Learn all the details on how to create an inspiration board when designing a room. These tips will help you streamline your design choices, make better decisions, stay within your budget, and save you time.
Designing spaces in our homes is often a challenging job. And it can even be so hard for some that they just choose to not do it or to settle for something they really don’t like. But I’m here today to show you how to create an inspiration board to help you design a room. You’ll be able to streamline your design choices, make better decisions, stay within budgets, and save time.
Hi all, it’s Lori from Greco Design Company. As a designer, I am always creating these inspiration boards for myself and clients and I find they’re a great tool to help me create a cohesive space. They keep me organized, on budget, and help to create the best design choices.
Even though creating design boards may seem like an extra step when it comes to
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You’ll Need the Following:
- Illustration Boards – I use these boards but any sturdy board will do.
- Scissors
- Glue or any adhesive
- Access to a computer
Instructions:
1. Make a List and a Budget
Making a list of all the items you need and want for your space is a good way to prioritize and will serve as a guide when doing research. Then give yourself a budget for each of these items.
TIP: Keep in mind that there may be added costs for things like tax and shipping. In addition to this, I always add in an extra expense for general decor and accessories.
2. Measure
Take measurements of your space including windows, doors, and any permanent structures such as fireplaces, built-in units or anything that will affect the layout of the room. Use this as a guide for #3.
3. Paint Color Selections
I like to select paint colors first because they’re probably the largest visual in the space. They also set the tone of the room.
TIP: There are so many factors when selecting paint colors and it can be very overwhelming. I recommend NOT going with the current trends. They’re trends and they will change and so will your interest in those color selections. If you’re tentative about color, stay with neutrals and pick a color or a shade of a color that already exists in the room.
If you’re starting from scratch with no furniture, art, or any decor items yet, pick a few variations of colors that you enjoy and want to be surrounded by. Then when you go on to step #4 and start looking for items to fill the space, keep these paint color variations in mind. Of course, you can change them if needed, but I think if you’re true to your personal interests, you’ll make similar color choices.
4. Do your Research
Start researching for different pieces that will work with your space, budget, and style. I usually look for the big items first such as rugs and furniture. The best places to look are social media, Pinterest, online shopping, in-store shopping, magazines, and even in your friends’ and neighbors’ homes. Take photos, screenshots, or tear out pages of your magazines.
TIP: When designing your home, be sure to consider an item’s purpose and meaning. It’s less important to surround ourselves with expensive, pretty things than it is to create an environment that’s meaningful and purposeful. Of course, the things we pick will be visually pleasing to us, but their main intention is to be purposeful.
For example, the dimensions of the couches I selected for this family room are the same as other couches, but the smaller arms and sleeker bottom make these visually “lighter” than ones with higher, rolling arms and chunky bottoms. So it’s purpose is to seat a lot of people but not look too big or heavy in the small room. The colors and style work for my space and are within my budget. All those elements make these couches good design choices.
5. Order Swatches
You can get a sample swatch for almost any item including fabric for chairs, couches, curtains and even rugs. Most stores will give these away for free, or for a minimal cost. This is crucial since it’s so hard to tell accurate colors and texture on our monitors.
6. Collect Your Images
Once you have collected a variety of images of the items for your space (rugs, chairs, couches, tables, etc.) you can print them out and, along with your swatches and paint chips, create groupings that work best together. I like to create a few different design combinations for each space. Giving yourself a few options will help make your final decisions easier and you might end up with even better solutions in the end.
7. Adhere to your Boards
Once you like your groupings, adhere them onto your boards. There are also online options such as a Pinterest board. Although those are helpful when gathering my ideas, I prefer having all my items on a physcial board that I can carry around with me. These physical boards allow me to hold them up in the space, touch the fabrics, and see accurate color combinations. I often make a few different design combination boards for each room.
TIP: Study your design creations and don’t be afraid to make changes and move things around. Have fun with it – this is where you can try different combinations without any added expense! I’ve often found my least favorite choices were the ones I made first. So keep searching and try something out of your comfort zone. Or something that’s not so common. For example, try a huge clock on a wall instead of a standard-size piece of art.
Designing our homes can be costly and time consuming. But hopefully, these instructions and tips will make the process a bit easier and more affordable. Even though creating design boards may seem like an extra step when
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Lori is a freelance graphic designer living in the Boston area with her husband, their three kids and a yellow lab puppy. She started Greco Design Company in 2014 when she realized that her love for design was extending beyond the corporate advertising world and into all areas of her life. You’ll find she shares unique but simple DIY projects, gives some great ideas for home design, provides her outlook on current fashion trends, and loves to do beauty and product reviews. She incorporates her graphic design background through her free printables, paintings, signs, art prints, invitations and stationery on her blog and in her Etsy shop. Lori believes in the importance of surrounding ourselves with good, purposeful design that can help streamline our lives and still be affordable. Her tutorials are easy to follow as she shows how you can make anything you set your mind to!
Follow Lori on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.
