I‘ve been a lifelong moodboard creator. With the popularity and ease of Pinterest, it makes creating them to conceptualize any design or idea more efficiently. Moodboards are for anything one would hope to design and create. They’re an integral aspect of bringing all my events and projects to life. Most often it’s the not clearest things that inspire us. For me it’s the unlikely things that inspire something else completely different. The way a dress flows is how I want my flowers to flow, the calm glimmers of the ocean how the texture should be, or the colors and shapes of an interior space, inspires a tablescape.
A moodboard is essential for any creative, and not only for events or creative projects. I love creating them for life; one would say a vision board of sorts, for interiors, a travel experience, baking, the garden and each season. It’s particularly hopeful and exciting to stop to take a clear focused look around. To intentionally hone in on the things inspiring and speaking to you. Year after year, you’ll notice that despite your core aesthetic and preferences — your vision and creativity begin to expand onto ideas you might not have thought otherwise.
When we pull all the small different details together, we can then begin to see a story unfolding. A moodboard is never supposed to be a tool one replicates, instead it’s to help guide your art and ideas to create your own version.
A visual three dimensional moodboard is one I don’t often do, but find to be such a simple but impactful creative task anyone of us can do. When you’ve created a digital board of ideas, I love to then take those and create a visual grouping of things that would be used if the design were actually be made. With three dimensional moodbaords you get another level of depth and texture that feel authentic and attainable.
If there is one season I happen to make more moodboards for, it’s Autumn. Funny how it’s the beginning of my not-so loved seasons. But I see it as my way of finding the things that inspire and make me want to create, so that I can look forward to the colder darker season ahead.
Above and below are this year’s Autumn moodboards. A very strong embrace of neutral colors in a rich and yet subtle grandness. These recent weeks, my eye has been drawn to moodier well-designed interiors with rich beautiful colors and decor. Details that excite me how any color palette can truly evolve and expand, even neutrals. When you don’t have a large interior or design project to take on, create a moodboard simply for the fun of it. I love challenging myself to focus on different details and experiment how they can blend into the other.
In the above moodboard, I love how timeless antique details work beautifully with modern minimalism. And all with a palette of colors that are soft, calming and full of depth.
Below’s moodboard is more of my autumn “vibes.” Its the details I love for tablescapes and dinner parties, for style looks and that feeling of strong sultry romance.
In every design it always showcases its signature color palette.
Below you will see how I used my digital moodboards above, to inspire these visual three dimensional creations. Three different looks, yet all evolved from the same inspiration.
The first, a calming soft nature driven collection of antique art, statement hat styles, and various natural textures from flowers to nuts to linen and lace.
The second board takes the beauty of a peachy sunset, with the amber and golden foliage along with the strong delicateness of stone textures, to create a serene space.
And the third moodboard hones in on the lovely moodiness of dark forest greens contrasting with seasonal citrus hues. The allure of a cozy romance, clinging on to yearly memories while embracing the candlelight of memories yet to be gathered for and created.
T H E P R O C E S S
I‘ll print my absolute favorite images. These are the photos you can’t put your finger on but also can’t look away from. The ideas that can be seen as the core of your inspired design. Then I’ll walk around my home and studio space collecting any treasure that could bring a certain texture or color — that look and feeling to life.
Pieces don’t necessarily have to be vases or flowers, really open your mind! I’ve used pants, dresses and ribbon as fabric, dried foliage and nuts from the yard, used matchsticks, seashells, jewelry, or clay. If it catches my eye and there’s a small thought that it might work, then I pick it up. I’ll play around loosely with each piece focusing on which colors, textures shapes can work best together. Some pieces can even work for several different moodboards.
Starting with your bigger items, most times it’s your base fabric, and then the images you’ve printed. I think a good number of pieces for a visual moodboard is about ten to eleven, with about 5 being the images. Some things like flower petals, nuts or berries, can be used in various locations sparingly. Keep that in mind as it will affect how many different pieces you should include. You never want to get too fussy, or add too much to you dimensional moodboard. You want to be able to tell a story and showcase a feeling, but not give it all away. Let’s call if an amuse-bouche.
Hope this Autumn design has inspired a project or special occasion you are creating this season. And maybe it even inspires you to experiment and have fun designing more with moodboards…..
Autumn Moodboards from the past … 2016 Tablescape Inspo, Deep Vibrant Golden {one of the most pinned images of mine} & Earthiness from 2018 & 2020’s Slow Comforts & Quiet Warmth
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