Design Boards: AKA My Excuse to Rearrange Furniture Without Actually Lifting Anything

Hey y’all! Last week was a heavy one. My heart has felt the weight of it, and maybe yours has too. But as we step into this new week, I’m reminded that even in times like these, God’s presence doesn’t shift or change.

Isaiah 40:29–31 tells us:

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Those verses are an anchor for me right now — a reminder that our strength doesn’t come from ourselves, but from Him.

In seasons of heaviness, I find myself clinging to both God’s strength and the simple gift of creating beauty in the spaces around me. That’s where design boards come in for me — a way to dream and plan, even in the middle of hard things.

So, let’s talk design boards.

You might also hear them called mood boards or vision boards — which makes them sound fancier than they are. Really, it’s just a collage of the things you want in a room (furniture, paint, rugs, décor). Basically, it’s like window-shopping without commitment — or heavy lifting. And yes, sometimes it includes that plant I know I’ll kill in a week but looks too cute to leave off.

Why It's Worth It?

• To save money. You can spot the $4000 couch you love, then find one that looks the same for a fraction of the price. (Bless those dupes.)

• To avoid regret. Sure, that neon-green lamp is fun on the website… but maybe not in your living room. (I tend to buy first and regret later so I love using a design board to help prevent this!)

• To have fun. Honestly, half the joy is just moving a rug picture around twelve times until it “feels right.”

  
  

Step 1: Purpose + Intention

Ask yourself: what’s this room for? Relaxing? Working? Chasing toddlers? (Yes, that counts as a room function.)

Then think about the mood you want: cozy, calming, energizing?

Tip: Pinterest is your BFF here. Just beware — one minute you’re looking at farmhouse living rooms, the next thing you know you’ve pinned 100 French country kitchens, and you don’t even have a kitchen remodel planned.

Step 2: Collect Your Ideas

Now for the fun part. Gather images of products you can actually find. Pinterest dreams are lovely, but I’ve been burned too many times by something gorgeous that apparently doesn’t exist anywhere on earth.

Start with a focal point (paint color, rug, sofa) and then build out. Make sure you have one primary color and a couple of complementary ones.

I use PowerPoint (yes, really) to drag everything onto one slide. Nothing fancy — just plop the pictures down and call it a day. You can also use Canva (so polished!) or Google Slides.

Secret hack: I put product links and prices in the Notes section. It makes it easy to track, and let’s be real — the total adds up faster than a Starbucks habit.

And don’t be afraid to use ChatGPT as a second opinion. Now, it’s a bit like asking a toddler what snack they want (different answers every time), but sometimes it points out things you don’t notice. Like the time I picked out sleek black metal chairs… and then realized nothing else in the room had black in it.

Step 3: Make a Plan

Once your board is “done” (quotes, because is it ever really done?), you’ve got a roadmap, and you can start thinking about what to tackle first. And yes, it’ll evolve. My boards are constantly changing because one new pillow can send me down a whole new path. The key is to pick one small step, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming, and start bringing your board to life little by little.

At the end of the day, design boards aren’t about perfection — they’re about possibilities. They give you a safe place to play around with colors, swap out rugs twelve times, and dream up a space you’ll actually love. For me, they’re a not-so-secret way of testing out ideas without blowing my budget or pulling a muscle.

And if your board changes a hundred times? Well, welcome to the club. We drink coffee, tea, Sprite (my pregnancy craving), and chat about throw pillows like they’re world-changing decisions.

But more than that, I think creating design boards is a little reflection of how God designed us — to create, to bring beauty out of the ordinary, and to make spaces that feel like home. So don’t stress about getting it all “right.” Dream, play, and let your home tell the story of the people who live in it.

Designing with a little faith, a lot of coffee, and the occasional DIY fail—see you in the next post!  

Here are some of my design boards for the new house!