Lost in Translation?
The Creative Brain Exercise
In my day-to-day work as an Interior Designer, clients often come to me saying things like,
“I want my space to feel cozy and modern.”
Simple enough… right?
Not exactly.
What I’ve really been handed is a puzzle: translating a feeling into something visual through color, texture, furniture, lighting, materials, and imagery. A successful space is never just about how it looks. It’s about how it feels when you walk into it. The energy. The atmosphere.
That’s where mood boards come in.
I’ve always been a visual and hands-on learner, so when someone tries to verbally explain something to me, my mind tends to wander or fixate on random details. You know the meme of people trying to explain a board game? Yeah… that’s me.
Instead of trying to verbally explain a vision, a mood board allows people to actually see their space or idea begin to take shape.
In design, communication is everything. Clients, contractors, collaborators, and vendors can better understand a direction when they can visualize it. A mood board creates alignment before major decisions are made, helping reduce confusion later on.
It also creates consistency throughout a project. A well-built mood board becomes a visual guide for materials, finishes, decor, lighting, and styling decisions so the final space feels cohesive instead of disconnected.
One of my favorite ways to make mood boards feel more immersive is by thinking beyond visuals alone.
I always start by asking myself:
“What is this space actually used for?”
Then begin layering in elements of real life.
For a kitchen, maybe that’s:
a wooden spoon
an espresso cup
a linen towel
or an ice cream scoop
For a bathroom:
jewelry
perfume
makeup
a hairbrush
or textures you interact with daily.
The goal is to involve all the senses.
The best mood boards don’t just communicate how a space will look. They communicate a lifestyle, an experience, and an emotion. That emotional direction is often what makes a design feel intentional and personal.
For Christ’s sake! You’re helping create someone’s home. It should feel intentional and personal.
xoxo Lilianna
