Mood board DIY for your next project.
Photo - Graded Interiors Samples mood board
Hey loves and welcome back to the latest blog post from Graded Interiors which is dedicated to the power of mood boards and how you can easily create your own for any upcoming DIY projects.
One of my all time favourite parts of being a designer is developing schemes for clients and using what's known as a mood board to convey these ideas. From furniture and accessories to tile and fabric samples, a mood board is a way to bring all of your ideas and coveted finishes together to see how they interact with each other and help finalise your scheme. You might not know your style or what design direction you want to take for your next project but you might have a tile sample that you've fallen in love with or a fabric swatch that you absolutely must incorporate somewhere in your home and this is where starting a mood board can really help. What should I include in a mood board you ask? I always consider the surfaces and some examples of surfaces to consider are:
Tiles (Wall or floor tiles)
Flooring (Wood, cork, tile, carpet)
Walls (paint, wallpaper, decorative plaster)
Curtains (Fabrics)
Furniture (Fabrics)
Hardware (Cabinet handles)
Worktop (Quartz, Marble etc)
Cushions and throws (Fabrics)
By considering these aspects of your new interior whilst creating your mood board, you will ensure you end up with a successful and beautiful new interior scheme and confidence when you hit the shops to start making your interior purchases.
Mood board types
Mood boards can come in several different forms to suit your individual preferences and listed below, are three ways in which you can create your own to achieve an interior scheme that's perfect for your tastes and home.
Samples mood boards
I am a firm believer in trying before your buy and for me, interior sample selection is an important part of creating a successful interior mood board. As with my previous blog post on colour selection, products can look different according to the environment they are in and by having physical samples, you will be better equipped to make the most successful selections for your project. Samples are not just about how things look though, for me its just as important that they feel right too. I am a tactile person and I can't help but have to feel the textures of things because if it doesn't feel good to touch, it's not making the cut into my home or projects. Physical samples help not only with texture and weight but they can also convey quality and warmth, so if you can get samples of things you've seen on the internet or in a magazine, go, go, go get yourself as many as you can. Many companies offer a free sample service too so it doesn't have to cost money to create your very own samples mood board. Once you have your samples together, you can put them in a plain, neutral wooden tray or something similar to see how the overall scheme will look and you can make adjustments according to what works for you and what doesn't.
Photo - Graded Interiors samples mood board
Photos - Graded Interiors samples mood boards
Digital mood boards
If you love a screen shot and are good with any of the photo editing applications like Photo shop or Powerpoint, a digital mood board is a great way to bring all those images together to see how they work side by side. A digital mood board may also reveal a theme or style you might not have even been aware of which can then help you with the direction of your project. If you aren't a fan of or don't have access to digital applications but have lots of screen shots, try creating a folder on your phone or computer dedicated to your project that you can scan through and reference at any time. You will then have an on the go mood board you can refer back to when making purchases for your project.
Photo - Graded Interiors digital mood board
Traditional mood board or wall
If you love to get creative and have access to some glue and an empty scrap book, creating a traditional mood board can be so much fun and really easy to do. By browsing magazines and brochures, you can cut out all the images you think suit the style you are going for or any interior images you like the look of and get a collection going. These images, along with any fabric or wallpaper samples can then easily be glued, stapled or taped into your scrap book to create your very own traditional mood board.
If you have an old cork or pin board In your home, these can also make great mood board displays as items can easily be pinned, moved around or removed according to your project style. The best part of a cork or pin board is they can be used over and over for every new project saving you money AND is kinder for the planet, because you know I'm all about that re-use, pre-loved lifestyle.
Photo - Graded Interiors Colour samples wall
Now you are ready to start on your own mood board making sessions, which one will you be choosing? Have fun and remember to check out my colour selection post here, if you are struggling with which colours to choose for your next DIY project. Happy mood board making folks.
Kimber Gray
Interior Designer
