Hollywood Glamor and a design formula

Olioboard - Click to Enlarge

I've had a couple of lovely emails asking me how to put together a mood board. Thank you so much for asking, I am completely flattered and more than happy to post my thoughts on the subject! So here goes...

First of, I always start with one item that I completely love, in the instance above it was the amazing horse giclee from Zgallerie. From the first piece I try and envision a direction I want to go in, whether it be modern, contemporary, traditional.. etc.. I decided with this strong piece as my "jumping off point" (as Sarah Richardson says) that a glam Hollywood vibe would be the way to go.

Finding inspiration for a room and collecting photos is a great way to figure out the style of room you are working towards. One of my favorite places for room inspiration is Decorpad. Which is where I found the three images below. I searched 'Hollywood', 'Champagne' and 'Gold' and this is what I came up with. I loved the mix of metallic tones in the first room and wanted to come up with a room similar in feel.

Pulling colours from the art and mixing textures like the velvet tufted bed, dupioni silk drapes and wool rug add a lot to the overall room and give that luxurious Hollywood feel. Mixing fabrics and textures prevents a room from feeling flat and gives a lot of visual interest ( I know, I know... I watch far too much HGTV, lol).

Also, I think that all rooms need some sparkle, and that's why I added the pretty sunburst mirror, diamond photo frames and amazing "Elixir" chandelier from Layla Grayce.

One last important addition to any room design is contrast. My starting piece (Mr. Horse) will make a dramatic statement against a light coloured wall, and the medium/dark wood floor will be a great contrast to the light furniture and fabrics.