Oh, Pinterest! You’ve been the reason a lot of us can’t get stuff done, the reason for yummy recipes, and the reason we think we can tackle projects that we’re not quite qualified for (#Pinterestfail).

When Pinterest first became popular, I spent an embarrassingly amount of time browsing the different categories. I have really stepped away from it for the last couple of years until this project started. Okay, that’s not exactly true. I used Pinterest for wedding inspiration, which also made me decide to write this post.

How many weddings have you been to in the last five years where you sat and thought how it was something right off Pinterest? I can tell you that I have been to plenty. Now, I do realize some people really loved the style they chose that was also super popular at the time they planned. I also feel like a lot of people choose a style simply because it is popular. This was my fear with house planning. I would see stuff on Pinterest and think it was really cool or really pretty. Did that mean I loved it? No. I would start seeing stuff over and over, though, and it would grow on me or I thought it was the new thing to do. I quickly saw how Pinterest could start to shape how I planned my house. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone but I’m awful about people pleasing and have low confidence when it comes to decorating and interior design. To say I’m easily persuaded or indecisive would be an understatement.

So, where am I going with this? If you’re anything like me, here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way about using Pinterest for renovations or for building your next home.

1. Look up specific things

Here’s an example that just happened last week. I knew I wanted a shiplap and brick combo fireplace. Yes, shiplap is the “trendy” thing right now, but we’ve always loved it and we’re using wood from the trees we had to cut down. I was sure about the shiplap and whitewashing the existing brick but I wasn’t sure about what to do for a mantle. I searched for shiplap fireplaces on Pinterest to get an idea on how different mantles looked on shiplap. Narrowing your search to specific things helps keep to your vision. If I just searched fireplaces, there would be several different ways of doing things and knowing me, I might have changed my mind. Also, just my opinion, try to avoid just browsing the “Home” tab. If you need to do a broader search for something, just go that route. Some of my best broad searches have been for organization options for the home and bathroom designs. Looking at ways to organize closets and rooms helped me with a lot of my house planning and now with our finishes we choose to do.

2. Create a shared board

Having a board that you can share with your contractor, husband, or sub-contractors can make things easier to keep organized versus them having to go through a ton of emails to find that one picture. There would be times I was laying in bed, unable to sleep, and I would see something I loved but didn’t want to forget to mention to Rusty. I would pin these ideas and made sure to write a personalized comment. I find that part to be the most important. Leaving the previous person’s comment can clutter and confuse communications with your team. Same with our sub-contractors. I found tile to be overwhelming. I would pin different tile showers I liked and commented on what parts I liked and didn’t like. When I went to meet with our tile designer, this information helped her point me in the right direction.

3. Find several versions of your idea

Your contractor will thank you for this one! I knew I wanted a walk-in shower with NO GLASS! I am so over cleaning class. Even if I squeegee every time, I still get those annoying hard water spots. As I tried to explain my idea to Rusty, I could see the confusion in his face. He wasn’t sure how that was going to work because he had never seen one. Once he understood how it would work, he wasn’t sure how it would work in our space. I found several examples, pinned them to our board, and he was able to use a few pieces of each example to design ours so it would fit perfectly in our bathroom. Sometimes you need to see the same thing is a few different houses to figure out how it will work in yours. Sometimes seeing the same thing in a few different houses will inspire you to come up with a new idea.

The bottom line…

Browsing Pinterst isn’t a bad thing! Just be sure to be realistic with what you can and can not do. Also, don’t let what everyone else is doing persuade you to do something you don’t truly love (maybe if I type that 50 more times, I’ll start listening to myself). 🙂

What are some of your favorite Pinterest tips?