How to create an Interior Design mood board in minutes

An overview on a how to create a professional, digital interior design presentation board in minutes.

How to create rooms like JLo’s

Be inspired by Jenifer Lopez’s beautiful home.

A gentle pastel colored serene retreat would best describe this home. It is an unexpected color palette for the vibrate Lopez. Combing soft blues, grey, peach with pure white and touches of dark timber works a treat. I just love this home.

To create this look in the living room select dark timber flooring, pale blue walls and pure white trims. Add a white floor rug and upholstery and dark timber furniture. Create a sense of luxury with a shiny silver lamp base and metal framed tables.

Mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Repeat the same colors and shapes of furniture in the dining room. In the bedroom use a soft peach color on the walls and for the curtain fabric, add crisp white linen, a fluffy white carpet and a crystal light fitting.

All the rooms have a cozy welcoming feel due to homey functional built in furniture and personal touches of ornaments and flowers and soft furnishings. The home is classy, elegant and yet has a wonderful warmth.

Mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

As usual I have created some mood boards on SampleBoard.com to give you an idea of how you can create the look.

Be inspired by fascinating Florence Broadhurst to create trendy funky interiors

One of my favorite iconic designers is Florence Broadhurst. Her designs are big, bold, beautifully crisp and funky. Florence was a fascinating character from outback Australia. She led people to believe she was English in Australia yet in London where she had a shop she pretended to be French. She was a chanteuse in Shanghi in the 1920s and in the 30s she was a couturier in Bond Street.

Interior Design Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

During the 1950s Florence was a painter. But it was in the 1960s and early 70s she became famous and shone as a designer of brilliant wallpaper. Florence died as she had lived in mysterious circumstances. Her brutal murder has remained unsolved.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Florence’s designs revealed her background in travel to exotic places in stylized patterns of Asian influence. Her bold psychedelic colored prints were very much on trend in the swinging 1960s. She created her famous huge peacock like birds using a gold background and five different silk screens.

Sample Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Broadhurst worked very closely with a number of young designers and interior designers in the city where she created her master pieces; Sydney. Unfortunately her wallpapers went out of fashion for years. The minimalist styles of the 2000s would not accommodate her magnificent bold wallpaper designs.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

However Signature Prints an Australian company has been working for a number of years to restore Florence Broadhurst’s prints to their place as hot décor items. In 2003 Florence Broadhurst designs were launched in the USA by John Buscemi the owner of Classic Revivals in Boston.

Mood Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

I must admit I am so glad Florence’s work has had a continuing revival. Her designs have also been used to create magnificent floor rugs and fabrics. I have created a number of concept boards featuring some of her wonderful designs. Hope you are inspired and enjoy her designs as much as I do.

You may like to check out this cute Youtube fashion video with a Florence Broadhurst wallpaper as a back drop http://youtu.be/gcOK_HH2VkY

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Trendy grey & yellow interior design & as a wedding color scheme

Grey can create a sophisticated, smart elegant color scheme. However it is a challenging color to use. In this blog I will mention a few things to consider when working with grey. Pure grey is rare in nature. Grey is considered a non or neutral color so it can be used with any color.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Grey ranges from grey white, ash grey, silver, cool bluish grey, cyan (a greenish blue), warm reddish grey, dark grey to charcoal and grey black. One of the keys to working with grey is to realize how different the greys can be. A way of making a grey color scheme work is to use many different shades of grey. In this way you know it is going to work. You need to be very skilled in color selection to be able to combine a few greys successfully but it can be done.

The wonderful thing about grey is it can work with any color. One of the in vogue color schemes is grey using just a touch of yellow. This works very well as too much grey can be depressing and yellow is such an uplifting and sunny color. The other key is to use at least three different tones of grey; a light grey, mid grey and darker grey. They do not need to vary very much. But a hint of dark grey and black can add impact. Adding shine with silver accessories or mirrors is another way of making the greys in the room sing.

Wedding inspiration mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Grey and yellow are also popular colors for weddings at the moment. Having the bridesmaids and the groom dressed in grey works well. Selecting yellow or yellow and white flowers for the bouquet and décor is the only other color needed. An unusual cake and table decoration can be the addition of lemons giving a fresh spring like feel. You will note in the wedding inspiration mood board above the grey curtain appears warmer than the grey ribbon on the cake and the grey vase due to the lighting. It is important to check your color selections in different lights.

