Dubai, 2012: I was invited by Zen Interiors to a workshop on how to create one’s mood board. By now, you would know that I’m a sucker for any hands on experience that I can get.

Inside Out magazine Editor explaining what the whole workshop was going to be.

Inside Out magazine Editor explaining what the whole workshop was going to be.

 

Merete Broen, Co-founder of Zen Interiors takes us through the introduction of what we could expect when designing mood boards.

Merete Broen, Co-founder of Zen Interiors takes us through the introduction of what we could expect when designing mood boards.

 

Hadeel and Maudeline, Interior Designers of Zen Interiors, take over from Merete to explain various colour combinations.

Hadeel and Maudeline, Interior Designers of Zen Interiors, take over from Merete to explain various colour combinations.

In association with the magazine Inside Out, Zen Interiors ran a competition and the finalists (5 in total) plus I were there to do the moodboard. One of the interior design consultants from the Inside Out magazine explained to us the foundations of dressing various rooms and the difference between tones and shades (that is something new that I have learned).

After Zen Interiors explained to us the different ‘seasons’ of furnishings, they took us around to see what they were like, in order to keep in mind what we would like.

Romantic Reds?

Romantic Reds?

Fancy a bit of sun with a bit of purple through in?

Fancy a bit of sun with a bit of purple through in?

Earthy colours perhaps?

Earthy colours perhaps?

 

The interior design consultant from Inside Out discussed how she goes about designing various rooms in clients’ homes and how she comes up with the concepts and ideas. This was followed by Maudeline giving us a low down as to how to create a mood board.

Inside Out explains how they created the concept for various rooms.

Inside Out explains how they created the concept for various rooms.

Mood Board time!

Mood Board time!

 

Going through this experience of creating a mood board in the lush settings of the Zen Interiors main branch, took me back to my teen years when my own mother used to do interior designing and mood boards. So it was that lovely feeling that I had with me when I was designing the mood board.

Various finalists hard at work with their mood boards.

Various finalists hard at work with their mood boards.

 

Trying to decide what colour palette I was going to use. So many options, shades and tones!!!

Trying to decide what colour palette I was going to use. So many options, shades and tones!!!

 

Colour palette chosen, now for the furniture for my ideal Art Studio!

Colour palette chosen, now for the furniture for my ideal Art Studio!

Laying out the pictures of furniture, fabric before gluing them onto the mood board.

Laying out the pictures of furniture, fabric before gluing them onto the mood board.

My chosen colours were aubergine with turquoise. Somehow, I was in the mood for this combination. I decided not to design a bedroom. I have always longed for my own arts studio. So with that vision in my mind, I picked furniture pictures as well as as actual samples of fabric, carpets, sheer, curtains. It was absolutely an amazing experience.

This is what my mood board looked like.

This is what my mood board looked like.

 

We had only 20 minutes to work so quickly, so that was the tricky part. There was no time to dilly dally, but it was great to see how the finalists worked under duress. Each of them produced such a variety of designs. Sadly I didn’t have the chance to take photos, but there you go.

The winner was announced, completed by a group photo and followed by sumptious lunch by More Cafe, Dubai. Each participant, including me, came away with a goodie bag. I am happy to say that I have since then been using the paints and paint brushes for my own artwork, so thank you Zen Interiors!