Inspiration Boards
I have been helping a girlfriend transform a space in her home recently. We stripped the room to its bones and started over with only a picture for inspiration. Having such a blank slate made me think about idea or inspiration boards. You know, those boards that the designers like Candace Olsen of Divine Design create while they flip through their over-the-top wallpaper and flooring books? I believe this to be the perfect way to approach design projects. Unfortunately, we oftentimes don't get to start from scratch. Rather, we rifle shot our problem areas by changing the pillows, a picture, or the paint on the walls. So, I challenge you--synchronize those not so blank rooms in your house. Define the sources of texture, color, form, and depth. Take everything down--all your accessories--and place them together in the center of your room. Make the normative analysis--this area should have texture, or color, or a picture, and then mix-up what you have. I bet you won't arrange it the same way twice. Change can be so refreshing.
I've included some examples of inspiration boards below. The board with the beads and hydrangeas was for one of the many christmas trees in the White House this past Christmas. The last board is the designer's vision for what could have created Audrey Hepburn's character Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's; so fun! A mood board is simply a place to collect one's design thoughts and get inspired!
