You’ve probably heard that Pinterest is the newest darling of the social media world. It’s a visual-based system which makes it completely different from Facebook or Twitter. Pinterest is exactly what it sounds like: a virtual pinboard. It allows you to take images that you find anywhere online and collect them all in one spot. It’s a simple concept but it’s actually quite brilliant and can be used for many different purposes.

~ Our Pinterest account ~

So how can you use Pinterest? Pinterest is a great place to collect your favorite images of bedrooms, cute puppies, future vacation destinations or whatever else you like. It’s the perfect spot to collect ideas for your upcoming wedding or to post inspirational quotations. The choices are endless – which also means it can be confusing or overwhelming when you begin.

~ Blue Eyed Yonder via Pinterest ~

While there are lots of different ways to use Pinterest, this article is going to focus on how to use Pinterest specifically for interior design. It’s the perfect place for everyone to begin making a concept board or moodboard whether you are a professional or a DIY-enthusiast.

~ Apartment Therapy via Pinterest ~

1 – The first step (after signing up) is to create a pin board just for your project. Perhaps you are working on your living room. Begin by creating a board that you’ve named something easy to remember like “Living Room” or “My Project”.

~ Love From the Oven via Pinterest ~

2 – Now that you have your board set up, it’s time go out and start browsing for images. There are many ways to do this. Looking through interior design blogs o ronline magazines is a great way to start finding visual images. A Google image search can also work well or you can upload photos you’ve taken with your iPhone. Of course, you can always browse through Pinterest itself. Re-pinning other people’s pins is very quick and easy. Clicking on the Pinterest logo at the top will bring up the latest pins from you and the people you follow. Try the search box to look for specific items. Click on one of the categories like Home Décor to get some general images. If you really don’t know where to begin, try clicking on Everything (to find the latest pins from all users) or Popular (to get a look at what has the pinning world is currently going crazy for).

~ Mimi + Meg via Pinterest ~

3 – Pin your images! Use the Pin It bookmarklet to pin almost anything on the web. Pins are part fantasy so don’t be afraid to pin anything and everything you like. Go ahead and pin some items from fancy stores that are out of your budget, rooms by famous interior designers or a house that belongs to a celebrity. You should also pin individual items for your space – lighting, flooring, color schemes – as well as whole room photos with the style you are looking for. Just make sure that you make a note of the reasons why you chose your pin (Pinterest will prompt you to do this).

~ Lovely Clusters via Pinterest ~

4 – Invite others to pin. You can invite other users to help you pin to your board. This is a great way to collaborate on design ideas. Maybe you’ve hired an interior designer. Or perhaps you are hoping for the input of your husband, mother or best friend. Allowing others to pin can be very helpful for illustrating your ideas back and forth. Another option is to create two different pin boards and compare them. This part is especially helpful at speeding up with design process.

~ Project Nursery via Pinterest ~

5 – You can also go a step further and create a final pin board for your space. On this board you would only pin the items (sofa, lighting, rugs, paint colors etc.) that you have actually chosen. It’s a great way to ensure that you get a cohesive look for your project.

~ Houzz via Pinterest ~

6 – Create your shopping or to-do list and away you go!

Now that you are ready to use Pinterest, make sure you keep up with Cymax by following us here.