Planning an interior design project or just dreaming about redecorating your home? A mood board is an ideal tool to collate your ideas and visualise how your space will look and feel. This can help ensure everything works in harmony and help you avoid costly mistakes when it comes time to implement your vision.
When it comes to making an interior design mood board, you have several options whether you choose to create it as a digital or physical product. Here, we explain the options so you can decide what best works for you and share some tips to help your mood board come to life.
Interior design mood board options
There are two main options you can choose from when you create your own interior design mood board. Depending on your project, you might like to choose one or a combination of these to design your dream interior.
1. Digital
Digital mood boards are one of the easiest and more effective ways to plan your renovation or decorating project. There are many ways you can do this depending on your skillset and individual preference. We have a free and very easy to use Digital Mood Board Tool right here that allows you to drag, drop and organise your desired products. Alternatively, you could use other platforms like Pinterest and Houzz Interior Design Ideas. These tools help you create a digital scrapbook with a collection of ideas and products you’ve found online. There are also other digital tools that can help you design and decorate your interior spaces such as Dulux MyColour App or Style Source Book.
For those a little more complete literate, you may like to have a play on Adobe Illustrator or even the free platform Canva to pull your ideas together and make a visual mood board.
2. Physical
If you are an avid collector of interior design and decorating magazines and have a stack in your living room, a physical mood board might be your best option. Simply cut out images of interiors or products you love and pin away! A physical mood board is also ideal if you have material, paint or finish samples that you want to layer into your vision. Just like with the digital option, you can create a physical mood board in many ways including:
- A pinboard
- A foam board
- In a draw or tray
- In a scrapbook
Find yourself getting lost online collecting interior design inspiration but also have samples? Create a digital pinboard, print it out and then use it as a backdrop for layering your samples and magazine cuttings on top.
Tips when creating your own interior design mood board
Creating a mood board might seem a simple thing to do but when you have hundreds of images you like and a growing collection of samples, the task can quickly become overwhelming. To nail your mood board so that you can create your dream-worthy space, take a look at these tips.
1. Gather your inspiration There are so many places to source inspiration for your interior design projects including Instagram, Pinterest, blogs and interior design websites. You can also browse through magazines, scroll on real estate websites or look at the catalogues of homewares and furniture stores or our very own Trend Report.
But don’t forget to get a dose of inspiration from outside influences such as browsing shops, visiting your local gardens or walking your neighbourhood streets. You can simply take photos to add to your digital board or to print out to pin up on your corkboard.
When collecting inspiring images, look for common links in the images. These could be colours, textures, layouts or the feeling of the space. This will help you develop a look for your interior.
2. Collect samples Once you have your images, start collecting samples of materials and finishes you’re keen to use in your space. This might be a fabric sample of a Urban Rhythm sofa you love or a tile you love to use as your kitchen splashback. You may have a wood stain sample for your living room flooring or a sample of a fabric you’ll use for curtains.
Samples are not only helpful when pulling together your design, it also helps add life and dimension to your mood board.
3. Organise your images and samples If you’re decorating more than one space, organise your images and samples in groups for each room. This gives you the ability to ensure your whole interior speaks one language or play on the personality of one or two particular spaces.
You may choose to make a different mood boards for each room or simply organise the layout so that they’re divided upon an oversized pinboard.
4. Start curating your look As a golden rule, when you’re decorating you remove one or two pieces before your space is officially done’. This is also the case when creating a mood board for your interior. You need to think about balance and refinement.
Is there enough variation in colours and textures or is it all blurring into one? Is the design cohesive or too busy? Is the furniture too matchy like a showroom display? Step away from your mood board and come back to it in a day or two with fresh eyes so you can edit.
5. Don’t neglect your floor plan When designing multiple rooms, it’s important not to neglect your floor plan as you start compiling your mood boards. The last thing you want is to find out your favourite Provincial Home Living chair that you’ve been visualising all these months doesn’t fit in your living room design. Put together your mood board in relation to your floor plan; it’s dimensions and layout. Try to collate inspirational interior images that are reflective of your space and keep the samples and up-close shots to the details such as the kitchen cabinetry. You don’t want to buy into a look you can’t realise.
