In this episode, Cara is sharing all about mood boards and how to use them to create diy-designed spaces with a designer vibe. She shares her mood board process, favorite hacks and apps, plus a really cool challenge you can dive into and create a mood board for a space. Cara will choose her favorite space to win $500 to Home Depot! Follow along on instagram for details about how to enter!
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moodboard apps & hacks.
create a moodboard with these apps
- canva — my favorite
- pic monkey
- powerpoint
- morpholio
my mood board process:
I start with an actual photo of my space. I cleaning it out a bit before, removing items that I know wont be going back into the final design of the space. I also take out any items I think *might* go back into the space and take photos of these separately so that I can play around with them like puzzle pieces.
Next, I either take photos of or screenshot the decor items I already have that I want to put back into the space I also screenshot items I plan to buy OR items I'm testing out for the space.
I open my mood board — usually a presentation-sized blank template in Canva. I add in my photo of the space, then layer the decor on top of it. I swap things in and out to "try on" different looks for the space. Sometimes I duplicate the design page so I can have a couple working spaces that I can compare differences between.
mood board tips:
01 inspo is different than a mood board
A Pinterest board is a good place to play if you’re struggling to define your vibe or see a theme in the things you’re drawn to —this is your inspo. A mood board helps you visualize ACTUAL elements in the space — inspo photos inspire the actual design and help give you ideas about what to include in your mood board.
02 embrace the design process
Creating a mood board might feel like an extra step, but you’re literally creating a cohesive plan for your space. This is how you get the designer look. Even the best of designers don’t just design off the top of their head. They have a reference and use tools to visualize all the planned elements in the space TOGETHER
03 be mindful of color differences
The light the products were photographed in can determine how the color looks online, so not all product photos can be matched to each other. Some tips to deal with this are: be prepared to return and exchange what doesn't match, order swatches when possible, and when your mood board is done, pick a piece and order it first then match to it vs ordering it all at once.
04 name your screenshots
When you take screenshots of decor online, either name the file with the product name or SKU so if you find something you love, but loose the product link, you can still locate it for purchase. Keeping links straight can be hard to do when shopping online and trying out tons of different products on your moodboard.
05 don't be afraid to go analog
Digital mood boards are great because it can go with you, but you cant beat mood boarding in a swatch book with actual paint chips, swatches, and prints.
You can also make a VIBE tray or swatch book page to compliment your digital mood board so they work together.
let's talk about it!
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cara newhart
I'm Cara, the designer & diy queen behind Never Skip Brunch. I'm a color & prints obsessed DIY queen who's here to help you create a beautifully lived-in life through home design advice and chic DIY tutorials
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