Where do you find inspiration for your interiors? For so many people the answer used to be magazines and is now, more recently, Pinterest or Instagram. But what about real-life inspiration, away from magazines and screens? Here are my thoughts on why creativity is important and some tips on where you can find that all important real-life inspiration.

It has been great to take some time out of the studio this month to look around and gather inspiration. Time in London and at Decorex 2024 (the international trade show) always provides creative food-for-thought. It’s this reflective time that nourishes creativity and keeps designs fresh. Trade shows, Design Week and other organised events are a great way to cultivate this; a chance to explore new collections, different materials, finishes and colours. The provide an opportunity to meet new suppliers and consider new design solutions. But there's more to creativity than design shows, and time out of the studio always provides a useful reminder that inspiration is, in fact, all around us!

Travel

I don’t think there’s anything more inspirational than exploring new places. Or even revisiting places you’ve been to, and loved, before. There’s something special about travelling, when we don’t have the pressures of day-to-day life, that means we respond to, and absorb our surroundings in a completely different way. For me, it’s about the different light, the smells, the colours. Enjoying different architecture and soaking up details which, even though they might be relatively mundane at home, seem almost magical in their new surroundings. We have time to reflect, to stop and observe. We can take things back to basics; appreciating things for their colour, texture and the way they make us feel.

Hotels

There’s something very special about visiting a beautiful hotel or villa. It can feel like a complete escape from real life, and it's a great opportunity to see, and enjoy, different interior styles. What tiles are used in the bathrooms? What do you love about the seating, or the way a lounge is laid out? You'll get a real sense of how you respond to an interior style. Take it back to basics; how does the interior make you feel? That should, in my view, be the starting point for any interior project. But remember, hotel and villa interiors can be more daring in their design. Guests are generally there for a relatively short period of time; they are not designed for long-term family life. So, whilst they can be a great source of inspiration, make sure that you properly translate any design ideas so that they work for your space and your life. And remember, if you want to enjoy a little hotel inspiration but don’t want to splash out on an overnight stay, just book in for afternoon tea or a drink in the bar.

From David Hockney exhibition at Salts Mill, Saltaire

Artwork

Inspiration and creativity doesn't need to be big, or expensive or glamorous. A quiet afternoon at an art gallery can be enough to transport you elsewhere. And sometimes, just the space for quiet reflection is what is needed to enable you to absorb different colour, texture and pattern. Take a look at art you wouldn't normally gravitate to, ask yourself why you like or don't like it. Or just spend time looking at it. Often there's a need to try and critique artwork but actually sitting, quietly and enjoying something is all that's needed to spark some creativity.

Mother Nature

But sometimes we don’t have the time, or reources to take ourselves away to a hotel or on holiday. Sometimes it’s just about getting outside and looking at what there is all around us, every single day. Take yourself into nature. A wood, a field, a walk by the river or canal. It doesn't need to be far. Just being away from the pressures of consumerism, away from the trends and fashions can be a really inspiring and liberating feeling. Time in nature gives you the ability to go back to basics - to explore colours, shapes and textures in a really simple, but beautiful form.

WHERE to find inspiration for your interiors

Behind the Easel with Cher Deaville