Do you often find yourself wasting time staring at a blank computer screen and thinking that you should really start making those Reels for your Instagram, but you never actually get around to creating any?
It’s true that Reels and short-form video content are some of the best ways to grow your audience on Instagram. Considering the stiff competition you might be facing from your competition’s other channels, such as TikTok or even YouTube Shorts, Reels can easily attract attention to your profile.
Think for a moment about how you navigate the social media scene. Do you usually check out the static feed first or watch Reels? Your followers are likely following suit – which means you cannot afford to miss out on meeting them there or even getting in new business!
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Videos are always a big drawcard and so easy to digest compared to other content types. And as an interior designer, you know that Reels are prime opportunities to create awareness for your brand.
Now, while it might seem like an easy task for some people to create Reels, we totally understand if you feel stuck for ideas. Just as you might experience writer’s block for captions, it might feel like the muse is missing when it comes to getting creative with Reels… But no worries designer, consider yourself covered with today’s blog!
Below we are sharing 10 home decor Reel ideas that you can totally steal for your interior design business (we won’t tell!). They are easy to make, and you can tweak them as needed to align with your brand messaging and personality.
Instagram Reels ideas for interior designers
1. Making a mood board
Mood boards and flat lays can be a great part of your content arsenal. You are probably making them anyway for your client projects, and they are easy to share on social media.
To make your mood board Reels, just put your phone on a tripod and record yourself while putting a flat lay together. Use the finished flat lay as a cover image of your Reel and add a text hook such as “Come join me while making a mood board” or “Watch me while I work on this gorgeous flat lay” – something that makes people feel that they are part of the process and curious to watch the whole Reel.
If you are a virtual designer, you can also show how you are creating a digital mood board in Canva – just use your phone to record a timelapse of you working on the mood board on your computer, add a voiceover where you explain more about why you chose the elements you did, add some trending music in the background and voila – your mood board Reel is done!
2. Styling tutorial
Styling tutorials are always popular as they are the kind of content that people like to save for later. And saving content, believe it or not, is even more important than the number of likes it gets, as far as the algorithm is concerned.
Therefore, sharing content that teaches people something new or gives them advice that they can use later, or share with a friend, is seen as highly valuable by Instagram.
With interior design styling tutorials, you can be as creative as you want – you can go crazy with transitions, narrations, and visual and sound effects, but you can also make them very simple if you are not confident about your video-making skills.
The important thing is to always prioritize sharing value. You could also go a step further and create a series of How-to Reels where you share, for example, how to choose a rug with different living room layouts or how to choose the right paint color for different types of spaces.
3. Questions & answers
There are several ways you can use Reels to connect with your audience and showcase your expertise, and Q&As are great ways to build trust and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Start by answering frequently asked questions that your clients have about interior design. Maybe you get a lot of questions about choosing paint colors or buying furniture – you can expand on any question, and provide more tips and advice in your Reels.
You can also ask your followers to submit their own questions using the question sticker in your Stories. This is an awesome way to engage with your audience and get an idea of the topics they are interested in. Then, you can answer those questions in a Reel and send the Reel to people who submitted questions to boost the engagement even more.
Also, consider promoting an upcoming Reel in your organic content to get extra eyeballs on your content – create a static post or preview post to let your followers know that all of their burning questions are about to be answered!
4. A day in your life
You read that right – you can be one of the most interesting “topics” to feature in your Reels content!
Your followers might be curious about what you get up to every day, how you work, or even what it looks like inside your studio or home.
This type of Reel can provide an inside look at your daily routine, and show your followers what goes into your work.
You can, for instance, take viewers behind the scenes of a design project you are working on to show the process of choosing materials, making decisions, sketching ideas, or creating a design concept.
You can also show how you are getting your favorite coffee, walking your dog, or prepping your family dinner – really, whatever else goes into your day!
Don’t be afraid to get personal and show what makes you and your design business unique. The purpose of A Day in Your Life kind of Reel is to build a stronger connection with your audience and attract people who might be a good fit for your business.
So, let your personality shine, as well as your love for interior design and the work that you do!
5. Before and after with a fun transition
A before-and-after transformation is one of the best kinds of Reels you can create, as it shows your design skills and makes for great scroll-stopping content.
Use these Reels to highlight the key design changes that you made in your projects, whether they are changes to the color scheme of a room, switching up a furniture arrangement, bringing in new lighting fixtures, or anything else. You can add a voiceover or use text overlays to explain the design choices that you made and highlight the specific features of the space that you wanted to emphasize.
To make your before and after Reels more engaging, try different transitions. For example, use a swipe transition to reveal the before and after photos side by side, or use a zoom in/out transition to highlight the transformation of specific details in the space.
Some other transitions you could try are a wipe transition, where you’ll wipe one photo away to reveal the other, or a split-screen transition where you divide the screen into two parts and show the before and after photos side by side.
