Winter Mood 2023

It’s been a while since I’ve created a mood board. Going in, I wasn’t sure if I would remember how to make one or if there was even a point in making one at all.

As soon as I started pulling images, my doubt fell away and I quickly remembered why I love making mood boards—they help me see how I feel. As a visual person, a mood board gives me a direct line to my experience.

It’s not the individual photos that tell the story, rather the picture they make together. A mood board is all about zooming out and looking at the relationship between the images. That’s when it hits you.

Just look at all that black and white!

What does it mean????

It’s funny because it’s like staring at what I’ve known deep inside but haven’t been able to articulate. In the context of my own life, the contrast of all that black and white feels crystal clear. Finally settling into our own space after the last few years of living in transition has been illuminating. I didn’t realize just how ungrounded I had been feeling until I was able to put down some roots. I couldn’t wrap my head around just how loud my mind had become until I got here to the country and the quiet of nature.

This mood board validates my experience and maybe even gives me a little bit of closure. The stark contrast of black and white suggests an ending and a new beginning—a turning of the page. There’s a certainty to the aesthetic that feels both bold and comforting.

Now that we’ve moved into our new home, I’m desperate to hit the ground running! I have to remind myself that things take time. More importantly, I don’t want to rush it because I enjoy the process of creating a space. It’s a perpetual work in progress, which is what I actually love about making a home—it’s a living, breathing entity that evolves with you. I’m not one to decorate out of a catalog or pull the design together in a weekend. I want the thrill that comes from hunting for treasure and the joy of watching my home come alive in its own way.

Below are some decorating ideas I’m playing with. It’s a mood board in and of itself! I’m using each element for inspiration. I already bought the floor lamp and I have my eye on the desk for my studio.

My takeaway from this exercise is the value of contrast in how it fosters perspective. It has been immensely helpful to zoom out and see the big picture of my life instead of feeling stuck inside the chapters of my story. I hope you take some time to play with creating a mood board and find some clarity in the process.