Creating an Inspiration Board for Your Next Remodeling Project

Creating a well-designed space requires a deliberate and thoughtful plan to achieve the look you want. A great way to stay focused and streamline your choices is by creating an inspiration board.

A powerful tool, an inspiration board (also called a mood board or design board) is a physical or digital collection that combines materials, colors, textures and images into a single visual scene. Concept boards are used by creatives of all types, including graphics designers, web designers, and fashion designers.

For Design-Build companies, an inspiration board is a great tool — it gets homeowners and designers on the same page by conveying ideas that can otherwise be difficult to communicate.  Two people might use the same words like “comfortable” and “contemporary” to describe their space, but have different ideas about what that might look like in the end.

Must-Have Elements

Inspiration boards are perfect for making sure you’re communicating the big picture of the space (cabinets, countertops, flooring, backsplash). An inspiration board also includes finishing touches like hardware and accessories to create a cohesive look.

For example, if your goal is to create a country kitchen, you might start with white cabinetry and a farmhouse sink. Alternatively, you might start with parts of your existing kitchen that you intend to keep, like a bars tools or a collection of pottery.

Utilizing Online Catalogs

With websites like Pinterest and Houzz, collecting remodel inspiration has never been easier. Acting as gigantic catalogs of ideas from all over the web, each site has features that allow users to bookmark and save the posts they’re interested in.

On Pinterest, you simply need to create a Board and start “pinning”. To pin, simply hover over the image then select your Board from the dropdown menu and click “Save”. Be sure to add comments for each image so your designer knows what interests you about the space. To save an image from the web, from the page you want to Pin, click the “Pinterst icon” on your browser’s toolbar, choose an image for your Pin and click “Save” next to the board you’d like to save to.

On Houzz, setup an Ideabook — for the overall project or one for each room — and start searching. When you find a photo you’d like to add, click the “Save” button and select the Ideabook from the dropdown menu. Click the “Save to Ideabook” button at the bottom and the photo will be in your newly created ideabook.

You can then “Share” your Board and “Invite” your designer to view your Ideabook. This will allow for collaboration throughout the design process.

Create Your Own

If technology isn’t your thing, you can create an inspiration board by simply and effectively arranging clippings and cut-outs from home magazines and product catalogs.

You can use product samples. Many companies in today’s kitchen and bath industry will provide free samples. Take advantage of free samples to mix and match different combinations to find out what you like.

Be sure to bring your inspiration board with you to design meetings and when you are searching for finishes.

An inspiration board is a versatile and fun tool for planning a home improvement project. As you brainstorm design ideas for your upcoming project, try making one for yourself!