It's as simple as black & white

This week I completed my first mood boards, I have to admit that it's a lot harder than it seems.  It's very time consuming to research and gather images that are aimed to illustrate a theme or inspiration that will then translate into the design of an interior space.  The first board (below) illustrates the inspiration. As you may recall from my previous post, I'm currently working on a class project with the country of Turkey as my main inspiration. I have to design a contemporary space and a traditional space.

This is the theme board for the contemporary space, my master bedroom. To develop this theme, I focused on the presence of black and white geometrical shapes found in Turkish textiles, architecture and culture. It was tough choosing which images to display since there were so many, but in order to design a mood or theme board that is clear and precise I had to edit, narrowing it down to the best 7 images. The theme board can also include 3-5 key words that express the overall look and feel, as you can see below I chose to incorporate words on my board. 

1. Turkish Sufi (Whirling) Dervishes  2. Pillow with Geometric Patterns  3. Traditional Turkish House  4. Turkish Suzani-style Pillows  5. Arabesque (Islamic Art) Pattern Tile  6. Turkish Hamam Towel  7.  Turkish Bath (Hamam) House

Once my theme board was completed, I worked on the mood board for the room. The mood board is where I place images that illustrate the specific furnishings, flooring, textiles and accessories inspired by the theme board. The mood board is sort of a wishlist, here's the board I developed based on the theme board shown above. 

1. Alison Queen Headboard bed by Ethan Allen. I chose this item because it can be upholstered in several fabrics and colors, I also like the geometric shape of the headboard which reminds me of the geometric patterns found in Turkish architecture.   2. Shyrdak Pillows found on l'aviva home - a website that features a series of curated collections featuring handcrafted homewares from artisans around the globe.  3. Terra Bella Pavers - San Felipe Tiles. These are really cool jet black tiles with a high gloss from a company out in California called Mission Tile West. I'm completely obsessed with these tiles, I think the color and pattern works great for flooring but I can also see this as a really cool wallpaper design. 4. White bed linens 100% Egyptian cotton, simple and luxurious.  5. Bride & Groom Crystal Lamp by Horchow. This lamps is great! Crystal lamps are in trend and would be ideal in this space, the shapes also compliment the geometrical pattern inspiration and and color scheme. 6. Kilim Black & White sofa by Andrew Martin. This absolutely stunning sofa with vibrant pattern would be the focal piece in the space. This piece is perfect, it adds a traditional/ethnic feel without compromising the sophistication and modern aesthetic.  7. Deco Venetian Mirror. This mirror is a great find, it plays really well with the design of the crystal lamp, tiles, nightstand and the headboard.  8. 100% Egyptian cotton decorative white pillow. Adding some basic pieces will help maintain the simplicity and balance between all of the patterns, shapes, contrast and colors.  9.  K by Keaton K-Stitch Striped Throw Blanket sold at Bed Bath and Beyond. Black & white stripes are must for this color scheme, again inspired by stripes on Turkish tiles and architecture. 10. Topkapi Rug from Grandin Road. Inspired by ancient Turkish tile work, the Topkapi Rug is a magnification of the remarkable mosaics found at the historically significant Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. The graphic, asymmetrical pattern of vibrant blues, gray, and white lends itself to both modern and traditional décors. It also adds a splash of color to the room, which would otherwise be all shades of black and tints of whites.  11. Turned wood pedestal table in high gloss black from Brocade Home. Love this table, the shape is simple, the high gloss reflective surface connects with the mirrors, the sculpture and the Terra Bella Pavers.  12. Sara Chandelier by John Lewis. This fabulous chandelier inspired by hanging lanterns found in Turkey and Morocco would hang in the center of the room, it's simple and elegant, and will go perfect with some of the other crystal/mirror pieces in the space.  13. A sketched floor plan of my master bedroom, important to have the space illustrated so that you can start picturing placement.  14. Silver Dervish Sculpture. Accessories are a great way to add the cultural references. This silver sculpture is ideal, repeating some of the round shapes found throughout the room and adding a sense of movement.  15.  Cane Throw from Cococozy. A great way to add anther texture to the bedding, plus color - playing off of the blue from the area rug.  16. Black & White Resin frame, found on OneKingsLane.com.  17. Austin Mirrored Nightstand from Modern Sense Furniture. Mirrored furniture made a huge comeback in the last few years, this nightstand just adds a lil bit of glam. Reflective surfaces are also great to brighten things up.

 

A great way to create cohesion within a space is to subtlety repeat patterns, details and shapes. All of the furnishings selected must relate to one another and to the main inspiration.