Transitional Design Mood-boards

A brief guide to individualistic spaces

With mass urbanisation, globalisation of trends and easy access to information over the internet, the world has become smaller. The reflection of this is evident in the contemporary spaces, minimalistic decor and the preferences for pastel shades. However, along with these, people prefer their areas to reflect their personality and choices, especially in India, where people come from different religious and cultural backgrounds. Top designers in India share that families often want their home interiors to be modern yet grounded in their traditional identity, customised to suit their lifestyles. This has resulted in transitional designs, mainly residential interiors, which fuse the two oxymorons to create a statement aesthetic, each unique to the homeowners. 

Designers in India often put together a mood board to experiment with colours, textures, materials and aesthetics, trying varied permutations and combinations. There are multiple ways of expressing individuality, especially in the case of home interiors. It could be through colour, materials, techniques, art and more, for there is no wrong way to do it. However, curating a palette of things you like is the first step toward making a transitional mood board. Gather an ensemble of all the ideas, things and elements that appeal to you. It could be contrasting tangible elements like concrete and tribal Indian art like Warli painting, juxtaposing design concepts like classical and contemporary or a traditional pattern and a statement furniture piece of modern sensibilities. 

For most interior designers, the next step is screen and pair. Start thinking about how these elements can best be collated in home interiors. If one prefers traditional and modern aesthetics, their inspiration is likely to be Indian art and architecture. One way to employ that is by marrying sculptural pieces like a jharokha into a contemporary space, as a partition element or a motif-laden hand-painted wallpaper behind the display unit made with new–age materials. Such an element is hard to miss. However, designs for houses can opt for understated techniques and still weave an essence of transition. For instance, one can incorporate brass inlays in contemporary design elements, introduce classical details like cornices in ceiling and door panels or pepper spaces with traditional motifs through decor elements like rugs, cushions and art. 

As long as the owners feel at home, nothing is wrong or right in residential interiors. However, the concept of a timeless space only stands true if the inhabitants resonate with the design elements when nooks and corners are designed with personal anecdotes, memories and choices. So, the next time you aspire for a space that is distinctly yours, take off from a transitional mood board.