Inspiration Is Out There

Our house is in the pre-decorating stage. I want to sand/paint/stain so bad but I have to limit myself so that I can stay in budget and make wise choices because I want to still love the decor in a few short years.

I've been mentally planning our home decor since we before we closed on the house. I'm constantly looking for inspiration for color scheme, paint & fabric choices, furniture selections etc. But I love when inspiration strikes me in the most random of places.

Last week I was at a conference and the decor at the event center was extremely inspiring. This area was a little sitting area in the lobby.

 I love that the lamp is a traditional shape but made out of modern materials. These big black and while flower prints were all over the walls. This is when I had the I can do that thought. I love to dabble in artsy photography. I could take pictures of flowers, fruit, a body of water, a hiking trail or anything really.

How luxurious are these blue velvet couches? I would have never thought pairing such a deep royal blue with the light blue of the walls but I love the way they work together.
 

(sorry about the newspapers/magazines on the table, I already felt weird taking pictures I thought it would be really weird if I started arranging things.)
These armchairs were smaller in scale, which is refreshing since it feels like every chair I see is over-sized. They light fixture, which you can see reflected in the mirror, was such a great shape it added so much detail to the space without being a heavy presence in the room.

This is the carpet and the wallpaper in the ballroom. I adore the subtle pattern in the walls and the way the pattern in the floor echoed it. This carpet was wall to wall. I've never seen such a bold pattern in carpet before but I think it would only work in a BIG room like this one. I think I said "I love this room" at least twenty times to the lady next to me.

So how am I inspired for my house? Traditional shapes with a modern twit like the lamp. Blue on blue (especially that gorgeous inky blue in those couches.) Scaled down furniture that fits the space and PATTERN! After that floor/walls combo, I want to try some pattern mixing in my home.