Desgn Life: Pinterest, oh, Pinterest

I have this new obsession ... it’s called Pinterest.

Now, I’m sure many of you are thinking ‘Pinterest?! I’ve been obsessed with that for months already!’, but it’s still relatively new to me.

Let me break it down in a nutshell for those that haven’t discovered this mesmerizing, time-sucker of a website: Pinterest is kind of like a virtual bulletin board, and on this board there are various different ‘categories’. And under these different categories members pin pictures, blogs, tutorials and inspiration for other members to see and share.

The cool part about this whole process is that you get to make your own boards, re-pinning and sharing other member’s posts, and adding your very own to the mix.

Sounds pretty basic, no? What’s there to get excited about, you’re asking right now?

You see, that’s exactly what I thought months ago when little blips and blurbs started popping up on different friends’ timelines and status bars on Facebook. I’d see comments made about this thing called ‘Pinterest’, and some cool photograph or website tagged to go along with it. Other friends would mention the amazing-sounding birthday cake they’d made for a party, the gorgeous paint colour they were now dying to try out, or show up with the cutest and fanciest looking pedicure around, and I’d ask "where did you see that!?".... Their replies would be nearly unanimous: ‘Pinterest!’

Now I’m a sucker for anything dedicated to interior design, décor, and interesting DIY projects, but know all too well just how sucked in you can get, spending hours poring over magazines, blogs, books, and surfing between HGTV shows. So that got me thinking... well, maybe I could have a little peek at this website. Not submit for a membership or anything now — that would be way too much commitment for me — but just spend a few minutes here and there looking for a few ideas. No harm done in staying current and inspired right?

Ha.

It was around midnight. I had just finished up a few estimates for design work (the best time to work on accounting is of course midnight), and thought why not log on and just see what’s out there before heading to bed? BIG MISTAKE. Two hours later I was still browsing. And I was hooked.

I’m not a scrapbooker, knitter, sewer, gardener, or purveyor of children’s crafts consisting of enough glitter, glue, and sparkles to make a life size glammed-out Barbie discotheque — which you might actually come across by the way. But, the design and décor ideas all over this site are amazing!

You can find everything — and I literally mean everything — on Pinterest: colour combinations, savvy lighting fixtures, window treatments, stenciled wood floors and tables, upholstered furniture, artwork and display ideas, delicious looking kitchens, spa-like bathrooms, wall papered ceilings, yummy home decor ideas ... the pins are endless!

I’ve created a bunch of my own boards now and have even started amassing numerous pins for most of them. If you’re curious as to what a designer likes to pin, some of my boards are titled Fave Kitchens, Fave Living/Dining Spaces, Clever!!, Design Must-Tries, Cute & Savvy, and Beach House Love (a nod to my other obsession), among a few others, and can be seen on my profile.

So, as the story goes, I caved. I submitted for a membership to use the site entirely, and not be limited to only viewing the main pages. It’s totally free, and you have to request an invite to be a member — which in itself is a process I believe only exists to make you more Pinterest-obsessed while you wait a day or two for it to be approved. But once it is, you’re in! Be prepared for losing a few hours of your life the first few times you log into your new-found fixation — and possibly only one or so all subsequent other times thereafter.

A fixation it is, believe me. But it is one of those really great feel-good obsessions, like licking cookie dough off a spoon, or helping little old ladies carry groceries in the parking lot.

And just a word of caution: If anyone out there is prone to or susceptible to hoarding, beware ... I think Pinterest might just be the new virtual hoarder’s paradise. I don’t consider myself a pack rat in reality, but there’s something so gratifying and fulfilling about the 20 new pins you just added to your ‘Must do DIY’ board, no amount of Sarah 101 or Design Guys can inspire such confidence in your home décor and design ability...

So there you have it: if you ever wondered what designers do at midnight on weeknights ... they’re working on estimates, sending off drawings that were clearly delayed previously in the day, likely eating something sugary for an energy jolt ... and they’re ‘Pinteresting’.

For those that know my new-found passion, pin on! And for those that need a new hobby, are looking for some nifty ideas or ways to show off the nifty ideas they already have, or jonesing for an insomnia distraction — try it ... you’ll see!

Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition June 30, 2012