Transcripts
1. 1 Your Design Sandbox: Can't seem to get
your home right. In today's video, I'm showing you the exact method I use to create beautiful cohesive
rooms without spending a dime, starting with literally the most crucial step a mood board. This class is great for
beginners, renters, homeowners, and pretty much anyone who lives on the planet. And there are a ton of
free Moodboard softwares outwareF this I'll
be using Milano. And don't try to read
this all right now. It's included as a
downloadable resource. Today, you'll learn
how to gather, store, and organize
inspiration and collect the seven key ingredients
for any incredible room. This free and easy process
will save you time, money, and stress by helping you avoid stupid
design mistakes. Plus, there's a special
discount at the end. Stick around because by
the end of this video, you could have your
first Moodboard ready to go and be one major step closer to finally
finishing your home. Plus, there's a special
discount code for our first series
Day one of Design, where you can
practice along with other beginners and get
real one on one support. Ready to get started,
let's dive in. Welcome to How to Create a moodboard for any
room in your home. I'm Nicole, owner and
founder of B happier Home, and I am so excited to be
guiding you through this fun, free and creative process. I hope this video
is not total ****, but if it is,
please let me know. So what's a moodboard
and why do you need one? When you begin your
first moodboard, it's basically a design
sandbox where you can experiment and
fine tune your vision, playing around and
making mistakes while building confidence before
spending any money. Even if hiring a designer
isn't in your budget, you can still build a moodboard
like a P. In this video, I'm going to take you from
the very beginnings of a moodboard to a show stopping
design ready for action. Completed moodboards are like a recipe instead of a sandbox, a creative tool that visually displays your ideas and
vision for the space. If your room always feels off, see if you're hitting
these seven ingredients. Each item on the Moodboard
represents a general idea, and what you ultimately
purchase can vary. That's why it's so important
to understand that a moodboard is just a
concept, not a plan. For a client in Oakland, I created two
separate moodboards based around their
favorite styles. Then I combine them to
create a beautiful style, blend and finished room. This is why it's incredibly important to get
your mood board to a place that you're comfortable with before purchasing anything. You will use your moodboard
to create a plan, shopping list, and budget. In this express class, I'll show you exactly how I
create moodboards, both for my clients and myself so that you can start
designing today. I'll take you through the
must have ingredients for any completed moodboard
and how to explore, gather, organize, and refine without spending
a frickin' dime. You'll get to practice
what you learn right away. As a bonus, I've included some downloadable templates for different rooms in your home, a moodboard checklist,
my favorite moodboards, and our basic budgeting
and shopping template. Throughout this video,
I'll be creating a moodboard that blends my
style with my fiancee style, ultimately creating a dream
dining room for us all. And if you want to
learn how to blend styles in real life or
on your mood board, just join Design Spoon
where we break down design one bite at a time and in an order
that makes sense.
