Moodboard masterclass with Lauren Elliott
We recently had the pleasure of hosting an event in collaboration with Interior Designer Lauren Elliott, Christopher Farr Cloth and Mylands at Christopher Farr Cloth's showroom in London. It was an evening all about colour, pattern and ended with a masterclass from Lauren on how to create your own moodboard. With experience working alongside Kit Kemp at Firmdale as well as running her own Interior Design business, Lauren shared some really useful tips and tricks.
We left feeling completely inspired and eager to hear more, so we caught up with her after the event and gained some really interesing insights we couldn't wait to share.
Where do you start when scheming for a new project?
This completely depends. Sometimes I am given a piece of artwork to work from and sometimes absolutely nothing. In times when I am presented with a blank canvas I tend to start with colour, my library is colour organised for this very reason and then I tend to zoom in on the core fabric I will use in the space that everything works from. I carry this piece of fabric with me everywhere and keep working with it until I am happy with the result.
Where do you seek inspiration from?
Literally everywhere. If you really open your eyes and mind to the world around you whether it’s nature or the people, then inspiration finds you. I am always looking, I once designed a headboard from the roof shape of a building I liked!
I do love heading to museums and exhibitions as a source but a big one for me is travel. Travelling enriches your life in so many ways and for me creatively. I collect photographs of things that inspire me and that I could incorporate into ideas one day, whether it is the carvings of a temple in Cambodia to the intensity of blacks, blues and whites in Antartica, to the colours of the hummingbirds in Cuba.
Lauren Elliott in the Christopher Farr Cloth showroom which she designed / The showroom set up ready for the masterclass
What are your top tips for creating a moodboard?
- Before committing to making the moodboard, I would recommend getting a pin board and collating materials from fabric and wallpaper samples, to foliage, snippings from magazines - anything that stands out to you really!
- Use the wallpaper or paint colour for the base of the board for everything to sit on.
- Start by pinning your materials to the board. Group the materials that will be together in a room to help visualise the space, so for example I would position the sofa cushion fabrics alongside the sofa fabric to show how these work together.
- Position imagery of the pieces next to the fabrics they would be upholstered in etc.
- I would also try to create space between materials that will not be alongside each other as sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming seeing everything grouped in one little area, when in reality they would be spaced out when in the room.
- Walk by it over days and weeks adding different options over time and taking any out that you may not be sure of anymore until eventually you are left with a selection you are happy with.
A hallway using Carnival wallpaper by Christopher Farr Cloth / One of Lauren's moodboards
What are your tips for working with colour?
- Be brave and step outside your comfort zone a little - maybe paint the ceiling in a different colour, or use contrasting colours on the walls and woodwork. There are so many ways to play with colour within a home.
- Work with at least 3 colours in a scheme to keep it interesting and less obvious.
- Try and spread the colours around the room, I tend to work to an imaginary triangle so the colour is spread evenly around the room, even if it is just on a piping cord or vase.
- Start with a colour you absolutely love and you will never grow tired of it, this will end up being your main base colour and then in time if you wanted to change other elements like cushions etc you can do it easily without changing the main colour.
- Choose a colour that provides the feeling you want to achieve in the space. Do you want it to feel warm and cosy? Do you want it to feel fresh and uplifting? Colour directly contributes to your mood so really think about how you want yourself and others to feel in the space and then make your decision from this.
A cosy corner in one of the many master bedrooms designed by Lauren, using fabric by Christopher Farr Cloth / More of her moodboards
Why not have a go at creating your own moodboard using Lauren's tips? Order five free fabric and wallpaper samples now. Share your finished moodboard on social media after using #janeclaytonhomes - we'd love to see them!
