Many people begin planning their new home by accumulating inspiration images, whether that’s a digital mood board, clippings, magazines or even sample materials.
As your inspiration board grows, it can become overwhelming, making it harder to identify what you truly love and communicate a clear vision to your designer.
Before sharing your inspiration, take some time to curate it. Ask yourself ‘What do I genuinely love, and what can I let go of?’ The prompts that follow will help you refine your ideas and uncover the designs, features and feelings that matter most to you.
Give an overview of how you want your home to feel.
Many of the images we save are focused on individual details, such as flooring, kitchens or bedroom layouts. Before diving into those specifics, it’s helpful to step back and identify the images that best capture the overall feeling you want your home to create.
What to do
1.
Choose the five images that best represent how you want
your home to feel.
2.
For each image, think about what draws you to it and the words you would use to describe the atmosphere, mood or experience it creates.
Identify your most important zones
Inspiration boards often include images from all parts of the home, but most people naturally save more images of the spaces that matter most to them. These are often the places where find yourself spending the most amount of time.
Identifying these key spaces can help you focus on what matters most and communicate a clearer vision to your designer.
What to do
1.
Choose the 2-3 spaces that are most important to you and your family.
2.
For each space, select the 2-3 images that come closest to your ideal.
3.
Note what you love about each image.
Choose your hero features
Sometimes a single piece catches your eye and keeps drawing you back. It might be a light fitting, a sofa, a tap, or a special piece of furniture that feels like the perfect expression of your style.
Identifying these standout pieces can help reveal what you value most and provide useful direction for the overall design of your home.
What to do
1.
Choose a maximum of 3 pieces that you keep coming back to, even if they’re outside your budget.
2.
For each piece, note what you love about it and where a similar feature could work in your home.
Don’t forget the exterior
It’s easy to focus on the interior of your home, but don’t forget the spaces that create the first impression and connect you to the outdoors, from the front facade and landscaping to outdoor living and entertaining areas.
What to do
Choose 1-2 images for each of the front of the home, the backyard, outdoor living or entertaining spaces, and landscaping.