From moodboard to move-in: six new home interior design tips
The beauty of a new build is in its blank-canvas appeal. Untouched and fresh, it makes moving in even more exciting – read on for our favourite tips on planning your perfect home look.
1. Gather your ideas: the essential mood board
You've just bought your new home – and now it's time to embrace your inner interior designer. Whether you prefer online or hands-on (we recommend both), there’s no denying the power of the mood board.
For a simple digital tool, Canva is certainly a go-to platform that’s perfect for the job of creating your interior design mood board. Subscribe to your favourite interiors magazine via email, search their website, then screenshot and snip to your heart’s content.
Here are a few important points to remember when collecting your visual inspiration:
- Channel your inner magpie
- Note colour combinations that attract
- Stay away from trends – style for you
Mood boards you can touch
The advantage of having a physical mood board is that you get to look over your inspiration repeatedly over a period of time. This is important as ideas develop and change, and what might be a flavour of the moment may not work with your overall look.
If you're often thinking of how to get into interior decorating, truly channel your inner home decor designer by using a standard corkboard or even a piece of cardboard to collect fabric samples and magazine cutouts.
The home as a whole
To win those extra design brownie points, take your style to the next level and play with elements that cross from one room to the next. Wall colours and furniture pieces can often be seen through entrances, so you want to think of harmonising adjoining spaces.
There’s also the living flow of your home. What rooms see a lot of foot-fall traffic? Where will you spend the most time? Most of all, have in mind how you want to feel in each room according to its purpose.
Colourful or neutral?
There’s no denying that a neutral colour palette is easier in almost every way when it comes to interiors. For example, Parisian chic is built on this laid-back rule of thumb that allows you to add colour at will with art and decor items.
If you're feeling bold, explore what colour combinations speak to you.
For a calming yet invigorating feel, think pink and green living room ideas. And if you fancy introducing texture to a cosy room, tracking down a blue wallpaper for bedroom ideas will spark elegance and tranquillity.
If you want to be on-trend and timeless, go for a mustard yellow kitchen which combines energy and warmth – perfect for the room that’s always been the ‘heart of the home’.
2. Let treasured finds and favourites lead the way
Allow one key item to dictate
From decades-old colourful china to a small yet ideal chair or gorgeous, unique fabric – get creative and let one item guide your room’s whole colour scheme and style.
What furniture are you keeping?
If a furniture item is on the moving-van list, make sure you love it and that it goes with your fresh interiors look.
For out-of-budget new items that catch your eye, plan ahead and stick to your mood board vision – so that future upgrades are easy.
3. Match with our customisable options
At Charles Church, our premium homes come available with our Signature, Executive and Prestige finishes.
Download our brochure below and see which option best suits your unique style.
Explore Charles Church's finishing touches
4. Enjoy the happiness of the hunt
Sourcing missing pieces
Once you know what key pieces are missing, start looking online and locally. Head for your favourite stores and sellers, and follow your curiosity to discover any unknown Aladdin's caves you might find on your wander.
Be sure to make a list and budget, remembering that something doesn't have to be expensive to be absolutely wonderful.
The wonder of walls
If you’re into colour, shopping for paint colours has to be top of the new home list.
Paint really is a decor arena where you get what you pay for. Higher quality paints will have that magical effect of changing according to the light in the room and the direct light you can achieve with lighting.
This is where your inner interior designer gets to truly play. From the popular colour drench effect – where you paint a room head to toe in your chosen hue – to accent walls and painted cabinetry, even if you’re sticking to neutrals, there’s a world of cool and warm shades that can completely shift the mood.
Only the brave
For a statement, try a monochrome look, which can be a minimalist black and white (with colour accents) or one main colour throughout in varying shades – such as an earthy monochrome bedroom in Pantone’s Mocha Mousse colour of the year for 2025.
5. Freedom is in the declutter
Having a full house declutter is a moving-home prerequisite that’s a step towards effortless rather than struggle-bound.
Stuff that you no longer need or use holds you prisoner. It can also block the vision and result of your new interiors dream. Creating a moodboard can also help you choose what’s out and what’s in.
Read more tips on how to declutter here.
6. Resist perfection
Your home is a work in progress, and you want to leave space for additions after you’ve moved in. Your first year in your home is part of moving in; allow yourself to fully savour the experience.
There’s no shortcut or substitute for lived experience. How you like to move and live in your space is everything.
Make sure you have all your liveable essentials, but avoid the temptation to overbuy at the beginning.
Remember to make the journey fun and easy by using your edited mood board to guide your choices.
Start your new home journey...
To explore how a Charles Church premium home could be your ideal blank canvas, contact your nearest sales executive or take a look at our locations nationwide.