Don’t forget to add a text overlay with the words Before & After on the cover photo of your Reel so people know what to expect and are more motivated to watch it.
6. Introduce yourself
Maybe you’ve never done an introduction post, or a lot of time has passed and you’ve gained new followers who don’t know you that well.
An introduction Reel is an opportunity to give your followers a glimpse into who you are, what inspires you, and what sets you apart from other designers in the industry.
Choose your own ratio of personal versus business details in your introduction Reel, but make sure you include both. You can briefly showcase your favorite projects and summarize your design journey so far.
Once published, you can pin your introduction Reel to the top of your grid so when someone new lands on your profile they are more likely to watch this Reel and get to know you better.
7. Your design process explained in 10 seconds
This is your chance to show your followers and potential clients what is involved in your design process and why they should hire an expert instead of trying to do it all themselves.
In this Reel, you can give a brief overview of how you work – from an initial meeting, through concept creation and sourcing, to the final project reveal.
You can also highlight the general benefits of working with an interior designer, explain how you solved specific design challenges in your past project, or highlight how your design choices helped to improve the functionality and flow of the space.
All of this will tell your audience that you truly are a professional and help them gain trust in your home decor business.
8. Seasonal styling transformation
Seasonal styling Reels can be about updating home decor, furniture, or color schemes to reflect the changing seasons and create a fresh and inviting look for a home.
For example, you can create a Reel that shows the transformation of your home from a cozy winter sanctuary to a bright and sunny spring haven.
You can use props and accessories to highlight the key design changes that you made and share tips on how to achieve a similar result in your own home.
This seasonal transformation doesn’t even have to be a big project spanning your whole house. Feel free to focus just on one room or space within a room to start small. You can, for instance, show how you updated a mantel with natural accessories and warm textures for Thanksgiving, or how you transformed a master bedroom into a cozy fall retreat.
9. Tips on how to use artwork in interior design
As an interior designer, you likely have experience with using artwork in your client projects, and you know that it can be a powerful element to add personality, color, and visual interest to a space.
Using artwork in interiors is one of the subjects that you might deal with often in your work, but you might have noticed that there isn’t that much content about it on Instagram.
This gives you an opportunity to share your own tips and help establish your authority on all things artwork and interior design.
In your Reel, you can share tips on how to use artwork with a goal in mind, whether it’s to add pops of color to a room, create a focal point, or add personality and reflect your client’s style.
10. Tour of your home or studio
A tour of your own home or your design studio will help your followers get a more personal look at your brand, meaning it will be easier for them to trust you.
In a sense, this is a similar type of content to A Day In Your Life and the Introduction Reel – all of them serve the purpose of showing your followers the human side of your business to build the trust factor.
If you are a very private person, don’t worry – it’s always up to you what you choose to show and you don’t have to show more than you’re comfortable with. You can also always edit your footage to show only those parts you feel good about.
Use the Instagram app or external apps like InShot to cut your footage and join your clips into a seamless Reel. You can also add your favorite music or on-screen captions to make the Reel more engaging and interesting to watch.
Bonus tips for how to make your Reels stand out
Whichever idea you choose to start with, there are some things to be mindful of when creating Reels.
In general, the goal of your Reels is to attract new people to your profile and make them curious to learn more about your brand and follow your account. Whether your Reel will achieve this comes down to the quality of your footage, your editing skills, and, of course, the subject of your Reel.
Think about who your ideal client is and what types of content will resonate with them. For example, if your ideal clients are young families, talk about how to create warm and functional family spaces, instead of the latest trends in high-end, luxury design.
Then, think about how you can make your Reels visually appealing. Use high-resolution videos and images, add text overlays or animations, and fun transitions to make people stop scrolling.
Keep your Reels brief and to the point. The best-performing Reels are typically between 15 to 30 seconds long, so you should focus on sharing just one key idea or message in each Reel. If you have more content you’d like to share, you can always break it up into multiple Reels or create a series of Reels to keep your audience engaged and interested.
Don’t be afraid to add some personality to your Reels either. You can include a voiceover and share some of the challenges that you encountered during your projects or talk about the inspiration that you looked up to. Adding little personal details can help build a stronger connection with your audience and make your Reels more memorable.
And, finally, encourage your audience to take action, whether it’s to follow your Instagram profile, visit your website, or book a discovery call. Use calls to action in the Reels footage as well as in your Reels caption to encourage your audience to engage with you and take the next step towards becoming a client. Grab our list of caption hooks to get inspired!
Ready to get creative with your interior design Reels?
You don’t have to be an expert video maker to create content that will grow your following. With just a bit of creativity and an idea of what you want to achieve, you can create great, attention-grabbing Reels.
Take some time to experiment to see what works best for your interior design brand. Remember, Reels are not one-size-fits-all, so consider what would work best for your brand and make it attractive to potential clients!
