It should come as no surprise that interior designers love Instagram. Rooted in aesthetics, Instagram is a visual playground for designers as an immediate and reliable source of inspiration. But designers aren’t the only ones enamored by the illustrious feeds of Instagram: Your followers have taken quite the liking too. The days of parsing through glossy copies of Elle Decor, dog-earing pages of Domino, and long visits to beautifully adorned designer showrooms are slowly dwindling. Now, more than ever before, clients are looking to Instagram to hire their next interior designer.
But while your followers may be quick to “like” your photos, the potential value that Instagram can provide to your interior design business extends far beyond how snackable your content is. When trying to build an audience, it’s easy to get swept up in the world of likes and comments – especially as a new designer – and there is no denying the benefit to a beautifully curated feed. But don’t overlook the value of authentic brand storytelling and engagement.
How to Use Instagram as an Interior Designer
As we previously shared with you, when utilized correctly, social media can have a tremendous impact on your business. But a strong Instagram presence requires more than just a photo upload or a barrage of hashtags. It’s a matter of striking a balance between self-promotion with a genuine story―no easy feat. It also requires an understanding of how to use the main page, where pictures are permanently stationed in a grid, and Instagram Stories, which are fleeting videos and pictures that users can access at the top of their home screen and which only last for 24 hours. After this time, the account holder can move chosen stories into a highlight reel which will appear towards the top of their profile above the main grid, providing additional portals of visual content that don’t have to fit in perfectly with the highly curated main grid.
Stories are a valuable tool for engaging with an audience, as they allow a designer to provide additional context to the glossy finished products they typically share on their main page, as well as show more personality and express the character of the firm and its employees. If done well, interior designers can use Instagram's different features to build authentic relationships with their audiences, and as a result garner more clients.
We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite interior designer Instagram accounts that do a seamless job of promoting their business while sharing their brand story and engaging with their audiences. So if you’re a new designer, or just looking for a way to liven up your firm’s social presence, we advise you scroll through some of the best interior design Instagram accounts, and take notes.
Interior Design Instagram Accounts to Learn From
Bria Hammel Interiors
The Bria Hammel Interiors Instagram screams quality. A great example of balance, their page boasts a wide range of content including project highlights, design inspiration, candid moments with family, personal travels and more. The main grid for Bria Hammel Interiors is dotted with photos of Bria herself posing in one of her perfectly composed spaces, adding a polished, yet personal touch to their page. The brand also regularly engages with its audience, actively responding to questions and comments and rewarding followers with giveaways.
Nicole Fuller Interiors
Nicole Fuller Interiors uses Instagram to not only show off its downtown-chic aesthetic, but to also illustrate the lifestyle its brand embodies. The main page shows off their finished projects, but also includes the occasional photo of other design items that reflect their brand. Their Instagram Stories feature plenty of photos of their inspiration, press features, and pictures of Nicole dressed in high fashion couture while out on town, exuding NYC glamour.
Alexa Hampton Interiors
Alexa Hampton Interiors has an Instagram page with everything a designer should have―BTS, travel, personal stories, project updates and more. What we love most though is how Hampton shares components of her design presentations with her audience, illustrating her creative journeys as she prepares for a project. She gives her followers an even greater appreciation for her work by taking them along the design journey―from conception to reality. Her Stories often feature “Ask Me Anything” segments, a Story feature available to all Ingram users but not often used by interior designers, where her audience can ask questions and engage with her one on one.
Annette English & Associates (AE+A)
Annette English & Associates (AE+A) does a fantastic job using Instagram to illustrate the building process behind their architectural interiors. Their main page is a perfect balance of finished products, inspiration, and the occasional process photo, while their Stories dive much deeper into their building process and how a project progresses over time. Those posts feature employees working behind the scenes (BTS, for social shorthand), letting viewers get to know the individuals who comprise their cohesive and successful team.
Sarah Sherman Samuel
Sarah Sherman Samuel has a wonderfully quirky, yet sophisticated aesthetic that she models to perfection on the main page of her Instagram. She also includes the occasional photo of how her spaces are lived in, which makes a great visual impact that draws the viewer in and creates a personal connection to her work. Her stories are a balance of process (heavy on materials selection), finished projects, inspiration, and press features. While many interior designers lean heavily on still photos for their stories, Sarah frequently posts videos that help to capture colors, textures, and other nooks and crannies of her work.
Kevin Isbell
Kevin Isbell is a must-follow on Instagram not only for design enthusiasts, but for anyone who enjoys a good laugh. His main page has plenty of glossy photos showing off his punchy take on a traditional aesthetic, with just a few photos of himself superimposed into spaces giving his commentary on his work, plus design do’s and don’ts! His Instagram Stories take this latter theme a step further, where Kevin is not afraid to share his opinions served with a stinging wit, side-splitting humor, and a gregarious smile. His personality surely shines, defining his individuality and creating a strong brand along the way.
When used the right way, Instagram is a great tool to help grow your business and gain more clients. Just remember to remain authentic, engage with your audience, and showcase both your work and your brand’s story. Finding the perfect balance will take some time and effort, but will pay dividends in the future. And be sure to follow Design Manager on Instagram and join in on the conversation.
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