2. 2 Where to Gather Inspo & Free Tools to Use: Now that you know what a
moodboard is and why it matters, let's dive into
gathering inspiration. Whether you're creating a
digital or physical board, the goal is to explore
freely and without pressure. Once you've gathered ideas, you'll refine and
organize your board. No money spent. You
don't need to be a pro designer to create
a polished moodboard. You just need to know the key ingredients that make it work. And the secret sauce
is the **** in order. It's just doing
the **** in order. It's just doing
the **** in order. Start by choosing the room that you want to
transform first. It could be your
biggest priority or a smaller quick win space. For our example, I'll be
focusing on a dining room. But which space will
you start with? If you want your home to be done faster, do some future planning, enlist all the
rooms in your home, and rank them by priority. That lets you see there is an actual end in sight when
it comes to your home. But first, let's zoom out
and think big picture. Instead of focusing
on individual items like pillows or chairs, search for images of completed
rooms that you love. Go to the search engine
of your choice and type in the name of the room
you'll be starting with. Add the word inspo to the end. Or if you already know
your style, type that. For example, dining room inspo or mid century modern
dining room inspo. The algorithms have gotten
super smart these days, so there's no need
to complicate it. For a digital mood board, start with platforms like
Pinterest or Google. Search for Room Inspiration, exploring styles, color palettes and layouts that catch your eye. If you're not yet sure
of your personal style, simply look for images of
spaces that tickle your fancy. You'll start to see
patterns in what you love and even
what you avoid. Find us on Pintris where we've created boards for every style. Gather a few
inspirational photos of completed rooms that you love and save them on whichever free moodboard tool
you enjoy most. I like using Milano because
it links back to the creator. And don't forget to browse your favorite local shops and
creators on social media to find unique pieces that fit your vision or actually
go visit them in person. Remember, this is all about finding your style
and exploration. Find what excites you and
sparks your creativity. Then collect it on
your moodboard. Staying organized is crucial for any home project if you want to see it
through to the end. When creating a moodboard, I relied on tools
like Milano, Canva, and Pintras to organize
and save ideas. Each platform has free
features that make it easy to lay out your
inspiration visually. Personally, I love
using all three, but I recommend you
start with one. Before we go any further, I want to highlight one
crucial step that can guide your entire moodboard process and save you a ton of confusion. Knowing what your style is. It's imperative to figure
out what you freak and love and what you don't key
is finding balance, bringing in everything you
love and leaving out what you don't day one of our
three day design series, we'll cover everything
from discovering your unique style to blending
multiple styles seamlessly. You'll learn how to avoid
fleeting trends and create cohesive mood boards
that translate into real life designs. We'll also explore
the origins of design styles so you can
confidently make choices. Plus, you'll get
hands on practice with activities, class projects, and one on one support
to help you apply everything you've learned.
No one else does that. Now that we've gathered some big picture inspiration
for our mood board, it's time to zoom
in on the details, since you now know
where to look for Inspo and what
tools you can use.
3. 3 The 7 Must Have Ingredients for any Delicious Design: Board that truly
captures your vision, you'll need to gather
the right ingredients. For beginners, aim to include at least four out of the
seven essential elements. Collect various
options and colors for each element and organize
them on your board. Don't worry about
editing just yet. Refinement comes after you've explored, gathered
and organized. Now, let's dive into
the first three must have elements for any
bom.com moodboard, functionality, flooring,
and furniture. Aka the three Fs. Ingredient number one function. Functionality is essential.
We all know this. A room might look gorgeous, but if it doesn't serve your
needs, what's the point? Start by making a list of the essential activities and functions the room
needs to support. What does this
space need to feel comfortable and useful to
you or others using it? If you need ideas, check out our Big three
Moodboard checklist. Example, in our dining room, we need to be able
to eat as a family, relax, entertain, and
store game night supplies. I list the functions
on my Moodboard in text format so that I can keep track of them as I collect and organize
inspiration. Your Iso room photos can remain in the middle or push
them out of the way. Ask yourself, what do you
need from this space? What activities or solutions
should it provide? Answer this, collect
inspiration, and then move on to
the second F Flooring. Flooring is one of the largest visual pieces of any space, and while you might not
always be able to change it, especially if you rent,
it's still important to do everything you can so
it doesn't make you vomit. Find a digital image
that closely matches your existing flooring and
add it to your mood board. I like this method a little
more than just adding a picture from my phone because the lighting
always seems off. Then brainstorm a
few ways to improve your flooring and take
note on your moodboard. If you do have the option
to update your flooring, start to gather inspiration, whether it's hardwood, tile, peel and stick flooring,
or a cozy rug. Your flooring sets the
foundation for your design. Remember, at this point,
you're just collecting ideas, so save what you love and
you'll refine it later. If you want to save a ton of time and decision
fatigue when it comes to choosing all the elements for your space, start with a rug. Almost every room is
improved with a rug, and rugs can be the largest
piece of art in the space. And because of that, they can also be the source of
your color scheme, saving you a ton of time on
decisions down the road. If you're not going
to start with a rug, at least start with a
large piece of art. Ask yourself, how do you feel about your
current flooring? Would changing it transform the space or can you
work with what you have? Next up, the final F and third element of any
great moodboard. Element number three, furniture. Are you surprised this
is third and not first? Well, don't be because furniture
takes up a smaller yet still huge part of the design when compared to
flooring and function. Start gathering inspiration for all the furniture you
envision in the space. You can even take photos
of existing furniture that will remain in the design and
add them to your moodboard. Or do a quick Google Image
search and find it online. For example, I would search for images of a dining
table, storage solution, and chairs and colors I
love or contrasting colors, textures, sizes, and finishes. Why contrasting?
