How-to: Create the Perfect Moodboard

What is a moodboard? 

When it comes to updating the look of a room, you can have so many ideas and inspirations it’s hard to keep track – that’s why we want to share our secrets to the perfect moodboard. If you’ve ever tried one before you will know they are the perfect place to gather your thoughts and help visualise the end result.

Consisting of images, swatches, paint samples and more, moodboards are the perfect way to explore colour, texture and pattern in an inexpensive and easy way. You can play around with several ideas and even consider a few design risks; if it doesn’t work out simply clear the pieces and start again.

A moodboard can give you the chance to consider a vast array of options – it will either confirm you’re going in the right direction, or leave you inspired to a look you hadn’t previously considered. Once you have settled on an idea, shopping and decorating will be a (theoretical!) breeze.

Assemble your inspiration

To get started you will need to gather all of your decorating ideas. Put your printer to work to get physical copies of online inspirations, grab your wallpaper samples, magazine clippings, fabric swatches, paint charts and even furniture finishes.

Moodboards aren’t just about products, it’s a chance to consider the inspiration behind the look you’re pulling together. Be sure to include postcards, photos – anything that evokes the look and feel you want to create.

The final pieces you need are a large piece of board, scissors, glue or tape… and of course a large cup of your favourite hot drink!

Gather your thoughts

Once you have everything in front of you it’s time to get creative and start having some fun!

Consider how you’ll be using the space and think about the look you want for your room. Will it be a calm and tranquil space? Or would you prefer a bold and uplifting feel? Do you want a look that is coherent throughout the house or each room to have its own distinct look? Perhaps you’ve even narrowed it to a flowery wallpaper, but still have to pick the one that works perfectly.

Play with colour and textures

Once you know the look and feel you’re going for, you can use this as your starting point in pulling together your colour palette. Start with the base colour first, often this is the one that will fit with your flooring choice and complement your furniture. Once you’ve settled on that, you can play around with the accent colours and explore textures.

Soft, tactile materials work wonderfully to create a calm, restful space, whereas smooth, glossy finishes look great in strong colours. Don’t feel trapped by these rules though, a mix of textures and finishes can work wonderfully to create a contrast within the scheme.

Lock it down

There’s no real rules to creating your moodboard look. You may want to keep your layout neat and structured, or make it loose with lots of layers and overlaps, giving you a better idea of how the different elements flow together. Have fun, be playful and shuffle things around until you’re happy and it looks balanced. 

Once you’re happy, take a photo of the final look and start to fix everything in position. 

We have found it’s useful to put your moodboard to one side once it’s completed and come back after 24 hours with fresh eyes. Look at each of the elements in different light and times of the day to make sure each element still works. Once you’re happy, take a note of every item, click a photo and get shopping.

Get started by ordering samples of your favourite I Love Wallpaper prints and unleash your creativity. Be sure to share your creations with us on our social channels, we can’t wait to see your new look!

To get a head start on your next project head over to our website here. For more inspiration on wallpapers take a look at our Instagram here