Design 101: DIY E-Design Boards

E-Design Boards.

What are they?

Graphic visuals that you can create to plan out your room decor and design elements. 

How are they different from Mood Boards and Inspiration Boards?

Mood Boards and Inspiration Boards are great for trying to capture the ideas or "look" and "feel" that you want your space to have. An E-Design Board is an actual Blue Print for specific products, paint colors, elements that will be in your finished design/space. 

What are some examples of good E-design Boards?

Professional E-Design Boards are that Blue Print for a client to follow and implement into their space. Designers select furnishings and decor to create a room design.  It's like a visual check list on how to achieve a finished room. 

via HOUSE OF JADE INTERIORS

Via JILL HINSON of FOREVER COTTAGE

Via STUDIO MCGEE

If I can't hire a designer, how can I make a simple board myself without investing too much time or money?

Designers use Photoshop and Arcad and a new monthly subscription program called Sample Board.

Start with Pinterest and Houzz. Find Mood and Inspiration Pictures. 

When gathering furnishings and room decor, Pin them to your specific Board to keep track of the source and product dimensions, specifics, etc. As you start to hone in on your design direction, you can save the pictures and begin to create a board, moving the pictures in and out. Try combinations together and see what you like! 

There are several Online Resources that are free and quite simple to use for this purpose.

The Graphic Programs:

Pic Monkey

Canva

The 3-D Programs

Polyvore

Olio Board

The Apps

Morpholio Board App

Home Design 3D

I've seleted 3 that I think are the easiest with the best results: 

Pic Monkey Collage:

I like using Pic Monkey's Collage option because you can easily upload pictures that are saved to your computer. You can move things in and out to see what flows well.

For example, I traded out the chandelier in the design below.

And when I brought in this more traditional crystal chandelier, I realized that the dressers that will be used as side tables, needed to be a tad more in keeping with the light fixture, so I swapped the dresser out to test another. 

And then I can easily swap the dresser back to the original to test with another light fixture.

 You can add text to your Pic Monkey collage.

Just save your original collage when it is done.

Then open a new EDIT option, upload the saved collage and add your Text!

Olio Board

Olio Board will give you the 2D and 3D design tool that can help to really get a good placement and scale going in your design. Olio Board is more time consuming, and a a more contrived look in my opinion, but if you really want to create a detailed room, this is a fantastic way to achieve that. And remember, it is typically more time consuming to return items, or try to make a bad decision work, than putting the time in upfront with your planning. I say that lovingly and from personal experience!

Morpholio Board

This is an App that you can download to your phone. I love it because you can upload any picture that you have in your phone. Anything from Pinterest, Houzz, something that you like at HomeGoods....anything can instantly be uploaded into your board so that you can quickly move things in and out to see what works....on your phone....on the spot. They also have a collection of items to sift through if you are looking for design inspiration. 

When your board is done, take a step back and think about these 4 Design Tips:
1.Repeat colors at least 3 times.

2. Think about Texture. You are living in these rooms. What does it feel like? What textures do you have that are creating depth and layers in your room so that it doesn't feel sterile and flat?

3. Make sure you've reviewed size, scale, dimensions before you buy anything. For example, know how high the bed will be before you order the bedside tables from Joss and Main.

4. A day later, look at your board. Does it feel like you? Does it feel like what you wanted your room to be? Sometimes we can get so caught up in finding "a teal pillow" that when we find a teal pillow we shove it in the design just because we feel like it works. But is it you? I'd rather have a design that is less "matchy matchy" and feels more like my STYLE. 

XO,