Flummoxed by colour choices? Just can’t seem to pull that room together? When you are looking for decorating inspiration but coming up short, it’s time to shake up things. Get unstuck at a flash by trying any of these 10 creative rut-busting activities, and discuss your personal tips and stories in the Comments section. Let us begin.

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1. Attend a local layout occasion. From vacation home tours to interior design showcases, festivals, walking tours, excursions and more, there is sure to be something worth checking out this year. Pick one that looks interesting and encourage a design-loving friend to go together.

Get started by checking the Events page for enjoyable upcoming events.

Rikki Snyder

2. Go to a flea market, antiques fair or entertaining vintage shop. Nowhere has more inner inspiration than a good flea market. The wild mishmash of vibrant china and textiles, worn wood furniture and ephemera is sure to spark a fresh idea or two — and you may even come home with a new treasure.

3. Intentionally follow your own curiosity. Take a small field trip to your favorite bookstore, but rather than zeroing in on your favorite section straight away, let yourself wander. Be open to anything that catches your attention or draws you in, and investigate it further. The magazine racks are a great place to begin, since it’s possible to grab a couple of magazines on new-to-you themes for just a few bucks. Widening your attention can have surprising results — perhaps you will find the perfect kitchen colour scheme in a knitting magazine, or bedroom inspiration at a book of travel photography.

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4. Be inspired by music. It might not translate into a room scheme, but fantastic music can call to mind a mood, style, feeling or perhaps the colours of a space. Your favorite songs (whatever the genre) can also give you an unbelievable increase when your spirits are flagging — all the more reason to cue up the tunes.

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5. Take a photography walk. Go to a neighborhood you don’t usually see, camera tow, and then snap photos of whatever that visually inspires you, whether it’s a beautiful landscape, striking architecture or perhaps creative graffiti.

Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

6. Drink up inspiration at a local café. Designers work hard to create cafés and restaurants deliciously appealing, and the finest are stuffed to the brim with fantastic ideas to bring home. If it’s a little thing you prefer, making a mental note is fine; but in the event that you really love a space, have a picture or 2.

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7. Get outside. Time spent in character is not just restorative; in addition, it can provide inspiration for colour palettes and garden layout. Country street, dense woods, botanical garden — try different places to learn what appeals to you most.

8. Visit an art gallery, a museum or even a craft exhibition. A curated art exhibition always leaves me feeling unnaturally complete and inspired. Explore something which sounds fascinating or perhaps something that you haven’t paid attention to before. Sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, woodworking, art glass … the possibilities are endless.

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Washi Tape Assortment by Sticker Stop – $8.50

9. Look at craft supplies — even if you are not a crafter. Simply because you’re not working on a job does not mean that you should lose out on all those luscious colours, textures and patterns in the aisles of your regional arts and crafts shop. No wonderful crafts shops near you? Hop online and explore the world of crafty sites instead.

Rikki Snyder

10. Utilize a industry bouquet to play with colour. Rather than plunking the entire thing in a single vase, use the next market bouquet you buy as an opportunity to experiment with colour combinations. Group the blossoms in distinct ways, snip some brief, try out unusual containers and determine what appeals to you. If you hit on an arrangement you really like, have a few photos to commemorate the moment — and possibly inspire a future paint colour or throw pillow.

Bosworth Hoedemaker

Going further: Stay organized in a way that inspires you. Whether you prefer hunting for inspiration on the internet, on paper or both, what you do with the material you collect after the fact matters. For some, a classic trunk crammed with all sorts of assorted treasures is the best thrill, while others may see beauty in a row of slender presentation binders, neatly labeled and classified. Online, take some time to curate and organize your bookmarks and ideabooks in a way which makes sense to you.

Inform us : How can you get inspired? What’s your favorite idea for getting out of a creative rut?

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