In this day and age, nearly everything we need to know is at our fingertips. The internet has brought together people and ideas from across the globe, opening our minds and expanding our imaginations.
This is certainly true for those looking for ideas – from the perfect recipe to the best vacation spot (we recommend Sarasota), social media has changed how we are inspired and collect recommedations. It is no different for those looking to design their dream home, and two sites have emerged as the go-to portals for home building and renovation ideas.
Dream Home Ideas – Pinterest and Houzz
There may be some level of sharing across all platforms, but Pinterest and Houzz have risen to the top of the social media heap for home design.
Pinterest:
Launched in 2010, Pinterest bills itself as a visual discovery engine. Users navigate the site for free, and create virtual “boards” on which they can “pin” great ideas they find. Boards can be private or searchable, but the real magic happens among the shared boards. Search for “outdoor firepit” or “backyard landscaping ideas” and you will find thousands of beautiful photos, uploaded by others and now available to peruse. Most will lead you back to the manufacturer, designer or vendor which provides that particular design or product.
As with most social media, you can “follow” your favorite contributors and be notified of new posts which meet your search criteria. You may wish to create a board for each room of your new home, collecting features, color palettes, and great designer touches which you love. Once you have your ideas and boards full of inspiration, you can email a link to the board to your custom home builder or interior designer. This will help them to understand the exact style you love, without you having to describe what you are looking for.
Pinterest also provides an extension which allows to you pin photos to your boards from anywhere on the internet, not just their site. It is estimated that Pinterest has over 100 million users worldwide.
Houzz:
Houzz was introduced in 2009, but took longer than Pinterest to really catch on with users. The primary reason is that Houzz solely concentrates on design, renovation and products for your home. The site began as a side project for a couple who became frustrated with clipping photos from magazines, and has grown onto a 40 million user powerhouse. The site is beautiful, with high end photographs from home goods providers, custom home builders, interior designers and landscaping professionals. Not only can you choose what you love, but you can research and contact the creator directly.
Houzz allows you to browse photos by room, by product line (such as home décor or furniture), by regional professionals (such as local new home builders or kitchen remodelers) or by style (such as contemporary, beachy, or traditional).
Being able to browse the work of local new home builders while gleaning inspiration from around the country is truly the best of both worlds. Users create “IdeaBooks” that they can download and share with those working on their projects, and also allows a new marketing and media outlet for anyone involved in the home design industry.
Both Houzz and Pinterest are based upon the classic ideas of vision boards and scrapbooks. However, the power of the internet allows for idea sharing like never before, and allows those seeking ideas to search across a seemingly inexhaustible supply, rather than being limited to a couple catalogs or showrooms.
If you are looking to design your Sarasota or Longboat Key dream home, bring your ideas to the professionals at Lindahl Construction. We are committed to helping you to build the home you’ve always wanted, in one of the most beautiful locations in the country.