Wedding inspiration mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

I will leave you with a quote from the fabric designer and master colorist Manuel Canovas he said “There are no ugly colors, there are no ugly sounds there are only unfortunate combinations” Our challenge as designers and wedding planners is to combine colors successful. But don’t you just love color? I do.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Retro 1940s Interior Design Popular in 2012

What did a 1940s home look like? Flying ducks, old fashioned radios, display cabinets, rich dark timber furniture, light neutral colored soft furnishings were popular in the 1940s.  The destruction caused by the war led to a shortage of materials and a shortage of housing. Money was tight and houses small. But it was also a time when many of the great modern classic furniture designs we enjoy today were created.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Some of the fashionable colors in 1940s; powder blue, mauve, coral, turquoise, beige, rose, light green, dusty rose, plum, gold and honey yellow colors in jewel tones and sunny pastels were popular. Traditional styles were still in vogue. The floors of 1940 homes were usually timber. The resurgence of parquet floors in the 1930s continued into the 1950s. Linoleum in Art Deco and modernist designs also continued to be a popular floor covering.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

 

Bathrooms often had pink baths and vanities and were tiled in pink or pink and mint tiles. Bedrooms had tailored bedspreads and streamlined Art Deco or Jazz Age bedroom suites. Kitchen cabinets were usually timber, white, red or blue. Kitchen bench tops were often rubbery linoleum with trimmed chrome edging.

For the windows lace and sheer curtains of muslin, organza and voile were still in vogue. Stylized plant forms and abstract patterns, stripes, dots, figurative patterns and plain fabrics made up as triple pinch pleated curtains were also used.

Some colors used in 1940s

The use of floral wallpapers was discouraged in modernist interiors. Trendy wallpapers of fine art, pictorial patterns and screen print murals of the great artists Miro, Raphael and Mattisse were created by wallpaper manufacturers. Ivy leaf trellis overall patterns were also very popular in the 1940s.

During the 1930s Europe had led the world of interior design. But in the post war period of the 1940s the USA began to lead the way and Europe followed. Charles and Ray Eames ‘La Chaise’ chair, Isamu Noguchi glass top coffee table (designed in 1939 but produced in 1940s by Herman Millar), George Nelson’s slat bench chair and Eero Saarinen’s Womb chair (for Knoll) have all become icons of this time.

Sample board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Flat pack furniture was produced for the first time. Practicality and economic efficiency was the most important consideration in design after the war. It is interesting to note many people in the 1940s could not afford the new designs of the time and the traditional styles of the past remained popular as well as kitsch like items; flying ducks. I must admit I’m not too fond of three flying ducks on a wall. But maybe it was a sign of the times and people needed funny quirky items to make them smile during this period of recovery.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

How 2 create a funky violet bedroom retreat

Violet (purple) tends to be a color people either love or hate. In recent times many young ladies have told me purple is their favorite color. When questioned you quickly find out it is usually the lighter tints of violet they prefer. However in this bedroom design I have developed a funky color scheme using violet, red violet, tawny dark yellow brown, silver and grey with touches of yellow and white.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Deep purple can appear dark and dull however when used with white and yellow (its contrasting color) it comes into its own. Light violet has been a popular color for bedrooms in the past. Perkin’s mauve the first synthetic dye (which became the in color of the Victorian era) was discovered by chance in 1856. William Perkin an assistant at the Royal College of Chemistry was working on synthesizing quinine. He patented and then produced the first synthetic dye a rich purple he called mauveine in 1857. So really purple can be considered the leader of synthetic colors.

Purple is a color synonymous with sensuality making it a great fit for a bedroom. Historically purple was a rare color and considered the color of royalty. Purple is also ecclesiastical expressing the mystery of the Lord’s passion. It was a popular color in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s. Most of the purples represented in nature are flowers which lend their names to many purple hues; lavender, violet and, lilac. The purple palette consists of light lilac, bluish pinks, deep purple, lavenders, cool blue violets, reddish mauve and shades of bluish rose and red violet magenta.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

A purple color scheme needs to be handled with care. Mishandled they can be unsettling yet handled well they can have a richness, sense of luxury or heavenly delicacy. If a bedroom is also to be used as a study violet could be a problem as it can disturb the eye focus.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

In the schemes I have created for the concept boards in this blog I have selected fabrics and items to create textural variation for example velvet chairs, drape fabric and cushions, fluffy throw rugs and smooth shiny vases. They work well with the shiny mirrored set of drawers. I have created a sample board without the addition of yellow to show how flat and dull the room would be without the addition of this color. However too much yellow is not recommended for a bedroom as it can be over stimulating; therefore making it unsuitable for a place of rest.

The beauty of a bedroom created using deep purples; it is more likely to appeal to both men and women. Delicate violet colored bedrooms can appear too delicate and feminine. The star of the show in the bedroom featured above is the magnificent purple wardrobe which started me on the journey of creating a funky purple bedroom retreat.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

How to create an on trend British style living room

Have you noticed the Union Jack is everywhere? From cushion covers to trunk decoration the British flag is being celebrated. I’m usually not too fond of this sort of décor but there is a warmth and whimsical sentimentally to rooms decorated in this British style. So I thought I would write a blog featuring this hot trend.

