Can you believe that the summer months are passing by so quickly? Before you know it media advertisements and retail store shelves will be full of items for the upcoming holidays and your mind will wander to Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas! Therefore, I might suggest we all take a moment and reconnect with our natural surroundings that can provide so much design inspiration.
- Stop and smell the roses, orchids, magnolias and daisies---and while you are at it take notice of the details of that flower such as the shape of the petals, the amazing color combinations and, of course, the amazing scent. I am pretty confident you will walk away with your creative juices flowing!
- Let Mother Nature be your guide. You may be working on a seaside spa, for example, and trying to avoid the very expected colors and textures most often used in the design of these spaces but are "stuck". A walk on the ocean with eyes wide open may reveal colors and textures you did not expect or the mix of colors in the sunset may inspire a color scheme you have been struggling to identify.
- Vary your routine and you just might find inspiration in items you see every day. I live in a town full of hills and canyons and walking trails, some with spectacular views. If I walk every day at the same time, for example, I get used to the "sameness" and am very likely to miss many of the details found in that spectacular view or even in the shape of what we might call "weeds" but are, in fact, miniature works of art from Mother Nature. An earlier or later walk will produce different shadows and colors and feel new. Martin Pierce is often inspired by nature and that can be seen in many of our architectural hardware collections including Flora, Hedgerow and Grapevine. If your routine takes you through the concrete jungle there are still plenty of opportunities to be inspired by the architecture, the hearty flower that pops up between cracks in the sidewalk or the amazing color combinations put together by people on the street.
- Relax. Many people do their best thinking when they are relaxing by the pool or enjoying their own backyard. The world will not end if you take time to simply "be" and let the creative juices flow. How often have you awakened during the night with the best idea ever for that new project and cannot recall the details when you wake in the morning? How wonderful to come up with those same ideas during a relaxing respite in the middle of the day so you can remember them!
There are still several weeks left of summer, allowing plenty of time to slow down just a bit and enjoy this special time of year while working! No one ever has to know that your design inspiration came while napping in hammock or strolling along the beach!