Because you don't want every single thing in
your space to have the same height,
color and texture. See our style guides for
texture inspiration. Wouldn't worry
about smaller items like lamps or mirrors just yet. Those decisions come later. Like I said, the secret sauce is just doing this
**** in order. Do not skip ahead. Ask yourself, what are the most important furniture
pieces in this room? If you're starting
from scratch, go wild. However, if you want to build
a mood board for a room that has existing items,
which is most people, you'll want to ask yourself
what stuff you can keep and what would you like to
replace, update or add. Once the first
threes are gathered, move on to textures
and patterns. It's not as scary as it sounds. Trust me, once you have all
five elements gathered, you have the basics of what you need to visualize your space. However, I highly
encourage you to round off your mood board with lighting,
accessories, and plants. Up next, element
number four, textures. Textures often get overlooked, yet they're essential
for adding depth, style and personality
to your design. Over the past hundred years, every style has embraced
unique textures. If you're unsure of your style, start by thinking about
what you're naturally drawn to soft plush fabrics
or sleek hard surfaces. Do you enjoy the clean look of glass or the shine of chrome? Experiment with textures like
fabric swatches, photos, or even images of favorite cozy items to bring
your mood board to life. You need texture ideas, grab any of our
style guides right from our website or
in the class notes. Ask yourself, what textures
do you enjoy most? Are there any textures
you can't live without like velvet,
wood or silk? Next up, texture
sexy cousin pattern. All objects have texture, but not all have patterns. Patterns add a playful
dynamic energy to your space, and when you choose
them intentionally, you can really take your
space from bland and boring to interesting and elite. Whether it's abstract wallpaper, floral curtains or striped rug, patterns can highlight areas
or bring a sense of order. Use your moodboard to see how patterns and textures interact. If you're confident
in your style blend, choose patterns that
mix well together, and if you're still exploring, try combining patterns that complement each
other or contrast in fun and creative ways. Ask yourself, what patterns
belong to my style blend? How and where can
I use patterns to add some fun personality
to the space? Can I create a pattern with objects like art,
pillows or candles? The bottom line, don't ignore textures and patterns when
it comes to your moodboard, or else you'll end up with a
space that looks like this. Grab any of our
free style guides to learn all the patterns
you can play with. Now that you have the
basic five ingredients, it's time for the frosting, lighting, plants
and accessories. When thinking about
lighting, don't just stop at overhead fixtures like
chandeliers or basic floor lamps. Lighting transforms the
atmosphere of your space from natural sunlight to
cozy mood lighting and focused task lights. Make sure to capture these
sources on your mood board. Aim for at least three to
four sources of light. List your ideas for lighting
on your mood board. Have fun collecting
lighting you love now and find something similar in a
price you can afford later. Ask yourself, what
lighting do you currently have and what additional
lighting could enhance the mood, vibe, or function of your space. And last but not least, the smallest of all elements, element number seven,
accessories and plant. Accessories and plants are the finishing touches that
add a cherry to your design. Since they're smaller
visual elements, they should be added last once the larger
pieces are in place. Just search your style
plus room type and add accessories to the end
if you need inspiration. In our example, I'm collecting
options for mirrors, a table centerpiece, pots, art, and a few
sculptures and candles. I'll be mixing all of these items together with
things I already own. Those who don't
have a green thumb, using quality faux
plants as fillers is a great trick to enhance the
overall look of any room. Include some plants and
accessories and your style blend to your moodboard for
a completed visual guide. Ask yourself, how do you currently accessorize
your space? What small details could
you add to make it feel more complete or
reflective of your style? It's important to
always ask yourself, can I find these items locally? If you can't all means,
go wild on the web. But if you can, source your items locally and add
them to your moodboard. Next, I'll dive
into organizing and assembling your mood board now that you've
learned where to look, what tools to use, and the seven ingredients
your space needs.
