How to create a mood board with Nicola Harding & Co

Whether you’re planning a top-to-bottom renovation, or a refresh for one or a few rooms in your home, gathering and refining all your ideas and inspiration in one place will help you to reach an endpoint that’s considered, not confused.

We’ve teamed up with interior design studio Nicola Harding & Co to explore the process of putting together a mood board.

Watch the videos with associate designer Kath Eustace (there’s one created with your kitchen loosely in mind, and another for a bathroom) or keep scrolling for some key pointers.

Treat a mood board as your jumping-off point. It’ll help you to visualize exactly what you want from a space before you make any changes.

If you’re creating a physical mood board, take the time to engage with the tactility of the different finishes you’re considering. You’ll discover nuances like texture and sheen level – and even whether something will be easy to clean.

A digital mood board, meanwhile, is great for sharing information and ideas with any contractors you may be working with. What’s more, if it’s created using an app on your phone, you can update it the very moment inspiration strikes.

Keep in mind that making a mood board should be a creative and playful process. Be open to changing and refining your ideas – you might find yourself incorporating unexpected colors, patterns, materials or finishes.

You’ll want to think about your flooring and your walls, woodwork and ceiling, any built-in joinery (will it be timber, or will you paint it, and what hardware will you layer on top), as well as furnishings, fabrics and lighting when collating your mood board.

And as for where to begin assembling it, there’s no hard or fast rule, but layering paint colors and flooring samples can prove a helpful first step.

Hear from Nicola, the founder of Nicola Harding & Co, in our interview article here.

Published on 17th April 2025