Trying to find inspiration for a new décor can be difficult at times, where to you begin to look? Well, apparently it's in your neighbours home.
Home and Garden on Female First
New research has revealed that we get most of our inspiration, everything from sofa colours to wallpapers and colour schemes to throws, from our friends.
More than a quarter admitted to copycat purchases that were directly inspired by furnishings and ornaments that they first spotted at a neighbour’s house.
But the research also discovered that most women would prefer to keep their style spying a carefully guarded secret from those closest to them, with only one in three admitting they come clean.
This ruthless pursuit of style emerged in a study of 2,000 women by Homesense to find the inspiration behind their home furnishing.
Keeping up with the Jones’ is nothing new. Stealing design ideas has been around since time began.
Jenny Spiers, Manager of Marketing, from Homesense, said: “Keeping up with the Jones’ is nothing new. Stealing design ideas has been around since time began. People tend to copy interiors they have seen in the flesh, rather than on TV shows and magazines. Those looks are attainable and more cost effective to copy.
“Women often keep their style stealing from their friends, and take credit for their stylish interiors all be themselves.
“Lamps and picture frames are definitely easier to copy without being spotted, those little bits that can really bring a room to life”.
Colour schemes were the most popular thing for women to steal from their neighbours with nearly a third of women admitting their house had been painted a certain shade after spotting it on someone else’s wall first. A fifth say they have invited themselves over to their neighbours house for the sole purpose of checking out their décor while a similar amount said they keep an eye out for any sofas or furniture that their neighbours get delivered.
Women are more likely to look for inspiration from neighbours and friends that have houses with a similar layout and design and the research revealed that women are just as likely to copy their friends when it comes to landscaping the garden. Nearly half of women say they are comfortable asking people where they have bought certain items and 41 per cent day they would ask someone the price of an item if they wanted to buy it themselves.
It also emerged that 37 per cent of women had spotted that a friend or neighbour had copied what they had done with their home by buying the same ornaments, picture frames or furniture. While some said they were infuriated by it most said they considered it a compliment or just laughed it off.
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