4. 4 Organize & Assemble Your Vision: Use our five step process
as your quick guide. Move things around, try out different ideas, and
see what feels right. Think of it as a sandbox where there are
no wrong choices, possibilities and no budget. If you want, pause here
and build along with me. If you're a perfectionist, there are a lot of
decisions to make. But remember, right now, you are only spending
time, not money. This is the perfect
opportunity to play and explore
without any budget. You can find what
you're looking for in your price point with a plan, budget, and a little Patience. Decide on the style or style blend you want your mood
board to represent. Imagine the colors,
textures, and vibe you want. Start collecting
one to three photos of rooms that inspire you. Ask yourself, what mood or feeling do you want
this room to evoke? Do the images you've
chosen reflect that? Next, gather images of
the functional pieces your room will need like
furniture, flooring or storage. Remember the three Fs? Don't worry about price or
perfection at this stage. Just focus on the visuals
that represent what you want. For example, if
designing a living room, add images of a sofa, coffee table, and area rugs. Don't worry about small
details yet. Those come later. Like we said, the secret sauce is just doing this
**** in order. Ask yourself, do I have
all the functional pieces? Have I included images for
furniture and flooring? Do these items even go together? Are they clashing or contrasting in ways that feel right to you? There is a difference, and you can feel it even if
you're a beginner. Next, you'll add textures
and patterns to bring depth, personality, and warmth
to your mood board. If you know your style blend, use our guides to
see examples of textures and patterns
that work well together. If you don't know your style, think about textures
you're drawn to soft, cozy fabrics or sleek,
smooth surfaces. Play around with different combinations until
they feel right. If you're having trouble,
look to pillows, rugs, curtains or artwork for pattern inspiration and to nature for
texture inspiration. Let's take a moment to revisit. Oops pause, plug it in. Let's take a moment to read. Next, let's go over my favorite
and final ingredients, lighting, plants
and accessories. These elements are my favorite
because they're easy to change and feel
like the sprinkles on top of any great design. Lighting plants and
accessories can bring even the most boring
rooms to life. For a completed moodboard, you'll want to add several lighting options
that fit your style. If you're unsure,
then simply have fun gathering options you
love that work well together. Think about where lighting is needed and what type of
lighting is appropriate. I recommend gathering at
least two to four options for lighting up your space, but it varies from room to room. Remember, you are
gathering things you love right now and editing the
board will come later. Now that all of your largest visual elements
are on your board, it's time to move on to the smallest ingredient
accessories. Accessories let you
experiment and infuse personality into your
space in small doses. Every major modern
style includes their own unique home
and decor accessories. Be accessories are
usually small, it's no wonder they're cheap, and we buy way too many of them. The accessories you choose for your space should be unique, personal, and add a bit of
your story to the design. How many accessories
you ask aim to gather one to three accessories for each surface and
wall in your design. Play around with
different combinations and refine as you go to
get the perfect look. If you need help
choosing accessories, find our style guides
on our website. And finally, plants. If you're still living in
the Jungle House trend of the 2020s, you know what to do. Add a lot of plants
to your mood board. Or if you're new to plants, have fun finding
options that suit your space and compliment
your mood board. And I know choosing the
right plants can feel scary, but I promise you that
the people who work at your local nursery are dying to help you find the perfect
plant for your space. Congratulations. You did it. You've gathered a ton of inspiration without
spending a dime. Now, take a step back and
review your mood board. Ask yourself, does
everything work together? Is anything out of place? Don't stress the details yet. That comes next. For now, just focus on adjusting
anything that stands out. Try experimenting with
different shapes, colors, and sizes until it feels
cohesive and balanced. This is your chance to tweak the overall vibe before you move on to
refining it further. Ask yourself, does your
moodboard reflect the style, vibe, or theme you envisioned? Is there anything that
feels really out of place? If you're feeling
stuck or overwhelmed, dive into our
downloadable resources and style guides
on the website for inspiration and clarity
on what will work for your space and style
blend. Congrats. You are more than halfway
done. We've covered a lot. You now know exactly how and
where to find inspiration, what to collect on
your moodboard, and how to assemble it. Next, I'll go over how to refine your moodboard and get
it ready for action. Interior design is
not some magic skill. It's a step by step process, and when you do it in
order, it just makes sense.
