While you might feel pretty confident with sanding, priming and painting your space, actually deciding what your paint colours will be and which finishes you’re going to use can be quite another story. Mood boards can be an invaluable tool to get you started, helping you visualise your dream space before you begin decorating. This cohesive display will give you a clear idea of what colours, textures and themes work well together, as well as those definitely do not.
While they don’t build the board for you, Resene Colour Experts are available to help share their best advice on Resene colours, paint and wallpaper to help you put your own together for your project. Here, Resene Colour Expert Meryl Southey shares her tips on how to build your own mood boards.
In the mood
“Mood boards allow us to capture our vision and then share our concept with others, so they understand our aesthetic. This can be done digitally or physically – I like to use a combination of both. You can start the process with a broad vision, selecting images or styles that appeal and collecting them into a folder.”
Brainstorm your vibe
“To simplify the process, I sometimes like to use mind mapping as a tool, which is a method of recording key words and phrases which can be funnelled into a wide range of special images. This info can be structured and adapted to create your mood board from the collection of images and samples you may have acquired, and then it needs a plan that can be executed into physical existence.”
Textures and tones
“To create a successful mood board, it helps to have decided on the design style sympathetic to your room and involves patterns, which might include wallpaper and fabric, plus a colour palette of three or four colours and a selection of hard materials you prefer. Colour, texture and pattern are of course always at the forefront of any mood board ideas, but it can help to add pictures of lighting, furniture or hardware for example.”
Naming rights
“You can name your board and even give a brief description of the style – it isn’t necessary, but it can be useful, as it helps anyone involved to stay accountable to that vision and it helps to bring that vision to life.”
Top tip: Designing spaces in your home becomes a more enjoyable and efficient process with the help of mood boards. They allow you to experiment with colours, textures and styles, ensuring that your vision comes to life. Try using the habitat look book to create your own mood board online and remember to make the most of Resene testpots when testing out your colour scheme at home.
Visit your local Resene ColorShop to pick up testpots and order Resene A4 drawdown paint swatches of your favourite colours and wallpapers and get started on your very own mood board today.
