Mood Board, or Atmosphere Collage - A House by the Sea

A mood board, or atmosphere collage, is a way for artists, designers, interior designers, or stylists to create an impression of an upcoming final product, work, or look. Atmosphere collages can consist of images, colours, material samples, pieces of fabric or leather, dried plants, seashells, and so on. The main thing is that all of it together creates the desired mood and the client, consumer, or appreciator receives the result they craved.

An atmosphere collage can also serve as a sketch, draft, or concept for a larger project. It can be used both to present an idea and to convey information to the entire working team involved in realising the project.

This time, using the wonderful image collection from the pinterest.com website, I will try to create an atmosphere collage for a summer house by the sea.

The main question - what should be there and what should not. A wooden floor, fine sand, sunlight, many old books, canvas, paints, brushes, a kitchen, home-cooked food, bilberries picked by hand in the nearby forest, many cushions, and rough yet practical linen fabric, simple jewellery made from seashells and sea-glass, ropes, a hanging rocking chair suspended from a ceiling beam. One can do without a computer, phone, or television - but not without paper and a plain well-sharpened pencil. One can do without a dishwasher, microwave, or oven - but not without a stove and a fireplace. One can do without high heels, tights, and foundation - but not without long skirts, a shoulder shawl, and jewellery.

To each their own summer house by the sea. A place to recharge, to be alone, to linger in reflection, and then return to the city - to an apartment with every comfort, to an office with a telephone, fax, the Skype pop-up icon, and the noise of hit radio.