5. 5 Reality Check & Common Mistakes to Avoid: Alright, let's get right to it, refining your moodboard and
next steps reality check. A great moodboard has
three key elements, a cohesive blend of styles
that work well together, a representation of each of
the seven style elements, and a well balanced
color palette that reflects your vision. But remember, there's
no such thing as a perfect moodboard because
it's a personal concept. What matters most is that your moodboard represents
your vision for the space. Don't be afraid to
mix and match styles, and most importantly, have fun. A well crafted moodboard is
your roadmap to designing a space that you will love
today, tomorrow, and beyond. When is your moodboard
complete, you might be asking? Your moodboard is finished when it truly captures your vision. Maybe that vision started with specific inspiration photos you found or maybe it
was something that only existed in your
head until now. Either way, when you look at your moodboard and feel like it represents the space you want to create, then it's complete. If you're planning to
join us on day one, you'll use your moodboard to plan not only your
first project, but every project
or room renovation you do in the future. Here's an example of a space that went from boring
and bland to dark and moody just by using a
moodboard and our four hands. Read all about it on our blog. You'll also use your
moodboard skills during day two when we teach you how to budget and prepare your space
and Day three, when we really get down on design and show
you how to create your space in three
D. That's why perfecting your moodboard
now is so important. It's a tool you'll return to again and again, and
we teach it for free. Take a moment to ask yourself, does your moodboard represent
a cohesive blend of styles or do some elements
feel out of place? Are all seven elements represented in a way that
feels right for your space? Does the color palette
reflect the mood and atmosphere you want to create or does it need some adjusting? And now it's time
for reality check. Your moodboard is the dream, but the budget is the reality. Decide what your total budget
is for the space and make a list or spreadsheet of everything you
intend to purchase. Leave off things
you already own. This step is crucial in making sure you find
affordable options of all the inspirational pieces you collected and ensures
you don't overspend, which is one of the biggest
reasons we're here. On top of that tip, here are three common mistakes to avoid. When creating your moodboard, it's easy to get carried away or overlook certain details. Here are three common
mistakes to watch out for. Number one, not fully
understanding your style. Number two, skipping
patterns and textures and number three,
chaotic color clash. So let's get into
mistake number one, not fully understanding
your style. Without a clear
sense of your style, choosing the right
elements is frickin' hard, and don't forget we're all pulling from the
last hundred years. Each decade has its own
unique ingredients. Explore them all in day one so you can
nail your style blend. Mistake number two, skipping
patterns and textures. Patterns and textures
transform a flat, uninspired design into a
personalized, cozy space. Don't skip them. They add
depth, detail, and fun. Mistake number three,
color clashing. A mismatch color palette can
disrupt the entire design. Define your color palette
early on by choosing a focal piece like a large rug or artwork and build around it. Ask yourself, are you making any of these mistakes
in your mood board? What adjustments could
you make to fix them? Let's take a moment to
recap this section. A completed moodboard has a cohesive blend of styles
that work well together, a representation of each
of the seven elements and a well balanced
color palette that reflects your vision. Your moodboard is complete when it represents your vision. Your moodboard is
a visual guide, a dream, a concept, and you'll use that concept for the reality check your budget. Have fun finding originals, dupes and anything in between. Don't skip a budget if you take your home
project seriously. Also covered three common
mistakes to avoid, not fully understanding
your style, skipping patterns and textures, and clashing colors
in an absurd way. Next, I'll show you
my finished moodboard and teach you how to
use your moodboard, not just as a visual guide, but as a recipe for your space, budget, and shopping list. This step will save
you a ton of time, money, and headaches,
so don't skip it. Your moodboard is your roadmap. Don't create a home without it.
