How a mood board can help you transform a room | Home & Garden

For some people, decorating their home flows poetically from their innate good taste, limitless budget, and flair for organizing. For the rest of us, hiring a designer who utilizes tangible visuals — called vision, style or mood boards — can streamline the process and ensure our home improvement investment will be durable and aesthetically and functionally pleasing, without breaking the bank.

“Many people struggle with a cohesive, clean style and scale,” says interior designer Christy Martin, owner of Christy Martin Design. She says clients often “know what they like, but don’t know how to put it together.” Her personalized vision boards can help.

Mood boards are also important to show people what doesn’t work, says Megan Coggeshall, principal designer at M.C. Interiors LLC. An initial meeting fleshes out the client’s likes and dislikes and their objective for the space. She says mood boards evoke a feeling about the space — is it a relaxing bedroom, a high-energy family room or cozy kitchen? It encompasses the pattern and color palette and a “landscape of direction” for the project. She says that not all projects need a mood board, too.

Working with a designer on a mood board does take an initial investment. Martin’s boards start around $500, while Coggeshall’s boards begin around $600.

Intentional decisions

Martin meets with clients and listens to their thoughts, preferences and ideas for the project, then formulates a vision board to illustrate complementary color and texture options. She does significant research on suitable products and provides links to her suggestions, saving the client time and money.

“They can purchase the items they want, or I can come and set it up — it’s very simple and user friendly,” she added.

Martin’s designs “respect the era of the home” and she is not afraid to incorporate different metals in the hardware.

“Too much matchy-match looks like builder grade materials and doesn’t reflect the unique style of the client,” she says.

Martin sources materials from around the world, like eye-popping tile from Morocco used in a recent kitchen project. She creates two different color palette vision boards for each room, so the client can get a feel for the possibilities. She says sometimes clients don’t have the ability to picture complementary colors together, so vision boards are a huge help.

“I respect their budget, look up ratings [on products], and spend a lot of time researching,” she says.

Bringing the board to life

Coggeshall’s style boards include potential new materials, what will stay from the existing home and floor plans, while keeping budget and functionality in mind. Using software like Chief Architect and Sketch Up, she creates 3D renderings of the style board.

“Some clients order pieces on their own, other times I take them to showrooms,” Coggeshall says. Her clients’ projects include items that “range from Wayfair and Target to custom-made.” She charges per square foot on the project.

The style board evolves, she says, as it goes through a revision cycle based on client feedback. Once the style board is finalized, Coggeshall launches into the technical aspects like lighting design and creates the final drawings.

“It’s a lot of problem solving,” she added.

Both designers help clients get the resources that fit with the project. They serve as project managers working with contractors.

Getting started

For people thinking about redecorating — or gutting — their home, a bit of preparation goes a long way. Eliminating clutter so “everything has its place” is the final goal, says Martin. But decluttering in advance can help people see the bare bones of the space.

Collect pictures and ideas you like — Pinterest is handy resource, as well as home decor magazines. Coggeshall says it’s also important to understand what pains you about the space, what are you trying to achieve with the changes, and what your budget is. The space should look effortless and intentional, she says. “You notice when it doesn’t.”

Martin finds design inspiration in Europe, California, and southern towns in the US. She says that subway tile and white cabinets are overused, and that she tries to steer clients to other options. “Cabinet colors are good to play with and brass will last a long time and add a vintage, warm feel.”

“People need to use timeless elements over trends,” Martin added. For instance, herringbone will always be timeless. “It’s expensive to install, but it lasts.” She says there are plenty of good sealants available so “don’t be afraid of grout” in your home.

With all the design possibilities, a vision board may be just your style.