Now, you can find inspiration in seconds simply by hopping online.
Instagram, Houzz, Pinterest, and other online resources can be extremely helpful in creating a vision for your remodeling project. These platforms offer access to countless design ideas, styles, colors, and trends, as well as valuable insights into the remodeling process itself. By browsing photos and project galleries, you can get a better sense of what you like and what you don’t like, helping you refine your vision and communicate your ideas more effectively with your contractor. You can also save and organize your favorite images and ideas, creating a digital mood board that can serve as a reference throughout the remodeling process. Additionally, many of these platforms allow you to connect directly with professionals in the industry, making it easier to find contractors, architects, and designers who can help you turn your vision into a reality.
Today, we’re breaking down our favorites and sharing how to use them effectively.
Pinterest officially launched in March 2020, changing the way we looked at the traditional vision board forever. Everyone who had grown accustomed to tacking magazine cut-outs and inspirational quotes on cork bulletin boards was finally able to take the task online.
While you can still create and add to your own boards, there are other ways to use Pinterest as you prepare for your remodel. The most common ones include:
- Using key search terms
- Creating boards
- Try on For Home Decor tool
Let’s take a closer look.
Key Search Terms
At the top of the Pinterest home page, you’ll see a long menu with a magnifying glass and the word “Search”. Similar to searching for a hashtag on Instagram, you can use this space to type in keywords and phrases related to your remodeling project, such as:
- Kitchen renovation
- Bedroom remodel
- Open-concept living room
Once you press “Enter”, your home screen will transform, showing only phrases that relate to your search terms. Scroll through the options and click any image that appeals to you. This will take you to a new page that shows a short blurb about the image, as well as a link to the original source or website.
Vision Boards
When you find an image on Pinterest that inspires you and fits your aesthetic, don’t let it get away. Before clicking on the actual site, click the red “Save” button in the top right-hand corner. If you’ve already created different boards on the platform, you can specify which board you want to save the image to.
You can create a new board for any part of your remodel project. This helps you organize your ideas and keep all like items together. For example, you may have a board dedicated only to bathroom features, or one focused on deck stain colors.
Feel free to get as granular as you need, here. The more specific you can make your board and your search terms, the more likely you are to find images that align with your vision. When you click on your Pinterest profile, you can get a high-level snapshot of all of your boards at once.
Since it debuted in October 2010, Instagram has set itself apart from other social media sites in one major way. It’s always prioritized visuals over anything else, allowing users to share life and business updates via photos, rather than lengthy, text-based statuses.
In the past 13 years, its become one of the internet’s go-to resources for home remodel inspiration. Three ways to leverage this resource as you plan your project include:
- Hashtags
- Explore page
- Home design accounts
Let’s take a closer look.
Hashtags
When you’re logged into your account, go to the search menu or the icon of the magnifying glass. There, you can search in a number of different ways, including by hashtag. Enter the pound (#) symbol first, followed by the key phrases you want to search for.
If you’re interested in general home design, you can search for terms such as:
- #homedesign
- #homedecor
- #homeremodeling
- #housetrends
- #homeideas
You can also get a little more specific and replace “home” with the name of the space you’re renovating. For instance, if you’re planning a bathroom remodel, you can search for #bathroomremodel or #bathroomrenovation.
If anyone has tagged their photos with that hashtag and their account is set to public, you should be able to view their content. This allows you to see images of projects all over the world.
Explore Tool
When you first log in to Instagram, you’ll notice an entire page filled with squares of different content. This is known as the Explore page. Yours won’t look like your friends or colleagues, and that’s intentional.
Instagram’s algorithms curate each user’s Explore page based on the type of content they’ve searched for in the past. If you’ve spent time on the site looking at ideas for your home remodel, you won’t be surprised to find that most of your page is filled with the profiles of designers, decorators, and DIYers.
These are users you might not have connected with otherwise, especially in such a vast online space. Scroll through and see if any of the content piques your interest, and click to take a closer look. In addition to photos and videos, the Explore page can also contain live reels and temporary stories.