6. 6 Complete Your Mood Board + Tips to Take it Further: Let's take a look at the
final vision for this space, and I'll show you how to
take it even further. I refined my moodboard
to represent the overall style and
vibe I'm going for. It's now a visual guide that I can use to create
my overall plan, which will include a
budget and shopping list. But before making any purchases, never rely solely
on your moodboard. There's still some
practical work to do. Begin to create your budget. Use our guide as
a template and be sure to be realistic when
it comes to your space. Estimate what you think you'll
spend and keep track of what you really spend as you
bring your space to life. You'll need to measure
your space and ensure that what you're
about to buy will fit. Double check dimensions
of your space and items before committing to
any major furniture or decor decisions, especially for those
that cost money, grab a tape measure
from the dollar store and use it or lose it when
it comes to your moodboard. If you need extra assurance,
we've got something for you. We're releasing a
class on how to create a realistic
three D version of your room using floorplanner.com
and your moodboard. Want early access, sign up for Design Spoon
on our website. Now it's time to create your shopping list
for the Mood Board. You should have already
completed your budget, but if not, do that now. I find it handy to keep everything in one place
using a spreadsheet. Create a column for
source and source type. Begin deciding if you'll source the items locally or online. Take it one step
further and decide the source type like
online marketplace, thrift store or brick
and mortar store. Always shop locally
as much as you can. If there are any specific pieces on the moodboard that
you need to measure, like a table, storage, or rug, create a column for
dimensions and write what the minimum and
maximum dimensions should be to ensure
everything fits. Ask yourself, are there
any specific pieces on your moodboard that
you need to measure or adjust based on
the actual space? Are too many items the
same color or texture? How can I create
contrast and balance? Finish refining and
adjusting your moodboard. Have fun and don't forget to share your work.
Here's a quick tip. If you're a beginner, I
highly recommend building your space in three D.
It's quick and free. You can adjust the size
of almost anything, so you can be super confident
before you spend your cash. And, trust me, if I
can do it, so can you. Here's a quick recap. Always create a
budget for your room. Plan your finances
and don't overspend. Avoid costly mistakes
by measuring your space and items to see
if they'll actually fit. If you need extra
reassurance or want to walk through your space,
try out floorplaner.com. And finally, a
budget is one thing, but a shopping plan is really what sets your
vision into motion. Make a plan to shop
locally as much as you can and
globally when you can. Now, you have all the basics you need to create a moodboard, budget, and shopping list. You are like ten steps closer
to the room of your dreams.
7. 7 Recap & Sign Up: Let's take a moment to
revisit our example room. We started with just a
few inspirational photos. From there, we gathered
functional pieces, flooring, and furniture,
all the big stuff. And then we moved on to
textures and patterns, bringing fun to the design. We finished it off with lighting
plants and accessories. We refined the moodboard and created a budget
and shopping list. If you want to take
your knowledge further, sign up for Design Spoom to get first access to new
content as it's released. And no class is complete
without some bonus content. To kickstart your
Moodboard project, I've included a bundle of downloadable resources you can save, use or share
with a friend. Bundle features our
moodboard template, a room by room checklist, software comparison guide, and a budget and shopping
list template. Check out the links
below to get started. Again, thank you for watching. Hit that L and subscribe button, and don't forget to use
your discount code. For now, check out
our website and share us with a friend. Han
Nicole Kern
