This Creative Director Is One of Instagram’s Best Curators
Color therapy.
Published Sep 20, 2019 11:16 AM
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When it comes to style, everything is interconnected. This is especially apparent to Hélène Rebelo, the French creative designer who manages not just one but four different Instagram accounts—all of which display an impressive mastery of color, form, and a certain je ne sais quoi.
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Rebelo is the purveyor of two Domino-approved online shops—the hyper-curated Cool Machine Shop and the vintage homeware haven Objeto Moderno. Her curated finds display a love of punchy colors and Bauhaus-inspired silhouettes, as well as some other more niche, quirky inspirations, like floral granny sofas and the occasional, surprisingly cute ’80s office interior.
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In addition to her shops, Rebelo also uses one account purely for visual inspiration collection and curation, @chairandshirt. Here, the self-proclaimed “image collector” arranges found images, from runway shots to old magazine scans, in blocks of cohesive color palettes. Scrolling through an Instagram grid has never been quite so satisfying. “This is something I do naturally and with passion,” Rebelo says of her digital cataloging. “Just keep your eyes wide open—there are a lot of beautiful things to discover.”
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Realistically, though, it can be easy to fall into rabbit holes on social media and a bit more complicated to find the inspiration you’re seeking. Rebelo’s curated accounts are a perfect example of how digital deep dives can help you to curate virtual mood boards that inform your next creations or ventures. Take a cue from her work and you might just end up reinvigorating your own social strategy. Below, she shares some of her tips for finding inspiration online.
Make Use of Hashtags
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You’re likely already following plenty of accounts that bring you daily inspiration—after all, that’s one of the biggest purposes of social media. But Rebelo suggests going a step further. “I am always looking for images that inspire me for all my different accounts, so I follow a lot of creative studios, architects, designers, artists, or images collectors,” she says. “I also follow specific hashtags, which are linked to my work for Cool Machine, like #bauhaus or #memphismilano, which are the most inspirational movements I reference when curating my shop.”
If you want to curate a saved board or even a full-on account that captures a specific kind of style, home in on what you’re looking for and follow a few chosen hashtags. Might we suggest starting off with #SOdomino?
Go Beyond the Bubble
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Inspiration, of course, isn’t found in a vacuum, and when you’re searching for your own, it’s important not to limit yourself too much. “Online, I use a lot Pinterest, in addition to Instagram,” she says, “I find inspiration everywhere, as much in fashion as in art. I think all these worlds are linked and they inspire each other.”
Look outside your usual resources if you’re feeling in a creative rut. A nature documentary or a trip to the museum might be what you need when endless scrolling leads you nowhere.
Make Organizing Fun
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To make sense of everything, a bit of organization goes a long way and can help compartmentalize your inspiration. “My guiding threads are mainly shapes, colors, and how they create an interesting palette,” Rebelo says. “My favorite accounts are those that tell a story.”
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Rebelo’s different accounts—her personal, @coolmachineshop, @objetomoderno, and @chairandshirt—all tell different stories, though their approaches to curation do show similarities. Whether you decide to revamp your Pinterest boards or simply add categorizations to your Instagram saved folder, you might just gain brand-new ideas. That, after all, is the fun in curation.
See more Instagram inspiration: Calling It: These Are the 11 Best Interior Designers to Follow on Instagram This Color Palette Is Taking Over My Instagram “Saved” Folder 10 Playful Illustrators That Will Infuse Your Instagram Feed With Color