What Inspires You Contest Archives

The “What Inspires You” contest is an unbelievable opportunity. In fact, we’re a little blown away by it! Submit an image (entry form here) and 100 words explaining why the image inspires you, and you could be one step closer to winning a 10-day trip to Paris, a visit to Maison & Objet, and a $10,000 cash prize.

The contest is sponsored by Design-Sherpa, and open to everyone, professional or consumer, with an inspired design sensibility. And it only takes a moment to participate.

Here’s an example of a great entry:

Infinite possibility. A blank slate. A fresh canvas. These are my inspirations. What could this room be? Who will visit? What memories will be created here? In the quiet moments of standing in a room-to-be, a million possibilities flash like a old movie reel though my mind. In a split second this room could conjure a french market cafe, a morroccan riad, Notting Hill, a Soho loft. Will the room say mid-century Eames? Classic Dorothy Draper? Cool Vicente Wolf? Or maybe pop art campy kitsch? This is my room and this room allows me to dream.

Now it’s time to get your own ideas cranking. Take a moment to find a photo that inspires you, then explain why in 100 words or less. It could be an elegant living room. A beautiful arrangement of flowers. A formal garden. A kitchen where family recipes come to life. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Judges include At Home editor Diane Carroll, and Arkansas-based Tobi Fairley of Tobi Fairley Interior Design.

The deadline is June 21. Quarter-finalists will be contacted on July 19. Good luck!

Who is eligible?

Anyone passionate and inspired by interior design (18+ years of age and U.S. resident)

How to Enter? How to Win?

To enter is simple. Submit an image that inspires you and 100 words of copy that accompany it. Click here for entry form. Top 100 submissions will move to the next round. For details on subsequent rounds refer to official contest rules. One grand prize winner will be chosen in November, 2010 for the trip and $10,000. What are you waiting for? You have nothing to lose, and everything to WIN!

Contest Sponsor

Design Sherpa is the leading provider of turn-key social media marketing programs for the design community and industries. Through parent company Network Communications Inc., Sherpa solutions have helped hundreds of small to medium sized businesses take advantage of the revolution in social media.

Contest Updates

Contest Updates are posted periodically at the Design Sherpa website and includes notes, comments, observations and updates from the sponsor and from participants.

July has been a month of contests.

First there was our Arkansas’ Best contest, and all the fun of working with those winners (several of them screamed when they found out they won…it was like working for Publishers Clearing House for a day, we loved it!!).

And the last two weeks, I’ve been judging entries for the What Inspires You? blog contest.

Entrants chose a favorite visual and then described in 100 words or less why it inspired them. As you can imagine, the photos were incredibly diverse—from a horny toad to lots of natural vistas to self portraits to technology to celebrities… (isn’t this photo grand?)

The other judges and I have rounded up our favorite 150 entries and future blog challenges and judging will follow (and the winner will ultimately win $10,000 and a fab trip to Paris…sigh, but I’ll live vicariously through their blog posts—and I’ll update you too).

In the meantime, I thought you might like to take a peek at some of the visuals I personally found the most inspiring. (And because I am through and through a home design editor, they were usually homes and gardens)