Home Design Accounts
After you become more comfortable using Instagram, it won’t be long before you discover interesting and inspiring accounts to follow. If you have a favorite designer, you can always start by seeing if they have an active presence on the platform!
Another reason to keep a close eye on the accounts you follow? These home design experts will often link to other designers they respect and learn from, too. This gives you access to even more content to consider.
Of course, we recommend Michael James Remodeling on Instagram
Houzz
Houzz has been around longer than both Instagram and Pinterest, debuting in February 2009. On this comprehensive website, you can find forums, photos, and ideas on everything from architecture and interior design to landscaping and home improvement. The top three tools for those about to start a renovation include:
- Houzz Ideabooks
- Ideas tab
- Shop products
Here are the details to know.
Houzz Ideabooks
House Ideabooks work similarly to Pinterest vision boards. If you see anything on the site that you want to save and refer back to later, you can add it to your Ideabook. This includes:
- Home design photos
- Featured stories
- Profiles of service providers
- Specific products
- Community-based discussions
- Personal notes
In other words, it’s your one-stop shop for everything you find beautiful and motivational. All photos, professional profiles, discussions, and stories on Houzz have a “Save” button near the top, which makes this step easy.
Ideas Tab
Are you looking on Houzz for something in particular? For example, you might have migrated onto the site in search of backyard landscaping ideas, or bathroom paint colors.
Instead of scrolling through the tomes of posts, you can go straight to the source with the first tab on the Houzz top menu, titled “Get Ideas.” That main menu is broken into a wide range of sub-menus, such as:
- Kitchen and dining
- Living
- Bed and bath
- Utility
- Outdoor
You can get even more granular and subdivide these spaces into different categories. For instance, under “Living” you’ll find tabs for Living Room, Family Room, and Sunroom. Click on the specific room you’re eyeing to see images that relate. On each page, you’ll also find other resources, such as:
- Expert advice and guides
- User forums
- Relevant Houzz articles
Using Our Online Design Resources
The above three social media platforms are a great way to find inspiration and help center your focus as you prepare for your home renovation. In addition, we also encourage you to check out our own resources! On the Michael James Remodeling website, you’ll find a bevy of tools to help you create the space of your dreams.
These include:
- Remodeling Library
- Project Gallery
- Your Home newsletter
Here’s what you’ll find with each one.
Remodeling Library
Our Remodeling Library is filled with videos and images of our past remodeling projects, as well as articles and professional design ideas you can trust. Here, you can access insider information and industry-leading insight on topics such as:
- How Much Does a Remodel and Home Renovation Cost?
- How to Plan the Perfect Outdoor Kitchen
- Important Things to Consider Before Your Kitchen Remodel
In the Past Projects section, you’ll see images of our recent work. When you click on each photo, you’ll go to a page filled with more information about the project, as well as an entire gallery of images and videos that were taken on-site. This Whole Home Remodel on Lake Lanier is a great example!
Click on the featured video to see an overview of all the work we did on the project, as well as special highlighted features. You’ll feel like you’re walking through the rooms on an up-close and personal tour.
Project Gallery
If you prefer to stick with project pictures only, head to our Project Gallery. You can filter by project, photos, or videos, and you’ll go straight to the specific project page when you click the thumbnail image.
Your Home Newsletter
Finally, if you enjoy clicking through our site and learning more about what we do, we also encourage you to sign up for our Your Home Newsletter!
All you have to do is complete our short online form by entering your name and e-mail address. We’ll take care of the rest, sending timely ideas, inspiration, tips, and trends right to your inbox. We’ll also share our recent project updates as you plan your own!
From Kitchen to Luxury Bathroom: Head Online for Ideas and Inspiration
Looking for help as you plan your luxury bathroom, basement bar, or outdoor kitchen? Check the sites above, including our own. Then, reach out to us to learn more about our professional design services.
Our expert designers can work with you to turn your dream home into a reality, making sure the final product exceeds your expectations. To discuss your next steps, send us a message today!
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