Dozens of design magazines are published weekly, and thousands of styles remain popular for decorating a home. When beginning a project for home improvement in Virginia, you may need some help wading through so many patterns to find the perfect one for you.

1. Carry a notepad & camera. Anything in the world can be inspiring: a relative’s house, a government building, a painting, even a tree. Writing down or taking pictures of colors, designs, or architecture that particularly strike you can provide direction for what magazines and styles to look through with your professional home renovator.

 

2. Buy a handful of design magazines. Don’t feel obligated to subscribe to every publication sold, or even to buy the most recent issues. Books and magazines even a year old can hold current ideas that may be appealing to you. Just buy enough to get a grasp of your options, and to realize you don’t need to feel trapped by one specific style.

 

3. Develop a mood board. Many websites offer online tools, but a traditional hard copy gives you a tangible document to store furniture, floorboards, and fixtures you like. Clipping pictures of these from magazines or printing them from online resources helps amass the pieces you want to incorporate into your new home. These mood boards are easy to share as well, so whatever professional you’ve hired can see them and help you find similar pieces for your home remodeling project.

 

Of course, there are many tools and sources of inspiration, but when studying so many materials and choices, these easy tips can make the process much more manageable and enjoyable.