How to create a mood board: keep your colour palette on track when designing your next room makeover

Get free samples from top brands for a mood board and create the perfect look for your home. Follow Barbara Chandler on Instagram @sunnygran

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Barbara Chandler5 June 2020

Mood boards are the magic key to home décor. Get one right, say the professionals, and you can unlock a beautiful room — or better still, create continuity throughout your home.

“Don’t feel overwhelmed and don’t be shy,” says Melissa Bodie. “Mood boards are a picture reference to guide and keep you on track.”

Bodie is co-founder of Melissa + Miller Interiors, a top-end interior design firm based in London and Philadelphia, with celebrity clients and a new service for “edesign”.

“Our mood boards include any or all of the following: colour palettes, photos, typography, textures, illustrations, art, fashion, text, snippets of history or any visual reference point for that matter.”

She goes on: “Start small. Bookmark your favourite interiors websites, save your favourite Instagram images and create folders on Pinterest. See what themes emerge. Scandinavian mid-century? Modern farmhouse? Search in coffee table books and magazines.”

Mood boards are the map that keeps your colour palette on track.

“Focus your ideas”: interior stylist Lucy Gough’s new online course includes mood board tutorials and our readers get £50 off

Stylist Lucy Gough, who has worked for M&S, Heal’s and Dulux, says: “Whether physically on a notepad or digitally online, here is the way to focus all your ideas and product samples for a cohesive look.”

Her new Online Interior Styling course includes mood board tutorials and costs £149, or £99 for readers — visit lucygoughstylist.thinkific.com and quote code ESSPECIAL99.

Also check out myinteriordesign.school.

A friendly bunch of design pros with strong Instagram profiles have formed The Interior Design Collective nationwide.

There are 13 members for London. Visit interiordesigncollective.co.uk/designcreatives for more.

“A mood board is the ultimate try before you buy experience,” says member Lisa Mettis of Born & Bred Studio, with interior design packages from £85-£349. Visit @bornandbredstudio; bornandbredstudio.com).

Interior architect Ruth Milne can make mood boards remotely, with everything to visualise and purchase for the room, from £300.

“A mood board will hone your ideas and help you avoid mistakes. You can see if there is too much of one colour, or if a flat scheme needs more accents.”

For a “remote room refresh”, try clareeliseinteriors.com.

Here’s the mood board mantra: always get a sample, never buy off screen or from a brochure. Trawl the websites of your favourite brands, as most have a sampling service.

At John Lewis, get up to five wallpaper and fabric samples free and the company’s home design stylists offer free one-hour video consultations, following up with samples.

“Keep your mood board flexible,” says Wil Law (@JL_wil). “You’ll want to move things around and change your mind as you go along.’’

Design Centre Chelsea Harbour is perfect for inspirational browsing — when it is open.

But the showrooms will still send samples and resident personal shopper, designer Gabrielle Grubanovich, can help you pull your mood board together for free. Email personalshopping@dcch.co.uk or call 020 7225 9180.

At OKA, with stores nationwide including the Chelsea flagship, remote interior room design is reduced to £150, with mood board: “We need a simple sketch of your room with accurate measurements and photos of the space.”

Neptune design stores send samples for suggested schemes free of charge, via your local store.

Smaller “niche” brands may help you pull a scheme together — try The Monkey Puzzle Tree.

The Fabric Collective of 21 artisan designers and suppliers will send 10 free samples (020 7384 2975).

Top deals online

Marvic’s 80 per cent off fabric sale runs until June 12. Get six free samples (sales@marvictextiles.co.uk; 020 8993 0191)

Get up to 70 per cent off trimmings, prints and weaves, with samples for £1 at Ian Sanderson.

How to create a mood board

Soft romantic look: mood board by Design Centre Chelsea Harbour personal shopper, designer Gabrielle Grubanovich, using suggested samples from some of the 120 showrooms at DCCH
  • Have a new, large, crisp white board ready and get measuring — your room height, length of walls etc. And take pictures of your room.
  • Core components are favoured colour, pattern, texture and light. Stick to a three-colour palette.
  • Collect as many samples as possible, not just paint testers and swatches of fabrics and wallpapers, but tiles, carpets and other floorcoverings, plus upholstery, blinds and surfaces.
  • Take pictures of furniture and furnishings, trimmings and accessories that appeal and stick them on to your board with your colours of fabric, carpet, paint etc. Is your mood taking shape?