Every project - be it a small refresh or a full refurb - starts with an idea. A certain combination of colours, a texture you love, or adding a little more detail to your walls can all be the spark that brings a space to life. That said, before you reach for the paintbrush or start ordering materials, taking a little time to prepare can make all the difference. Creating a mood board is a simple way to bring your ideas together, experiment with colours and textures, and see how different elements might work in your space. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do just that.
In short, an interior mood board is a way to collect, store and visualise the different colours, materials and textures that help you find your own style.
There are essentially two ways to create a mood board - physically and digitally. Each has its pros and cons, and in many ways, you’ll be best served by creating one of each. Let's look at digital mood boards first.
A digital mood board is often the easiest place to start. Pinterest and Instagram are great starting points, but some of the most interesting ideas can come from everyday life. Save images from online interior design magazines, social media or popular blogs that offer a breadth of inspiration. From here, you can arrange the images in a document or specialist software to get a good idea for what might work.
From there, it's time to make a physical mood board. By using your digital alternative to focus on your options, you can then order samples and glue or pin them to a simple cork board. These can include paint swatches, wall panel samples, and examples of the fabrics you love.
What do the images and samples you have ordered have in common? Look beyond the obvious characteristics, and focus on the smaller details:
You don’t need to choose everything at once. Your mood board is there to help you explore and guide you to finding the perfect options.
One of the biggest benefits of creating a physical mood board is being able to see your choices in the space they’re actually going into. Natural and artificial light will change from room to room, and thus change the way colours and materials appear throughout the day. A finish that looks perfect in a showroom or on your phone might feel completely different in your own home.
Take your samples into the room. Look at them in the morning, afternoon and evening. Move them around the space. Place them against your existing flooring, furniture and walls. This is particularly useful when choosing between different wood tones or finishes.
If you’re looking to work on more than one room, your mood boards can also help create a sense of flow throughout your home.
You certainly don’t need each room to look the same, but there are advantages to thinking about repeating certain colours, materials or textures. Perhaps the same warm wood tone appears in your hallway and living room. Or a particular neutral shade carries through different spaces, while each room has its own personality.
You can also use different Naturewall panel profiles in the same colour depending on the room, and the look you want to create. From Acoustic SlatWall and MDF panelling to shower panels, Arborelle wood panels and waterproof panels, there are plenty of options to have a similar thread running throughout your whole home.
It is quite possible that after spending a few hours carefully selecting your options, that you suddenly feel like they’re all wrong.
If something feels too busy, a colour isn’t quite right, or the different textures aren’t sitting together as you imagined, don’t be afraid to try something new.
This is where physical samples can be particularly useful. If, for example, you’re looking at some Naturewall samples, try them alongside different paint colours, fabrics and finishes, and see how they change the overall feel of your scheme.
You might find that removing a colour or fabric works better than adding another, or that an idea you hadn’t originally considered becomes the perfect finishing touch. There’s no pressure to get it right the first time. A mood board is there to help you explore until the pieces start to fall into place.
Once your mood board is taking shape, we’d love to see it. Share your unique creations with us on Instagram and tag @naturewall. Who knows, your work might even inspire someone else to start their next project.
