How to Build Your Own Design Inspiration Board
In today’s post, I’ll walk you through why it’s important to make an inspiration or mood board for your home design project. You’ll also learn how to make your own mood board for your space.
Making an inspiration board is great way to kickstart your project and to help make it feel more real. Designers have been using inspiration boards for years, and now with sites like Pinterest, you can easily make your own!
A mood board is a huge help when you’re starting out your project because it allows you to get a sense of what the finished design may look like, and you can try out various ideas in your space by mixing and moving the images. In the end, you save time because you get a clear sense of what to look for when you start shopping for pieces.
Before you get started, you’ll want to have an idea of what items you want to keep or let go of. Sort through your existing furniture and decorative elements, and donate or sell the things you’d like to let go of. Start with a clean slate!
Choose a color scheme that you like. I’ll write more in a future post about how to select a color scheme for design but for this activity, just think about which color or colors you want to feature in your space. What colors inspire you? What hues make you happy? The important thing here is that you keep in mind which shades you gravitate towards and which turn you off. For ideas, check out Pantone’s list of color trends for 2018.
Once you have an idea of your color scheme, you can start to search for images that inspire you. You can cut out images from magazines, or use websites like Pinterest and Houzz to collect images and find inspiration. Think of the colors, shapes, and textures you like. It's also helpful to know what you absolutely don't like, so make note of those too. If you’re making a tangible board, consider adding pieces of fabric, paper, or flowers that align with your look. For online boards on Pinterest or another app, include images of details like textures of rope and leather or color shots of sunsets and ocean waves. When you start your project, your inspiration board can serve as a reference to help you stay consistent, and it will allow you to keep your project from being too overwhelming or unruly.
Display your inspiration board somewhere prominent so that you have easy access to it while you work on your project. If it’s too large to take around while shopping, take a photo of it and store it on your phone. If you made a digital board, keep it saved on your devices so that you can easily reference it while on the go.
If you end up working with a designer, this step will help you better understand your direction, and it will save a lot of time. There is no right or wrong way to gather inspiration, so be open and creative as you take note of what piques your interest.
What would you add to your inspiration board?
Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.
Ciao,