Colin and Justin: Mood swings

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Ready to decorate? Mood boards are a great place to start

So, you’ve got a problem room, you’ve chosen a paint colour and you’re ready to decorate. Or so you certainly think.

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Well, think again. Before brandishing a paintbrush, wielding a roller or investing in a new sofa, there are issues to consider. If you don’t indulge your dream scheme with a spot of carefully considered forethought, you could very well live to regret it.

Cue the mood board, an oft’ misunderstood (and sometimes maligned) tool which, properly planned, can proffer assurances before you commit to expensive upheaval.

Along with the thousand plus rooms we’ve designed thus far, we’ve created a thousand plus – thematically appropriate – mood boards to ensure our visions are correctly realized.

How they work

A mood board, put simply, is a visual realization. By combining proposed paint colours, wallpaper scraps, fabric swatches and flooring — alongside pictures of furniture and accessories — you’ll find it easier to plan because you’ll be able to see elements together, assess colour combos and adjust everything until it all feels right.

It’s sensible to start with a key piece around which you hope to ‘build’ the room. That ‘anchor’ could be a wallpaper sample, an image of a credenza or perhaps a favourite rug.

Building a mood board

To establish ambition, start with a manageable section of board, painted to reflect the backdrop of your room and to sync with upholstery, wallpaper and flooring. Some fabric outlets charge for sample cuts, but costs are generally deducted from subsequent purchase.

If working around an existing piece of furniture, photograph it and position the image on your board. If starting from scratch, download images from the web, or clip pictures from magazines and brochures. The more options you have, the better your chance of success.

Proportion

It’s useful to scale each sample according to how it will appear in your room. If painting all walls, for example, colour the entire board in a uniform tone. If wallpapering, endeavour to add the relevant proportion of paper even if that means almost entirely covering your board.

TIP: -If your mood board is crafted with wallpaper as the major component, leave a white band around the perimeter to represent window frames and ceiling. When applying fabric, ensure it’s scaled to represent the quantity that’ll ultimately appear, and follow the same principal for upholstery, toss pillows and throws.

Play time

Assemble your mood board in your subject room to observe the way in which its component parts react to natural and electric light. When arranging pieces, avoid attaching with glue: we find pins, tape or adhesive tack better as you can juggle things around to see how colours and textures work.

TIP: Carry samples during sourcing excursions, having photographed your mood board (for future reference) as it’s being built.

Yes or no?

Samples arranged, now’s the time to be ruthless. Avoid costly regrets before buying: if combo’s don’t work, it’s likely they’ll look uncomfortable when realized as part of your room. If you’re simply not feeling it, hit the stores for further samples and jump back online to find pieces to replace those that didn’t quite marry.

The most successful plans are those that evolve after careful consideration, and the loveliest surprises are those which are birthed from unexpected, even ‘accidental’ pairings. So think twice, shop once.

As well as literal 3D mood boarding, product samples and materials, Pinterest is a great resource for planning and inspiration, and there are some stellar online mood boarding sites and apps (such as canva.com and stylesourcebook.com) which will help you envision concepts and plans.

For further inspiration, and to ensure sure mood swings in the right direction, check out ‘Dream Craft Interior Design Mood Board Book’ (Little Family Publishing) available via Amazon Canada, and from bookstores everywhere.

Watch for Colin and Justin on City-tv’s Breakfast Television and Colin and Justin’s Sub- Zero Reno on Paramount Plus TV. Find the Colin and Justin Home Collection in stores across Canada. Visit www.colinandjustin.tv.