Mood Board Monday

I think something that is really essential to my success is having one day of the week where I collect thoughts, organize, set goals and prepare for the week. Professionally speaking, that day is (almost) always a Monday. It's when I review the last weeks emails, look ahead at my schedule for the coming week and get everything set for Tuesday through Friday.

I know it doesn't sound like a lot of work, but organizing memos and finish samples, ordering lunches, making appointments following up with work emails and quoting projects takes a lot of time. If I start as soon as I wake up, I *might* be done by 6. Granted, I work from home on Mondays so there are a few distractions. But that doesn't change the fact that it is a lot of work keeping my business running smoothly.

Not my image, but still pretty fabulous

SO! In honor of my very first Mood Board Monday, I am going to share the vision board I made for this blog. Having a single graphic that organizes all of the ideas that I have for this blog is essential. It will help keep me on track as I decide which topics to discuss in future blog posts and which images to include in those posts. Obviously, as an interior designer, interiors and architecture will be the main thrust of this blog, but that's not to say I won't speak on other topics like art, graphic design, fashion or whatever else suits my fancy. Just as long as the content and graphics meet the standards I've set for myself.

Are my interests limited to art and design? No, not even a little bit. I love being outdoors, hunting, fishing, hiking, surfing, climbing. You name it, I enjoy it. (Unless it's cold - but that's a different blog post for a different day.) But I don't want this blog to be as scattered as my desk, so I'm going to refrain from posting about those hobbies, and stick to art and design.

What do these images have to do with anything? I mean that's a palm tree and that's a horse. Well, that's the beauty of a mood board. It's simply a collection of images that elicit a certain feeling. When a client struggles to articulate what they want in their space this is my first tactic. They don't have enough (or the right) words to tell me what they want so we use pictures (a picture is worth a thousand words). Pictures of anything. Books, cars, landscapes, interiors, food, clothing. Once we have a pile of images, we lay them out and edit. Then edit. Then edit some more.

Not my image, not my space. Still nice

Once we've edited our stack into something that makes sense and is relatively cohesive, we try to ascribe words to the mood board. Modern, chic, warm, inviting, and on and on.

The words and the mood board become what defines the space. When selecting finishes and furniture I have the mood board and words handy. I check against the standard that we set. Does the space that I've designed elicit the same emotional response as the mood board? Would I use the same words to describe the two? If not, then I've screwed up and need to revisit the mood board and find where I got off track.

So without further ado! This Monday's Mood Board!

My vision board for this blog. Only the logo in the center is mine.

Tada! Ohhh such mood! Much board! I want this blog to be feminine, yet strong and grounded. So I've paired a soft blushy pink with a deep forest green. The combination is not new, it was used off and on throughout the last two centuries, but it still feels fresh and modern.

All of the other images are supporting this blend of feminine and strong. An ornate headboard next to a heavy wardrobe. Stone is paired with plants. A pink brick home stands covered in dark green vines. A ladies desk next to a brick fireplace.

Welcome Further South.