It has certainly been a great year for the British, what with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic Games about to start and let’s not forget Andy Murray the first British (although my husband would insist he is Scottish just like he is) tennis player to reach a Wimbledon final since 1936.

Interior design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Last year here in Aussie land I enjoyed the TV show The Renovators. Once a week the contestants were given mini seminars on how to create different interior design styles. One such style created was for a British Lounge Room. I unfortunately did not see the whole program but I have been checking the style out since.

In essence the rooms decorated in this style have a kind of hunting lodge feel. This is achieved with items such as Deer heads and shield bases with antlers. Leather upholstery, cow hide cushion covers, Chesterfield sofas, old suitcases, English roll top desks, Victorian swivel chairs, brass oil lamps, vintage books and old trunks are some of the items selected. And the star of the rooms is; the union jack flag design.

Interior design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Some of the colors used with the red, white and blue of the flag are warm beiges, brown, rust and greens. The rooms could be described as masculine with a lived in rustic country vibe. The style would certainly be comfortable and easy to live with. I have created some interior design mood boards inspired by this British style. Once again I have used some pins from Pinterest. A British styled interior could work well as a study, rumpus, den, boy’s room or even a nursery.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Interior Design and Happiness: Can interior design make you happier?

How important is happiness in architecture and design?

Recently in Sydney the design critic of the International Herald Alice Rawsthorn stated “Design and Happiness have always been interlinked – and bad design leads to unhappiness”. It reminded me of a book I read a few years ago. The book by Alain De Botton: ‘The Architecture of Happiness’. Alan believes the buildings and objects we live with affect us more profoundly than we think. I love the fact he suggests that it is architecture’s task to render vivid to us who we might ideally be.

Sample Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com featuring Polder Sofa

Rawsthorn points out many designers of the past focused on practicality with the form must follow function as the catch cry. But did the modern minimalist styles of recent years make us happy? Alice suggests we require more from design as well as being practical and functional it should call to our sensual side.

Successful design needs to be functional, be created with a conscience, be beautiful and have integrity according to Rathsthorn. She goes on to explain; a design is useless if it does not meet the function for which it was designed. Ethical and environmental issues need to be considered throughout the design project.

Hella Jongeriu a Dutch designer is considered one of the most important designers of the last few decades. Her designs feature imperfection and are individualistic. For example her Polder Sofa has mismatched buttons and fabrics. Hella believes this sort of design adds a real human element and sense of happiness.

Sophie and Dale’s Kitchen image via homes.ninemsn.com.au

I have been watching some of the episodes of The Block 2012. The young newlyweds Sophie and Dale have created some nifty retro rooms with a real sense of fun. Have they captured the essence of design to create happiness? They have selected unusual items for example pressed metal (used originally for ceilings in the 1800s) for a splash back in the kitchen. In the guest bedroom Sophie found old suitcases, she removed the lids and used the body of the cases for storage.

Sophie and Dale’s Guest Bedroom image via homes.ninemsn.com.au

The rooms Sophie and Dale have created are quirky, individualistic and make you smile and sometimes laugh out loud. Creating interior spaces to make people happy is not a simple task. If you have an understanding of the different personality styles you realize different people require different environments to make them feel happy.

Sophie and Dale’s Kitchen image via homes.ninemsn.com.au

My favorite kitchen design on the block is Mike and Andrew’s. It is smart, sophisticated and harmonious. I must admit I’m not too fond of Dani so this may influence my critique of the rooms she and her partner Dan have created. Dan and Dani’s rooms are beautifully trendy but do they lack personality?

Mike and Andrew’s Kitchen image via homes.ninemsn.com.au

Could the key to designing spaces and objects to create happiness be more connected to personality than trend following? Being aware of current trends and design developments is vital for designers but it could be unhealthy to be totally dictated to by what is fashionable and popular. Are successful designers able to interpret new ideas in a way to suit their clients and in so doing make them happier?

To quote Rawsthron once again “However playful, joyful and stylish projects are, unless they work and are efficient, organized and environmentally responsible, they can lead to unhappiness”

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

SampleBoard’s peek at Shabby Chic & How 2 get the look

Shabby Chic is one of the most enduring interior decorating styles. It came into prominence in the 1980s, was popular in the 1990s and remains so today in 2012. It has a comfortable feminine feel achieved with well worn loved items. It can move toward a casual cottage look or be influenced by the   more sophisticated French provincial style.

Interior Design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Shabby Chic an eco friendly style

Using recycled items makes this a very eco friendly interior design style. Vintage, antique or just old items can be redeemed to create a fresh new look. The wonderful thing about this style of décor is you can express your own individuality. This is one of the reasons Shabby Chic appeals to me. However in our house modern styling wins hands down. This is due to the fact my husband and I love modern and he hates Shabby Chic. So this means I do not indulge myself in the wonders of Shabby Chic; but I do enjoy my sister’s love affair with the style.

