How to Create a Physical Mood Board for Your Next Design Project

This post is sponsored by Carpet One Floor & Home.  All opinions are 100% my own. 

It’s been a couple of years since I finished up the sunroom/playroom refresh and now that the kids are even older, it’s time for another makeover of this space to meet their new needs!  While my husband is more of a done and never touch again type of home decorator, I am a big advocate of making your home work for you and completing the needed changes to meet your new needs… regardless of how recently you transformed a space.  

Things change so quickly with children and often we need to change our environment to meet their new needs.  The same can be said about flooring.  If your flooring isn’t working for you, it’s time for a switch-up!  I’m happy to be partnering with Carpet One Floor & Home to showcase their Floorcast of the hottest flooring trends for 2023. 

Carpet One Floor & Home asked me to create a mood board to highlight this year’s hottest flooring trends and what better area to start with than with the sunroom/playroom.  Recently, the sunroom has been used more like a hangout place by the kids rather than a playroom.  The toys are simply collecting dust as they play more with legos, watch movies, and create comic books.  So, it’s time to create a space that meets these new needs.  Here is how I created a mood board for my sunroom plans and how you can too!

What Is A Mood Board?

This year, Carpet One Floor & Home and I are both emphasizing big, bold color in design and decorating.  Flooring is a key element in designing a space and going bold can extend to the flooring with Carpet One’s flooring options.  One of my favorite ways to begin a design is to create a mood board that demonstrates the overall vibe of the space.  It serves as a reminder of how I’d like the space to feel, look, and it’s also a helpful style guide when I shop for additional decor. 

The mood board can be in digital or physical format and includes flooring, paint selections, textiles, wallpaper, hardware choices, and other decorative elements.  I also like to include a couple of pieces that remind me of the purpose of the room.  When designing a kitchen, for example, I may include a couple of serving utensils or dishware.  

When you observe a mood board, you should be able to understand the story of the space being created.  Having sample sizes of materials helps tremendously.  You can swap out samples until you have achieved the vibe and balance of all the elements you’d like in your room.  Be sure to order plenty of Carpet One Floor & Home flooring samples to find the best option for your space.  However, there is a tremendous peace of mind when using Carpet One Floor and Home to upgrade your home flooring.  If you don’t love your floors, they’ll replace them for free with their Beautiful Guarantee®!

Unboxing My Inspiration Design Kit Box

To help kick off my mood board design, Carpet One Floor & Home shipped me a fun kit full of design goodies. Some of my favorite items included an extremely cozy blanket, the Carpet One Floor & Home dedicated magazine Beautiful Design Made Simple that showcases interior design inspiration, and a yummy vanilla scented candle.  You can check out the unboxing of my design kit box on my Instagram stories today!  Here is a peek of the fabulous goodies.

Creating My Sunroom Mood Board

Now the fun begins!

One of the first steps I take when creating a mood board is to begin with the flooring or the walls.  They serve as the base for the design so it’s important to have that foundation in place so that the rest of the decor flows more seamlessly.  Carpet One Floor & Home sent me a few samples to try including luxury vinyl, hardwood, and carpeting.  

Choosing Flooring

First up were the carpet samples which were wonderful!  The Aspiration trail carpet  in wizard color (pictured at top) has a patterned texture and a beautiful soft green color.  I love the striated pattern and the texture it adds to a room.  I’m always a fan of green in a space and this soft green carpet will definitely add color to any room.  

I adore carpeting in any living space where the kids can get cozy right on the floor with a blanket to watch a movie.  I was really impressed with the soft texture of both samples.  The Entrust II carpet in shaved ice color (pictured at bottom) was not only soft to touch, but pretty plush too!  The soft bluish undertones can work with so many spaces to give a hint of color.  

Our deck is right next to the sunroom and the thought of muddy feet coming in from the deck onto this nice carpet is already giving me anxiety.  I’m happy that Carpet One Floor and Home also offers luxury vinyl planks and hardwood!

The Shady Glen hardwood in the sea rock color (pictured at bottom) has a gorgeous finish.  This hardwood flooring is engineered with multiple layers for enhanced stability in spaces where moisture is a concern like the kitchen and bathrooms, but can be used in any room.  The grayish tone works for many spaces where the decor has a natural vibe like coastal, bohemian, or even farmhouse style decor.  I could also see this in modern living areas as well!

My last sample was the Winter View luxury vinyl in the charming color (pictured at top), which has the appearance of distressed painted wood.  I’m a fan of luxury vinyl for its resistance to wear and scratches.  It also has great waterproof capabilities which is always a plus!  This flooring was definitely calling my name.  The shades of brown add an organic touch to a space and complements a lot of paint colors, especially the bold colors I’m envisioning!  I’m moved to use the luxury vinyl for the sunroom so that it holds up to the traffic and inevitable spillage of slime and paint by the kids. 

Deciding the Wall Treatment

After selecting the flooring, I then move to the wall treatment.  This can include paint colors, wallpaper, and any architectural wall pieces like trim moulding.  I love playing around with these wall treatments to find the best combination of floor and wall design ideas.  Mix and match samples until you get the design look desired.  I loved how the shades of brown seen on the tree of the wallpaper is mimicked on the winter view luxury vinyl sample.  I also added some bold paint colors I’d love to include on the trim of the walls or even on the ceiling of the sunroom. 

Decorative Touches

Decorative elements are added next.  This can be hardware selections, decor items you’d like in the space, and textiles.  I included a sample of a colorful, abstract textile I’d love to use for some soft textiles in the sunroom.  This would look great as pillow covers for the sofa.

Lastly, my signature globehemian style decor finishes the mood board.  I included a colorful African tray basket, a cute Japanese Sake bottle that can serve as a vase, brass birds to adorn the wall, and a pretty artisanal stone container to inspire the inclusion of natural elements in the room.  

I also added a few boho touches like plant leaves to remind me to include plants in the room,, boho wood beads to adorn the space, and a gold palm book end.  A couple of paint brushes hint the purpose of the space along with the need for art pieces in the room.

Creating this mood board for the sunroom was such a fun experience.  You can see the entire process on my Instagram Reel then create one for your next project.  Carpet One Floor & Home makes the process for planning a space so easy and fun. 

If you’re a visual person like me, you can even use their room visualizer to get a glimpse of how new flooring would look in your home!  Be sure to check out all the flooring options available on CarpetOne.com.