How to create the right mood
If you want to design inspired interiors, make sure you pin down your ideas first, says Maria Fitzpatrick
start bringing the two together so they feed into each other, and a plan of action will come. You will figure out quickly whether something, even if it’s aesthetically pleasing to you, relates to how you actually live. It’s a system that works.” For some, having a physical, tactile board to refer to is perfect. But for those who prefer a computer screen as their canvas, there’s a whole other world of moodboards to be explored. Websites like Pinterest.com, where you gather imagery from all over the web and “pin” it, like a visual bookmark, to your own digital page, are an amazing free resource for inspiration and planning. Why tear up a magazine when you can “grab” the image of the exact chair or wallpaper you like, from a retailer’s website or an interiors blog, and “stick” it on your own board in seconds? The site is a vast, constantly growing library of visual references, and as you express your own tastes and preferences, you discover other people’s – and can dip in to their treasure trove of images, ideas and experience, too. Every day, five million “pins” are added to the home category on the site, which is used by everyone from Kelly Hoppen to Kirstie Allsopp, says Sarah Bush, UK Manager of Pinterest. “The web is awash with beautiful imagery and advice, and it makes the process of embarking on a home project a lot easier,” she says. “It’s a way to delve into multiple inspirations and influences, from food to fashion to travel, explore how they might relate to your rooms, then refine your ideas. You might start with the idea of a ‘modern industrial kitchen’, and narrow it to the question of ‘Do I really like how metropolitan tiles look in my favourite colour?’ “You can also search for emotive words as well as styles — for instance, ‘cosy living room’ or ‘warm, urban, edgy kitchen’, which allow the search engine to take you right to the heart of how you feel about a room, adding another layer of resonance to the research.” But it’s not just for image-sharing; If you struggle to get started, try the ‘three-word’ technique. Pick a combination ofwords that convey the style but also what youwant your experience of the room to be (“Light, elegant andwelcoming” or “Smart, tailored and energising”) and gather visuals that satisfy those. Keep your influences as broad as possible. Don’t just look at retailers’ sites and magazines; it’s also about the set of a filmyou’ve just seen, an old advert or the shape of a perfume bottle. Include photos, cuttings, swatches, found items, even a floorplan sketch. Pinboardshop.co.uk makes custom boards to measure (020 3608 1913). On Pinterest, start off loosely by working with an overriding theme, such as a historical period. Then narrowyour focus downto boards on a single room, then to features such as taps or textiles. Along with Pinterest, you can create moodboards on Picasa, Photoshop and Polyvore. There is a range of apps, such as Houzz, and software like Moodboard Pro for iPad – experiment to find one that suits your needs. At the end of a project, look back at your boards and learn fromthem: Were you too ambitious? Are you naturally drawn to things that are too expensive? Or are you being too safe? Add a surprise into the mix. it’s a useful planning tool that takes your moodboard to the next stage. Where you find a product “pin”, say, a lamp from The Conran Shop or a shower head from Bathstore, there’s information embedded behind it — a link will take you straight to its source, the price, other colours; meanwhile, a “red thread” links it to relevant alternatives, allowing you to compare, contrast and choose. Will Taylor, of Bright Bazaar, an interiors blog, has been using the site since 2010. “It’s exciting because it’s instantaneous. You could argue that you have to be more considered with a paper moodboard, but for me, doing it digitally allows for flexibility; you don’t have to stick to an idea just because you’ve glued it down.” Will has 2,580,925 “followers”. He enjoys the cross-fertilisation of ideas between people who have a similar sensibility or are just looking for the same kind of kitchen cabinets. But the most useful aspect of all, he finds, is that nothing is deleted. “It becomes an archive of how your ideas have evolved, and it can surprise you,” he says. “You might say you’re not a fan of citrus colours, but looking back over your boards you might see that it creeps in a lot to the images you find attractive. Looking at the things that you gravitated towards over time is a more accurate reflection of what you will enjoy living with. It’s practical. You learn what your ‘vision’ really is before you start stripping wallpaper and buying all around you.” Decorate Workshop by Holly Becker (Jacqui Small) RRP £25 is available from Telegraph Books at £23 + £1.35 p&p (0844 871 1514; books.telegraph. co.uk)