How to create a mood board - Interior design

A mood board is an essential component of an interior designer’s design package. It serves as a visual representation, helping clients see the overall look and feel of a space, while also highlighting specific furniture, fixtures, and design elements that will be included in the final design.

What is a mood board?

A mood board is a visual display of materials, fabrics, paint colours and fixtures in a design scheme. They can be displayed either electronically or as a physical board with materials - fabrics, woods, metals & paints. Electronic mood boards are often used by interior designers alongside physical mood boards that are presented at client consultations.

Why are mood boards useful?

Creating a mood board is a really useful tool to ensure that all the elements used in a design work together and complement each other. It makes it so much easier for you to see what works/doesn’t work and what needs to be added to bring the scheme to life. They are used by interior designers to illustrate the overall scheme for the proposed design, so their client has a really good idea of what the room will look like. They can also be really useful in a renovation project to show contractors so that everyone is on the same page.

Interior designers are experts when it comes to designing room schemes and putting together amazing mood boards for their clients. It takes a lot of skill and expertise to put a scheme together that is both beautiful and functional. By considering all aspects of a project from the outset, including all the technical aspects, you will save yourself a considerable amount of time and expense down the line. Sometimes hiring an interior designer to look after a project from start to completion isn’t possible. But there is a happy medium. We offer an e-design service which we can do remotely.

How to create a mood board without an interior design:

Creating mood boards is fun! If you are a novice and fancy giving it a go I am going to share some tips below.

Best free tools to use:

1. Canva. This is a free web based platform which you can upload your own saved images into and use one of their templates to create a mood board. The best template to use is a landscape photo collage which you can find by using the search tool at the top. You can choose a template and then delete the photos currently on the template and add your own. Use the upload images tab to import your own jpeg images. You can move the images around the page, move items to the front or back and add text. The board can then be exported to your desktop.

2. Powerpoint. Another useful free tool to use is powerpoint. Though it doesn’t have all the same functionality as Canva it will enable you to collate all your images and text on the same page so you can create a design.

Things to include in a mood board:

1. Flooring

2. Paint colours and wallpaper

3. Lighting

4. Furniture

5. Fabric choices - curtains/blinds, furniture, cushions.

6. Rug

7. Artwork

In my previous post I talked about creating gallery walls with art. I often use Canva to design a gallery wall. Ensuring all the pieces are scaled correctly allows me to design a cohesive gallery wall and also is an excellent way to show the tradespeople how the gallery wall should be hung on site.

I hope you have fun creating your own mood boards!

Note: Interior designers have spent many years perfecting their design skills and the physical process of creating a mood board for visual representation is just a tiny part of the design process. There are so many aspects to consider when designing a room, not just how it will look, so if you would like us to help design and execute your next project we would be delighted to hear from you. Email us at ellie.helme@wolfgrey.co.uk

Ellie x

Blending Traditional and Modern Design for a Sustainable Home

"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." – William Morris

Welcome to Our First Blog!

Welcome! We are so pleased you are here! I wanted to start sharing some of the knowledge and tips I have learnt over the 13 years since I founded Wolf Grey Interior design. Many of these tips will help you to not only create a beautiful, functional home but also help you avoid common mistakes and save you money.

For our first blog, I want to explore the concept of what home really is. As interior designers, we work closely with clients to create designs that are not only beautiful and functional but also feel deeply personal and like home.

Your home should be a unique reflection of who you are and what brings you joy. With the abundance of online content showcasing the latest interior design trends, it’s easy to get swept up in what's "in" or "out." But here’s the thing: your home should be a space that makes you feel good. Designing based on what you love and what brings you happiness will always lead to a space that feels truly yours.

The role of an interior designer is to curate a space that’s both functional and beautiful, integrating pieces you already have and love, alongside new additions that complement your unique style.

The process of designing a home always begins with an initial consultation. This is where we learn about our clients—what they feel works in their home and what doesn’t, which pieces of furniture or art they already love, and what their ultimate goals are for the space. This consultation sets the stage for creating a design that reflects their tastes, needs, and lifestyle.

In this blog, we’ll dive into how to incorporate both vintage and contemporary pieces to create a space that feels cohesive and uniquely yours. We’ll also explore the benefits of using vintage pieces, not only in terms of sustainability but also in budget—both of which are more important now than ever.

Vintage sofa re-upholstered in a bold floral fabric. Interior design by Wolf Grey.

Give old furniture a new lease of life.

 Say yes to Grandmas armchair… Furniture was made to last 50-60 years ago. So it’s no surprise that Grandma’s Parker Knoll armchair is still one of the most comfy armchairs you’ve sat in. Plus it holds emotional attachment which is so important when making a house feel like home.

But how can you incorporate it into a modern home? Re-upholstering a vintage piece of furniture in a fresh contemporary fabric is a cost effective and sustainable way of bringing warmth and character to a room. Choosing a bold fabric such as a large scale floral or geometric will transform the piece and bring character to a space. A upholster will charge in the region of £400-500 for an armchair and will let you know how much fabric is needed.

Vintage display chests re-purposed as bedside tables. Interior design by Wolf Grey.

Don't discount the brown.

Light wood furniture has been a staple of contemporary interior design for many years. But don’t discount its darker, moodier sibling. Incorporating dark wood vintage furniture into your interior design scheme will bring timeless elegance and character to any space. Whether you're working with a traditional or contemporary design, dark wood pieces—especially vintage or antique - can transform a room in a way that few other materials can. By incorporating dark wood vintage furniture, you create a space that feels both personal and enduring—one that reflects your style and stands the test of time.

Vintage brown furniture is also incredibly good value and generally far better quality than you would get for a new piece of furniture at the same price point. Good places to hunt are Facebook marketplace, antique fairs and Vinterior.

In a contemporary space it is most effective to incorporate one or two pieces of dark wood furniture alongside contemporary art and textiles.

Contemporary hallway with vintage armchair and bold modern artwork. Interior design by Wolf Grey.

“ART IS THE HEARTBEAT OF INTERIOR DESIGN”

Art and photography has the most amazing ability to bring a home to life. It doesn’t need to cost the earth to bring joy – a simple display of black and white photographs of your family or a large vintage poster can have a big impact. The most interesting and inviting rooms tell a story and this is why artwork is an essential element of any good design.  

How to display: There are a number of ways to display artwork effectively in a contemporary room design.

LARGE STATEMENT PIECE - One approach is to make a large piece of artwork the focal point and pull colours from it into your furniture and accessories, creating a cohesive and calming scheme. If you have a vintage piece of furniture, try hanging a bold, modern artwork above it to create a striking visual contrast. The power of blending old and new is undeniable, so the reverse works just as well. For instance, a vintage portrait above a bright, contemporary console table creates a dynamic and impactful visual impact.

GALLERY WALL  -  Using a number of small pieces of art is a striking and cost effective way to elevate a room. You can combine vintage finds, modern prints, objects and photographs to really express your personality. The art of hanging a gallery wall correctly is a whole different subject which I will write another piece on later!

BLACK & WHITE - If simplicity brings you joy then why not take some black and white photos of family and have them mounted and framed in matching thin black frames. These can be hung horizontally on a large wall or try 4 in a square formation.

Some of my favourite places to find art:

Artfully walls  - For reasonably priced prints on giclee.

Etsy – Great for vintage paintings, prints and downloadable artwork.

Cricket art galley  - Hungerford. If you want to splash out on an original art piece this gallery has an amazing selection of original art.

Hope you’ve enjoyed our first blog x