planning your next project, be sure to contact us to find inspiration in our own beautiful remodeling gallery of inspirational ideas for interior design!