In renovating there is no way to avoid decision making and even though we have done six renovations so far, deciding how I will transform a project takes a significant amount of my time. Renovation is about finding the potential within a space, it requires clever and creative design, so when it comes to interior design within a renovation - I call it DIY, design it yourself.

In the past I would start DIY for a project from an inspirational Pinterest board, but I no longer have hours to search through images and we tackle renovations at a rather fast pace. For this project I have decided to start my design process with an intentional strategy, focusing first on floors, walls and windows. Guthrie Bowron is the perfect place to do so, on one store you have access to colour scheming designs, feature wall inspiration, window dressings and flooring options.

In this creative DIY process, I collected samples for my Guthrie Bowron Renovation Mood board. This isn't about making final design decisions but visually exploring fabrics, colours and patterns to inspire my design. Within an hour in store I had found the colours I want to bring into our house, fabric options for curtains and soft furnishings, ideas for feature walls and the tones for the floors. The significance of spending time considering these details first is that my walls, windows and flooring is the background to every other design decision in the house, as I select cabinetry colours, lighting, furniture and consider design features, I have a strong reference point to make decision from.

The benefits of designing with a Guthrie Bowron Mood board:

• You can purchase what inspires you. Pinterest or magazine images can leave us disappointed when we can not find the products in the image. Recently I was in Guthrie Bowron watching a pair of ladies constantly shaking their heads as a staff member pulled out book after book (after book) of wallpaper options. In complete honesty, I was watching because I wanted the staff members assistance myself - so rather than just waiting my turn, I offered to help too. These DIY decorators were searching for a brick wallpaper like a Pinterest image, but regardless of the extensive range on offer, they couldn’t find exactly want they wanted. One look at the Pinterest image and I knew why - I explained "this image has a mural wallpaper, you are not going to get the same look with a pattern match wallpaper option". And while the staff member offered some mural options - they realised the space they were wallpapering wasn’t large enough for a mural. This is where Pinterest can lead us astray, when we try to create a look without having the correct products to do so or understand how to create the look we want. When you are inspired by what you have access to, you avoid shopping frustrations!
• It has the ability to evolve. What is currently an inspiration board can become a full display of all of my design selections. As I make decisions, I will remove samples that I wont use and add the samples of the colours, fabrics or flooring that I have selected.
• It is interactive. When I go to make colour decisions for my kitchen, I can take the colour samples with me of the the walls, ceiling and trims. It means I never need to make a decision in isolation from the rest of my design. Even to the extent that as I select duvet covers or accent cushions, I can match them with the samples I already have. This is seem a little excessive, but it is a way to design with confidence, avoiding the question "I wonder if this will fit in with the rest of my design".