How 2 get the look

Distressed furniture

To create this style; find items of furniture that have been heavily painted or you can use old unpainted timber furniture or even new pieces. Then you can distress the pieces. With the pieces already painted you can simply use sandpaper to strip the paint to reveal the different layers of paint. With timber furniture left free of paint you can paint the item with one coat of paint let it dry then place another coat of paint in a different color over the first coat.

When this is dry you can distress the item by using sandpaper to expose the first layer of paint and even the timber beneath. This is easily achieved on the edges of the furniture for example on the edge of a dining chair seat and back. If the legs of the chair are turned sandpaper the high areas of the leg to expose the colors beneath.

The hallmark of this style is well loved quirky comfort

Timber doors and cabinets can be distressed in a similar way to the furniture. The furniture styles that lend themselves to creating this wonderful warm style are French provincial, American Shaker, Scandinavian and country style furniture. Walls can be decorated with stencils or toile, floral and antique rose wallpapers.

Interior Design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Cotton and linen fabrics

The most popular fabrics used to achieve the Shabby Chic look are cottons and linens. The linens used today are based on the old French linens. Fabrics and lace can be soaked in water stained with tea to make it look older and faded. Sometimes fabrics are bleached. Chenille and chintz are also popular fabrics. These fabrics are used for comfy sofas, armchairs, cushions, pillows, bedspreads and other soft furnishings.

Soft colors and floral patterns

Whites and pastels are the most used colors in the Shabby Chic style. Soft pinks, peach and light greens or blue with white popular combinations. Floral patterns are the most used; roses most particularly. Stripes, dots and checks in matching colors can be teamed with the floral prints.

Accessories

This is where the fun can really start with your creation of a Shabby Chic masterpiece. The items used to enhance the comfortable homely well lived in look are endless. From white tin jugs filled with pink roses, to trays, chandeliers, candle holders, mirrors, teapots, old photographs and clocks. It is a fun individual style that has a welcoming, laid back and relax sort of atmosphere.

Found this excellent video with lots of examples of Shabby Chic styling shows how varied the style can be; inspirational hope you enjoy it as much as I did here the link http://youtu.be/UHxi12UaiZ0

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Home decorating ideas: How to update or improve a room with 3 items

A common question asked in my interior decorating workshops; what is an easy way to update a room? In this blog you will find my response to the question.

A dull, tired, dated room can easily be transformed with the interior decoration of three items. When you are fed up of the interior decor of a room you can create a new trendy look with three easy to find items. The three items can be added to any room. This is particularly easy to achieve if you have created a neutral color scheme.

Living room ideas

So how can you transform and update the interior décor of a living room with three items? What are the items? To answer the second question first the three magic items cushions, throws and floor rugs. If you have a living room or bedroom; in need of an update find three cushions for each sofa (or bed).

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Tip: If the cushion inserts are still in good condition you only need to buy or make new cushion covers

There are a number of inexpensive options. Some curtain manufacturers sell remnants of high quality off cuts at bargain basement prices. Even if you are not a great sewer it is fairly easy to make cushions. Some variety/bargain stores sell the whole package cushion inserts and covers at discounted prices. In this instance you could buy four cheaper cushions and then spend a bit more on two quality feature cushions. You do not have to restrict yourself to three cushions, five, seven or nine could also be used. Three would probably be the minimum number on a sofa or one for a chair.

Tip: Odd numbers are easier to work with when creating arrangements

The throw rug is a great way to add color, pattern and texture to a room. It is also functional it can keep you warm in cool weather. The throw selected can be in one color to match one of the cushions or a mixture of colors. It is best to match some of the cushion colors and then maybe some of the other colors in the room. The throw can be position at the bottom of a bed, or over a sofa arm on the opposite side to where the three cushions have been positioned.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Tip: Many interior decorators often use the magic number of three items

A colorful textured floor rug can be positioned at the side or bottom of a bed or in front of a sofa. The rug should be selected first. If you like to change the decor of your room often then there is a great range of inexpensive rugs available.  You can also invest in a quality rug. When selecting a quality rug try to find one with a few colors and a classic or abstracted design. If you selected a trendy pattern this could date.

Using cushions, throw rugs and floor rugs is a great way of achieving a rhythm of color, pattern and texture throughout a room.  They are a very easy, cost effective way of transforming a dull, dated and uninteresting room. And when you grow tired of them you can easily and inexpensively replace them.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

I have quickly created the concept boards in this blog to give you an idea of what I mean. You too can have some fun and create a visual representation of your interior decoration ideas with an interior decorating concept board right here on www.sampleboard.com. Just follow the link on the right.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online