One Method to Moodboard
Want to see how your ideas for a room would look together?
Perhaps you want to consider a direction before proceeding with a project?
Maybe you want to figure out a general style, colour and mood for a room?
With the rise of Instagram, Pinterest and Houzz our access to inspiration has exploded. We can pick up our phones and open an app and step into the most beautiful dream homes. Naturally, this 24/7 flow of beauty has encouraged aspirational home owners to harness their creativity and design their own homes. As a result many people follow interior designers for snippets of wisdom and advice for DIY interior design. In this blog I’d like to share with you how I make a moodboard, a visual representation of design ideas.
Before I share the steps I follow, you should know the mood boards I create are always led by a detailed client questionnaire and consideration of how the client wants to live in their home. Having a mindful approach to the project ensures it fulfils this desired lifestyle of the homeowner. In order to make your home unique to you, try not to be influenced by what you see in other peoples homes and instead be inspired. When beginning your redesign, start with how you want the room to make you feel, not with an intention to simply copy something you’ve seen somewhere online.
If you’ve come along to read this blog you’re likely feeling creative and have your own ideas, maybe you’ve already chosen some furniture, lighting and wallpaper and simply want to see how they could look when put together in a 2d visual. Making your own mood board is a great step to take next.
There are many options with software for making mood boards, you can even use Microsoft programmes, Canva and Adobe Illustrator, however I use an Australian site called Style Source Book. The website has a built in catalogue of furniture, lighting, accessories, tiles, paint and finishes. Products are sadly retailed in Australia, however if I am creating an initial basic idea sometimes these products can inspire the design. I often have a chosen piece of furniture, sample of fabric or specific piece of art informing the design and in that case I upload the image and save it to my own collection. In doing so I build my own catalogue of items retailed in the UK, I can even add items from my favourite local independents. This is why I choose to use the site, I like to have quick access to my go-to pieces. It’s essential to be able to return to the source for each component of the moodboard and the website allows you to click on the item and see your source, you can even include product tags!
Signing up to use Style Source Book is free, easy and anyone can do it. I have experienced some glitches, for example the moodboard not saving and crashing during image upload. However on the whole I really enjoy using the site and I’m always pleased when I download a completed mood board to share in my design presentations. I have built a collection of mood boards on the site now which can be viewed by visiting my profile here.
Here’s how to create your own mood boards with Style Source Book:
Sign up and log in.
Choose ‘Create a Mood Board’
Create a new folder in your computer documents/google docs with the project name e.g. ‘Alpine Living Room’ You might choose to make multiple mood boards so have numbered folders of this name for each version.
Starting with the image of your initial design point, perhaps a favoured colour, a specific chair you intend to include, or a fabric sample (usually my starting point), save this image to your folder created in step 3. Name it clearly e.g. ‘Drab Green - Edward Bulmer Paint’
Copy the link to the website.
Return to your blank mood board on Style Source Book, select ‘Upload Images’ from the left hand taskbar.
Choose ‘Upload Image’
Find the image in your folder.
When the information box prompts you copy in the link and type in the image source e.g. ‘Edward Bulmer’
Click ‘Save’
Click the image now on the left and drag onto your blank mood board.
You then have options for image editing on the right hand taskbar.
Repeat this process for your other images, building your idea and design as you see how pieces feel together.
These tips allow you to use just one method to combine images into a mood board, I’d like to emphasise that a mood board is not the design, this is what happens in your ‘brain box’ when you’re viewing the problems and visualising the solution. If you’re not a creature of creativity working with an interior designer takes the pain and stress out of the process, whilst saving you time and money - especially if you make a costly mistake! What’s even more exciting is that my design service includes additional visual representations such as design boards, floor plans, lighting plans, 3D renderings along with samples and of course, cake is essential!
If you would like some help with your mood board, or have any design questions, please drop me an email so that I can offer you some help.
Charlotte
