Where to Start When Designing a Space: Designers Share Their Go-To Sources of Inspiration

Every beautifully designed house starts somewhere—but that “somewhere” can look very different depending on the designer, the home, and the people who live there. For some, it’s a gorgeous rug or a striking wallpaper. For others, it’s the architecture itself, a meaningful art collection, or even the surrounding landscape. No matter what the seed of inspiration might be, a designer’s starting point reflects a deeper philosophy: great design starts with intention.

We asked a group of top interior designers one simple question: Where do you begin when designing a room? Their responses reveal how inspiration can come from many places, yet always leads toward one cohesive vision. 

Blue Hour Design: Sense of Place & Architectural History

For Blue Hour Design, this project began with honoring the home’s history and its relationship to the landscape. In this lakeside retreat in Upstate New York, the design was rooted in preserving the spirit of the original summer camp while thoughtfully refining it for modern family living.

“The clients engaged us to create a series of structures that thoughtfully bridge Ralph Lauren–inspired traditional design with the ease and informality of a relaxed family lake house,” Blue Hour shares. “Central to the design is a deep respect for the home’s sense of place and history.”

The design began with architectural decisions such as replicating the original narrow windows and reclaiming flooring, beams, and stone to maintain continuity across the property. “The result is a lakeside retreat that honors its past while blending traditional refinement with the casual warmth expected of lakeside living.”

Rather than removing an existing fishing cabin, the team chose to rebuild and reimagine it as a sunset retreat and overflow guest space perched above the water. By pairing rustic elements with refined furnishings, Blue Hour Design created a timeless lakeside home that balances classic elegance with the relaxed, lived-in comfort of lake life.

Laurie Gorelick: Color & Art

For Laurie Gorelick of Laurie Gorelick Interiors, art and color are always the beginning. “Color and art are always the starting point for the design process,” Gorelick shares. In her own Cape Cod breakfast room, a collection of four architectural prints with black matte frames served as the jumping-off point. The artwork visually anchors the space, grounding the furnishings while setting the tone.

(Interior Design: Laurie Gorelick Interiors, Photography: Dan Cutrona)

The black frames are echoed throughout the room, in the chairs and wicker pendant, creating continuity against crisp white walls. From there, Gorelick layered in vibrant color and pattern, from a coral sideboard to chevron upholstery and floral window panels. The joyful, layered space shows how even simple black-and-white art can be elevated through thoughtful color and pattern.

Heather Vaughan Interiors: Grounding Elements

For Heather Vaughan of Heather Vaughan Interior Design, the rug is often the heart of the room and the spark that sets everything else in motion. “We began, as we find we always do, with a beautiful handmade rug,” Vaughan notes. In this dining room for a young couple who wanted an elegant, entertaining-ready space, a one-of-a-kind rug from Landry & Arcari became the catalyst. “We consider a rug much like a piece of art…a one of a kind element, the impetus for our design scheme.”

To balance the rug’s bold color and movement, Heather collaborated with Julie Mussafer of Jules Place to select impactful artwork, commissioning a stunning diptych to complete the vision. “The room is colorful but restrained, visually impactful yet balanced,” says the designer.

Kotzen Interiors: Functionality & Client Taste

Barbara Kotzen of Kotzen Interiors’s process begins with clarity and intention. “When initially designing a room with a client, I need to establish the purpose for the room, style of the client and their color palette.”

By first defining how the space will be used and how the client wants it to feel, Kotzen creates a strong foundation before selecting fabrics and wallpapers. “From there I begin selecting fabrics and wallpapers to begin the foundation of the space.”

Her method ensures that every design choice balances function and form, resulting in spaces that feel as beautiful as they look.

Interiology Design Co.: Personal Inspiration and Statement Wallpaper

For Interiology Design Co., the starting point often comes from the client’s personal inspiration, or a bold design commitment.

In one kitchen renovation, the homeowners’ love of British Racing Green cars sparked the entire concept. That inspiration translated into dramatic custom cabinetry, combining a near-black stain with their British Racing-inspired green. “They went bold with a striking combination of an almost-black stain mixed with their beloved dark green on custom cabinetry,” the designers note.

In another project, the inspiration was more tactile: wallpaper. “Driven by the must-have flocked wallpaper, the room was built around the pattern,” says Interiology. The modern interpretation of a waterfront motif informed everything from the teal and dove gray palette to the lavender shag rug, metallic grasscloth walls, and understated upholstery, proving that one strong design element can anchor an entire room.

Warrior Design & Decor: Structure & Surroundings

For Kelly Laurence of Warrior Design & Decor, inspiration begins long before furnishings or finishes—it starts with the home itself and what surrounds it. “When designing a room, I embrace, not what is already in it, but the bones of the home and natural grounds around it,” says Laurence.

In this Cape Cod second-story reading room, the coastal views became an undeniable focal point. Rather than competing with the scenery, the palette and textures were chosen to amplify the room’s connection to the coastline. “The views are the show stopper,” says the designer. “In order to create this sanctuary and embrace the sense of calm, I chose a palette and textures that would not compete with the natural coastline.”

That same philosophy guided a kitchen renovation inspired by the home’s exterior. “I took the tones of the stone foundation of the impressive home on the hill and brought them into the heart of the home.” By carrying those colors from the center of the house into each space, sometimes enhancing certain tones more than others, Warrior Design & Decor creates a cohesive flow throughout the entire home.

(Interior Design: Warrior Design & Decor, Architect: DeOrsay Campbell Smith Architects, Builder: FBN Construction, Photography: Nat Rea)