A mood board is a collection of images, photographs, styles, ideas, colours, fabrics, textures and patterns that you like, that inspire you - this can be anything from a picture cut from a magazine, photos taken when you’re out and about or a colour of something you own that you love. A mood board is the start of your design journey. It’s a great tool to help you discover your own sense of style, as well as being a great way you help others understand you style.
To begin, simply start collecting lots of stuff that you like; magazines, samples, photographs, fabrics – anything at all that you like. Use social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. You can print out anything you like or simply stick to creating boards digitally on these sites.
Whether you choose to go the digital route or the traditional the principle is the same. Look at your favourite things; is there a colour or an object that you love that could be the starting point for your new design? We have had clients base their new kitchen design on a painting or piece of art, another took inspiration was their collection of Le Creuset crockery. This can be the centre of your mood board and then you build around it.
Example Bedroom Inspiration Pinterest Mood Board.
If you don’t have anything that you want in your new space then is there anything you have been yearning for for years? A particular type of tile, a kitchen island, a bedroom with integrated workstation, an appliance; for example a large American style refrigerator? If so, get this onto your mood board. It doesn’t even need to be an item it could be a style; for example open plan or industrial chic.
Example kitchen inspiration Pinterest mood board.
Look at wallpapers, flooring, paints and colours, fabrics, swatches, door handles, tiles, metals…anything you’d like to include in the décor (or think you want to include).
Before you share your mood board, edit, edit, edit! Look at everything you have gathered and remove the things you don’t like so much. Be ruthless, something you quite like doesn’t belong on the board. Ensure what is remaining reflects your style and what you want your dream room to look like. You may need to revisit and edit it several times before you are 100% happy with it.
Your mood board is a great place to start when putting the design of your room together, do share it with your designer.
You will find lots of inspiration and examples of projects that we have completed on our Instagram page; finefinishfurniture. https://www.instagram.com/finefinishfurniture/
