Location Inspiration
People often ask me, “Where do you get your ideas for designs?” Sometimes I work with a beloved item my client brings to me, or a piece of artwork. Often, I’m inspired by the location of the home, which is what I want to share with you today.
Here are a few images of beautiful locations, and interiors that could be inspired by those locales, using materials, colors, and fabrics that might be pulled right out of a photo.
Beach
![Soothing beach with white sand at the bottom, blue-green clear water in the center, palm trees and greenery at the edge of the beach, and white puffy clouds against a blue sky.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-Location-Inspiration-Beach-via-Limitlesswalls-580x343.jpg)
This coastal Malibu living/dining room below could have been inspired by the image above, with a sea-green pendant light matching the color of the water at the edge of the beach, and light-colored seating reminiscent of sand and clouds.
![Malibu living room with floor to ceiling black-metal-outlined wide windows with no window coverings that reveal a beach view. In front of the windows, white sofas and tan wicker chairs with white cushions and a light-colored wood circular coffee table topped with a plant. Behind and to the right, a dining area with white fabric-covered chairs, and a globe pendant light in sea green glass.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-Malibu-Living-Room-via-Purlin-580x371.jpg)
Forest
![Forest with dark trees, bright green leaves, red bark ground below, and light filtering through the trees.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-Location-Inspiration-Forest-via-PrintedSpace-1-580x337.jpg)
A forest-inspired living room below could have been inspired by the image above, featuring reddish, dark wood furniture and flooring, moss-green fabrics, and fantastic pendant lighting that resembles a lens-flare from sunlight.
![Indoor/outdoor living room with moss-green tufted sofas, reddish-brown wood cabinetry, brown wall with TV screen, and a triple pendant light in the shape of white globes that resemble lens flares or snowflakes. A dark brick wall with firewood storage appears at the far right.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-Location-Inspiration-Forest-LR-via-home-designing-580x377.jpg)
Mountain
![Winter scene in the mountains, with white snow on the ground, dark trees, and a reddish sky above.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-Location-Inspiration-by-Tobias-Bjorkli-580x725.jpg)
The mountain-based living room below could have been inspired by the image above, featuring white walls and silver ring lights reminiscent of snow alongside the dark brown cladding the furniture and feature wall. The sky’s reddish-brown color reminds me of the modern fireplace and the furniture’s exotic wood patterning.
![Aspen living room with high ceilings, a triangular shaped window with a view out to the snowy mountains, a triple ring pendant light hanging over a living room seating area with dark and reddish brown sofa and armchairs with white cushions, in front of a large ribbon fireplace under a dark brown wall with a white patterned square above. The walls and ceilings are painted white.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-Location-Inspiration-Aspen-LR-Fire-by-Aubree-Dallas-580x411.jpg)
Kimball Starr designs inspired homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced or remote consultation!