Mood Boards – How to find your own decorating style

Finding your own decorating style

No, it is definitely not easy to decorate, especially if you don’t know where to begin. Everything can be overwhelming. From finding the right paint color, to the right furniture and the right accessories.

Of course you want a perfect looking home, everything should flow together, from kitchen to living room to bedroom. Yes, you have been watching Chip and Joanna Gaines and all the other shows on HGTV, but you still can’t really figure out how to do it and where to start?

Always start with decluttering

It is so much easier to decorate, if you have no clutter, stuff, things piled up on your shelves. Make sure everything has its spot, its drawer, box, space and it is tidied away. Trust me. If you don’t know how to begin with decluttering, here is a short 21 day challenge. 

Here are some easy tips how to find your own decorating style:

Check out the room you want to decorate.

• Is it big or small,
• does it have a lot of windows or is it dark.
• Is there a focal point you don’t like?

Maybe your fireplace isn’t your favorite object in the room? Draw away the attention by incorporating a focal point you love.

You don’t like your floors? Cover them with amazing looking rugs!

The room is small and dark? Use bright colors and light furniture that fits to the scale of the room. You are not sure about selecting the right wall color?

Here is a step-by-step guide for you: How to pick the right paint colors easy

Look at your furniture

Now check out the furniture in this room. Any furniture you love, you will keep. Things you hate or are slightly damaged or just don’t fit anymore, have to go. If you are designing on a budget, check if you can paint the furniture you don’t like.

Or maybe you can cover your couch with a fabric you love. As a last option, you sell the furniture which just doesn’t fit to your style or your home anymore. (When I downsized I sold a lot of my furniture on Facebook Marketplace – just for your information).

And now the fun part begins:

1. Start by making your own mood boards. A mood board is a collage of images, materials, designs and furniture that evokes a particular style or concept. What kind of furniture do you like, what are your favorite colors? Go through magazines or catalogs and cut out everything you really like. Create boards on Pinterest and pin everything you like.
2. Put the collected furniture together by making different mood boards. The easiest way is staying in the same color scheme.  Here on mood board 1 the main colors are black and brown, accent colors are dark red and blue. Don’t use more than 2 (max. 3) accent colors, otherwise it gets too colorful.
3. If you have a lot of patterns in your furniture, keep your walls simple in a light grey, white or very light pastels. This allows the standout patterns to make an impact in your room. All patterns should have a binding color. Color is a unifier and if you stay in the same color scheme you can make nearly any style or shape go together.

Check out Mood Board 1 and 2 with the same butterfly chairs and cowhide ottoman, but different color schemes. The color choices make a completely different impact in your room.

1. MOOD BOARD 1

Mood Board 1 shows different patterns, but they are all graphic patterns with similar colors.

2. MOOD BOARD 2

3. MOOD BOARD 3

This furniture selection allows you to use patterns on your walls. If you like wallpaper, add an accent wall behind the couch with a similar design or use an eye-catcher picture behind your couch. Or stay in that color scheme blue, grey and brown if you like it more elegant. Add different accessories once in a while to change the vibe of the room. For example, exchange the pillows and pictures with a dark red.

Here are some examples of wallpaper, which would look great behind that grey sofa.  Always be careful though that you stay in the same color range. (See the different greys right here):

        

 

This is an impression of one accent wall mural and another one with wallpaper and a rug. Draw away attention from an architectural detail you don’t like by making a different focal point.

    

Not sure about the right accent color?

If you don’t like your rooms too colorful but you do want some kind of an accent color, start by adding plants. Plants add so much life to a room without having to decide on a color. Here are also some tips which plants are good for the inside air quality: How to decorate a fireplace mantel

Summary of How to find your own decorating style with mood boards

Follow these steps and I am sure you can incorporate your own style easily. Practice by making mood boards.

Don’t go out and buy furniture randomly, just because you think it could look great. a

Add them onto your mood board first and see from there.

Another good tip:

If you don’t have a huge budget, check out Goodwill, flea markets and Ebay, Craigslist Marketplace or Ikea. There are always some good finds for cool and reasonable priced items.

Like to paint?

If you don’t have any budget to get different furniture, check if there is an option to paint this ugly dresser or table.

I paint almost everything with Milk Paint or Chalk Paint, I even painted my whole kitchen. See for yourself here: Paint your kitchen cabinets without sanding and priming DIY

Have fun decorating.

Conny xoxo

Also read my latests blog post: How to create stunning looking wall art. https://colorfuldesigner.com/best-tips-how-to-display-art/