When it comes to creating a new website for your design firm, one of your first steps should be curating interior design website inspiration that resonates with your desired brand aesthetic.

Creating a Pinterest board for visual inspiration will help you gain clarity on your brand style and vibe before beginning your project.

As a part of my prep work process, I ask all my clients to create a Pinterest board at the start of their project. This is to ensure we’re on the same page visually speaking. As a designer, I’m sure you can relate when someone tells you what they like vs. shows you what they like. It’s not always in alignment with one another.

This article will walk you through how to find the best interior design website inspiration for your project.

While there are plenty of resources available to find inspiration for your new website, Pinterest is my go-to. Not only are there a wide variety of styles and designs to choose from, but it also includes recommendations based on your activity.

Step 1: Create a new Pinterest board.

Create a new Pinterest board so you can start gathering inspiration from a blank slate. Even if you’ve been pinning brand and website ideas for years, it’s best to start fresh. 

Don’t forget to set it to secret if you don’t want your clients to see your inspiration. You can easily invite your website designer to collaborate later on versus making it public.

Step 2: Create sections for your board.

Once you’ve created a new board, create sections for each part of your brand and website project. Ideally, you’d have at least four sections covering: Website Designs, Color Palettes, Fonts, and Logos. 

If you’re keeping any of your existing brand elements such as your logo design or color palette, you can leave those sections off. Or if you find it helpful, pin your existing logo design and/or brand board to your board.

Step 3: Begin searching for interior design website inspiration, logo design inspiration, color palette inspiration, and fonts you love.

a) Interior Design Website Inspiration

In your Pinterest search bar, start by typing in “interior design website inspiration” and set it to search All Pins. This search will provide you with hundreds of website mockups for interior design firms. When you’re browsing these designs, take note of the layout vs. colors and fonts.

Begin pinning designs that resonate with you and are similar to the aesthetic you’re after. I recommend clients pin at least 5 website design inspiration pins but no more than 10. 

If you don’t find anything you like with the above search, refine your search query. Perhaps instead of “interior design website inspiration” you search for “minimalist website design” or “neutral websites” or “clean and modern website design.”

After you’ve pinned your favorites, it might be helpful to jot down notes about each pin. What is it that caused you to pin these designs? What do you love about each design? Is there anything you don’t like? 

b) Color Palette Inspiration

Next up, you’ll want to curate some color palettes for inspiration. If you already know the general direction you’re going in this will be a breeze. Simply search for “descriptor + color palette.”

The color palette descriptor could be a mood, such as happy, lively, moody, etc. Or you could go for a vibe, such as vibrant, neutral, minimal, warm. Or use a single color for a jumping-off point, such as earthy green, umber, blush pink, greige.

This is a perfect example of why an inspiration board is so important in communicating your desires to your website designer. In your mind, a vibrant color palette might look a lot different than in mine. By pinning specific color palettes it ensures everyone is on the same page.

When thinking about a color palette for your firm, simplicity is your friend. You and your projects should be the central focus of your online presence so you don’t want too many colors that could potentially distract from your brand. Having a primary color palette of just 3-5 colors will be sufficient. 

c) Font Inspiration

When searching for fonts you’ll want to use a similar tactic mentioned above. You can use a descriptor plus the word font or typography and you’ll be provided with hundreds of options to choose from. You can also search for “font pairings” and find perfectly curated fonts that pair well together.

d) Logo Inspiration

Last but not least you’ll want to search for logos that have a similar look and feel you’re after. While you can certainly search for “interior design logo inspiration” you might also try a vibe or mood here. Something like “minimal logo design” might get you closer to your desired results than just a traditional interior design logo.

If you’re the face of your brand and firm, searching for “personal brand logos” might also be helpful. 

I recommend jotting notes for this section, too. Which logo designs do you like above the others? Are there any parts of the logo design you don’t like? How are you envisioning your own logo design?

e) Print Design

If you’ll also be updating your printed marketing materials (business cards, note cards, letterhead, etc.) you should create one more section to your board called “Print Design.” This will help communicate your desired style with your brand designer. If you have any specific requests or desires for your print design, be sure to include those here.

Step 4: Refine your selections.

Once you’ve created your inspiration board and various sections, you’ll want to go back through and make refinements. Go through each section and remove anything that you don’t 100% love.

When working on your refinements your aim should be cohesiveness.

If you feel you need a few more ideas to round out your board, use Pinterest’s More Ideas function at the bottom of your screen to add a few more selections that are curated based on your previous selections.

Step 5: Share with your designer.

When you’ve completed your brand + website inspiration board the last step is to share it with your designer. If your board is public, you can simply share the link with them. If your board is secret, you can invite them to collaborate and they’ll be able to see your selections.

After going through this process, you’ll be one step closer to a refined brand and website that’s uniquely yours. If you’re ready to pair up with a brand and website designer to bring your vision to life, I’d love to chat. Click here to book a call.