What is a Mood Board?

A mood board is a way to visualize your ideas for a project by putting together samples, images, color palettes, etc. The different elements are arranged into a collage, so you are able to envision the final product and make any changes before you begin.

Mood boards are used in many creative professions including interior decorating and can be a great way for an individual to try out the look they want to achieve before committing to buy all of the products.

Why you Should Make One

Making a mood board gives you an opportunity to physically see your ideas altogether. By doing this you have the opportunity to make any changes that you want to before beginning the actual project. You will be more confident in the decisions you have made for your decorating because you have already seen them together.

It is also a great way to show other people what you are thinking. This way you can show your partner or family members the vision that you are working towards. It is an easy way for people to be able to imagine what you are thinking and contribute any ideas or make changes.

5 Reasons to start your project with a Mood Board

• Help you visualize your ideas
• Allow others to understand your concepts
• Give you the opportunity to make changes before you commit to purchases
• Allows you to explore how elements will look together
• See what the finished product will look like

Digital vs. Physical

Both options offer their own pros and cons and can be more applicable in certain situations.

A Physical Mood Board is best when you want to be able to see and feel actual samples of the products you are using in combination. It is the traditional option and is often laid out on a foam board. Images, paint swatches, fabric samples, tiles, and other products can be arranged to visualize the design.

A Digital Mood Board is a very accessible way for people to envision their inspiration. There are many online platforms that can easily help you put together your ideas. This includes the popular design website, Pinterest. You can easily create large boards of your desired images that are all collected into one space. Other options can vary depending on your comfort with different programs. Canva (A web-based platform with additional info on how to make a mood board) and PowerPoint are user-friendly options for you to put together images in an aesthetically pleasing way. If you are more familiar with InDesign and Photoshop, they are great ways to put together your designs.

Step-by-Step Guide

After choosing how you want to make your mood board you can hop into this step-by-step guide on how to make a mood board at home:

1. Look at Inspiration Images – a great way to start a project is by looking at designs that inspire you. By doing this you may see an idea you would like to incorporate into your project. Think about the styles you like, and what direction you want to go with. Having your keywords will help you work on the next step and prepare you with ideas for your selections.

2. Source your elements – Browse the internet, check local showrooms and make your choices for what you would like to incorporate. This can include paint colors, flooring ideas, furniture styling images, as well as decorative elements that you want to bring in. This could be a certain flower, an inspiration image of a place, or another design project. You can feel free to be as creative as you want to express your design. Mood Boards can vary from more conceptual images to direct samples and selections.

3. Arrange the elements – Create your board with your chosen elements. It is a good idea to scale the products the way that they will appear in the room; making a sofa image large and a side table small to give you the best visualization of how it will actually appear. If you are making a physical mood board you may choose to paint the board your chosen paint color to check how the color scheme will look.

4. Review and Make Edits – Once your design is all laid out you will now be able to see how you feel about it. Maybe there are some obvious changes you want to make, but sometimes it is best to set it aside for a little while before going back to make changes. Taking this time will give you a little bit of perspective and distance from the mood board. Once you make any revisions you would like, you can get input from friends or family and see if anyone has any ideas for you.

5. Begin your Project! – Now that you have been able to put everything together you can go ahead with your project and feel confident in the decisions you have made!

---

What’s your favorite way to make a mood board? Do you have any suggestions for people who are going to try to make one in the future?