8 Steps to Making the Perfect Mood Board for Your Renovation Project
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for Your Renovation Project
Have you ever gotten deep into the creative process of remodelling a room and lost track of the original vision of the project? After looking at what feels like a million different paint swatches, kitchen faucets, tile designs and types of kitchen sinks, you’re trying to recall what the original inspiration for the project was in the first place.
Mood boards are a fantastic and fun way to plan out an idea. Whether it be a construction project, a home renovation effort, or an event such as an anniversary party or wedding, you’ll find mood boards out there for just about any creative occasion. Pinterest, design magazines, and social media pages are brimming with evocative displays of different materials such as paints, fabrics, and tiles that can be configured in an infinite number of ways. These collages and collections have become ubiquitous within the worlds of professional designers, builders and DIY enthusiasts alike helping them visualize what works together and what doesn’t.
The great thing about this process is that you don’t need to be a professional designer to make a mood board - you just need an idea, and the desire to have fun!
Digital or Physical?
A mood board can be either physical or digital. Some people find that they need the experience of physically handling items such as tiles and paint swatches to feel the textures and visualize the colors.
For others, the huge availability of choices in the digital sphere allow them to really flex their creative muscles without the constraints of collecting physical items. There are no right or wrong answers in this game.
If you want the sensory experience of building a physical mood board, it’s time to take a trip to the local hardware store and start collecting paint swatches, hardwood offcuts, and other materials. If you’re looking for an easy, less time-consuming solution then canva.com is a great free tool in which you can collect photos and experiment and with different color palettes and decor ideas.
So, how to create a mood board?
Step 1: Get Organized
All great designs have humble beginnings. Start to take notice of what pushes your creative buttons. What sort of style draws you in? Are you inspired by clean, modern design? Perhaps you’re inclined to a more traditional style. A great resource for figuring out your unique style is pinterest.com, where you can find pages full of inspiration.
If you want to create a mood board for a kitchen remodel project, start looking through different kitchen designs and take note of what you like about each one. Maybe it’s the granite countertops that drew you in. Or perhaps it was that brushed brass faucet or the fireclay sink? Establish a focal point for the project that you can build around, and you’ll find everything else starts falling into place.
Step 2: Pick a Style
What is your personal style? Do you incline more toward clean and contemporary designs or ornate traditional elements? If you’re not entirely sure, then the mood board is the place to experiment and find out!
Start to gather style-specific elements that speak to your tastes. Don’t be afraid to throw different styles together and see how it looks, no matter how unconventional it may seem. After all, that’s what the pros do! Who knows - you might even start a new design movement!
Step 3: Choose your Color Scheme
Picking a color palette is a foundational step in creating your mood board. Look back at the photos you saved or the swatches you collected, and see if there’s a recurrent theme you can pick up on. Is your project going to be bright and fresh, dark and striking, or neutral in its color scheme?
To take your mood board to the next level, you can use great color resources like Pantone or RAL for color charts, or your favorite paint brand such as Behr® Paints. Once you get into the groove of using these great resources at your disposal, you’ll have your perfect color palette down in no time.
Step 4: Mix and Match
Once you have chosen the colors for the various elements in your kitchen, it is time to place those items side by side and see how they complement one another. This is where the process gets really fun!
How does that satin white wall paint fit with the dark blue Shaker cabinetry? Which sink would best offset those quartz countertops? Consider elements that offer a bit of contrasting color. The KRAUS® Kore™ Workstation Sink Series is a great way to add a different dimension to your kitchen project, with a choice between dark and edgy gunmetal finish or classic stainless steel, the Kore Workstation sink makes a great centrepiece to any kitchen mood board project.
Step 5: Choose a Focal Point
Have you ever felt overwhelmed at the scope of starting a new design project? Don’t worry. A great technique to combat this feeling is to focus on one particular thing, make it your focal point, and build around it. Pick a product that will serve as a visual and functional focal point for your space.
The sink often creates a natural visual anchor in the kitchen, and the sink style you choose can set the tone for the design of the entire space. Go for a classic fireclay apron-front sink and you’ve got yourself a great traditional centerpiece. Choose a lustrous dark granite, or stainless steel sink and you’re well on your way to creating a dream modern kitchen.
Step 6: Add Accent Materials & Textures
This is the part where you breathe life into your idea! If choosing the right colors defines the look of a space, then choosing the textures defines the feel. From the sensory delight of freshly-oiled oak countertops to the fabrics that soften and bring comfort to an interior, there’s a whole world of materials out there to add texture, contrast and atmosphere to your project.
Notice how powerful contrasting elements can be. The Kraus® Bolden Kitchen Faucet in Antique Champagne Bronze makes a fantastic contrasting accent piece that can really bring focus to a kitchen design. Similarly a kitchen faucet in matte black can bring a dramatic twist to a bright and airy space. Choosing the right accent materials can be the catalyst that brings everything together. This stage is all about experimenting until you find the perfect balance.
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Step 7: Finishing Touches
To quote a well-used design expression - It’s all in the details! Maybe you’ve brought together a bunch of monochrome elements that are beautiful individually, but look a little drab when viewed side by side. Before tossing the idea out the window all together, try adding some warmer details to soften the look. Throw some gold hardware and a brushed brass faucet into the mix, and watch how it makes everything pop!
Step 8: Have Fun!
Enjoy yourself, experiment, and don’t be afraid to get a little wild throwing different materials together! Add some personality by using non-permanent items that will characterize the space such as plants, books, wall art, and area rugs. Consider making multiple mood boards to test different styles.
Creating a mood board is a simple and fun way to plan your design, and the most important part of this process is to have fun. In the end, you’ll have created something beautiful and uniquely yours, that will be your anchorpoint as you turn your big idea into reality.
