Inspiration Boards: How a Bespoke Scheme Actually Starts

What's an inspiration board all about?

At the onset of styling a home, or even a room, there needs to be a plan — a vision. The inspiration board tells the story of what will be in the space. Let me show you a few examples of how I've used them.

The guest suite story

I designed this guest suite with Murphy beds — beds that close into a closet as a space-saving strategy.

The example that came to mind for the theme was a suit jacket: nondescript on the outside, yet with an element of surprise in the blue inner lining. Sophistication. Drawing further inspiration from a golden cufflink, I used gold elements in small amounts.

So I created this mood board to get my ideas down on paper — well, on computer.

The inspiration board gives us direction on the colour palette, materials and shapes to be used, ensuring there's a theme that creates flow and harmony.

• Concept: jacket with blue lining peeping out
• Shape: square
• Colour: mainly white and wood, a hint of gold, contrasted with a rich blue
• Texture: velvet, soft to the touch

Which was then actualised. When the beds are closed you have a white closet trimmed with gold skirting and a hint of wood — sophisticated yet nondescript. Once the beds are open, the pop of blue awaits you as a surprise.

The teenage girl's bedroom story

An admirable mother of a teenager reached out to me. Her aim was to make her daughter feel special by putting some thought and effort into her bedroom. With a low budget, we still managed beautiful results.

We had one consultation, where I heard out the needs and preferences. I chose a picture of a cosy cat as the concept for the room.

Now, here's the thing worth knowing: the concept does not have to be in the room. The fact that the room was generated from a single concept is what keeps it in harmony, so that there's flow through the room or home.

From that picture I got:

• Shape: triangular, taken from the shape of the cat's ear
• Colouring: light pastel pink, grey and some white
• Texture: fluffy and furry, as in the high-pile rug

And what was born from the cat? Not a kitten — this inspiration board. Here you have the colouring, where I pulled the right colours from the Tambur catalogue so we know exactly what to use in the room.

Everything in it is what I like to call the three As: attainable, affordable and accessible. Without breaking the bank, we created a lovely dream haven.

The store story

When working with a store, the logo becomes the concept — in this case, for a store actually called Concept. How coincidental.

The colouring is ochre and black; I added grey and white. The shape I gleaned from the existing logo: hangers. The pendant light, the cubbies and the hooks in the changing room are all made of wooden hangers.

Now that's taking hangers to a new level.

So I hope you're inspired to make your own inspiration board before any styling commences.