As someone who loves to plan things out, I always find creating a mood board incredibly helpful! And when it comes to interior design using a mood board is one of the most simple ways to not only put your ideas together. But also to make sure those ideas work well together!
But it’s often a step that’s missed when it comes to bringing a room together. Creating an interior mood board should actually be the first step when it comes to designing a space! (In my opinion). It sets a clear direction for the style of the space.
Having a mood board will help save time and money in the long run when decorating your room. And it’s fun! Here are some tips on how to create a mood board for interior design!
How to Create a mood board for Interior design
1. gathering your Inspiration
Ok! First off are ideas. Very important! If you haven’t already got an idea or a style of what you want for the room then this part is going to take a bit of time.
Often people jump straight into the furniture and interior side of things when making a mood board. Unless you already know the design direction of where its going, then think outside the box of just “interior” images. Just start by picking out things that speak to you and get you excited. Try mixing a few interior images with more abstract ideas like nature and fashion.
Another way to start off your interior mood board is choosing 3 to 5 descriptive words. Describing how you want you space to look and feel. Then start pulling all images that you feel embody those words.
How to find inspiration?
Where do you go for inspiration? Everywhere! Online and offline. Pinterest is a favourite when it comes down to inspiration. Of course it can be from blogs, photography, fashion and travel.
You might already have an item as centre piece to your inspiration. An heirloom, a piece of jewellery, a furniture piece or fabric or wallpaper you love.
You can start with a Pinterest board and pulling your ideas all together. Or just a folder on your computer or phone. For any inspiration items you’ve found offline just remember to take a photo to put with the rest of your ideas.
Look at nature. From there you can pull out shapes, colours, textures and so much more.
2. REFINING AND Focus
Now that you have put some of your favourite ideas together you can focus in on what you like. What are your absolute favourite images? What do you like about those images? And what ideas and details can you pull from those ideas that will work in your space?
This can be colour, shapes and textures that you can bring into the design of your room. You can also start cutting other ideas that you may like but don’t quite work with the bigger idea. There should be a few recurring styles and ideas that you feel sit well together.
3. WHAT’S THE Feeling OF YOUR ROOM?
Remember that the mood board isn’t just about furniture selections and styles it’s more about the feeling. What feeling do you get when looking at the mood board? Is that the feeling you want for you room?
Play about with the images and until you’re happy with the layout and how it looks and feels. It might be an idea to a put together a couple of mood boards before you decide on a look that will suit the room.
4. Furniture Selections
Now that you have your favourite images selected, you can use a mood board template to create your start point. When it comes to furniture it helps to make a separate furniture mood board.
Once you have the basis of how you want the room to look and feel now you can make those all important selections on actual colours, finishes and materials. This is how your mood board will keep you on the straight and narrow without straying too far off course! Hopefully not at all!
And when it comes down to your furniture selections make sure to measure and measure again! It would be such a downer to find a piece of furniture that fits in with the style of your mood board but doesn’t fit your space! So when shopping remember to refer to both your mood board and all your measurements.
5. Decor & Furnishings
It helps planning out the bigger furniture pieces first. Next comes the home decor and furnishings you can add into your mood board.
What Design software Is best to use?
Adobe Suite VS Canva
I love using Canva to create my mood boards. It’s so easy to use and it’s free. A very quick go to alternative to Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. And Canva is extremely beginner friendly.
Using Canva, it’s easy dropping in and swapping around images. They have a photo library you can use for inspiration as well. If you have the Canva pro version, their background remover is the absolute best tool to use hands down! Canva has lots of other great features as well. And is always adding more.
If you’re wanting to get into any area of design, graphics, digital or interior then learning Adobe Photoshop and, or Illustrator is well worth your time. For just a personal mood board reference, using Adobe might not be needed.
There is so much you can do with the Adobe programs. It comes with a bit of a learning curve. But there are lots of Adobe courses you can take to speed up the basic know hows and tools. I still use and love Photoshop and Illustrator and tend to use them for big printing projects.
Of course there are other design software apps you can use on desktop and on phone. Both Canva and Adobe programs are available on the two devices.
RELATED POST: 9 Best Mood Board Apps You Need To Know About 2022
Concept Mood board Examples
The great thing about using a mood board is there are so many different ways to about one thing. Someone can interpret words and images in totally different way.
I did a mood board for a cottage core style and the all the images that I picked are things that I thought best captured the cottage core look. Even though there aren’t any specific furniture or furnishing selections specified, the mood board gives a definite design direction in what materials and colours can be used.
Natural materials like wickers and rattan from the basket and the white dress from the mood board signifies linens, lace and floaty gauzy fabrics as inspiration for the room. The colours, off whites, pinks and muted browns. With lots of traditional florals which are some way in every photo ,could be used in a wallpaper, pillows or throws.
The other images of the cottage and the tea room speak to how the space should feel and how it might be used.
Of course there are so many other versions and interpretations of cottage core and other styles but this just happened to be one I came up with! Try different directions and see where it takes you!
Chloe
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