March Mood Board – Moon Design & Build

This month’s Mood Board was created by Sorcha Torrens  of Moon Design And Build. 

Sorcha based her mood board off a popular Moon project she oversaw using our Tectonic® Oak Herringbone boards with a Cornish Slate finish.

This excerpt taken from the Moon website describes Moon best:

“From the architect to the project manager to the carpenter, we are a collection of people who share a passion of building beautiful things. It’s this unique relationship that has enabled us to deliver over 250 high quality projects in Bristol and Bath over the past 15 years.”

A longstanding, returning client of ours, we caught up with Sorcha and discussed this project, what inspires/d her and her process when working with Moon Design and Build clients.

What inspired the colour palette and features in this project/mood board and what room or setting did you envision using it in?

The mood board is for a large double height space we created by removing the ground floor and some of the walls of a period property in Bristol. It was important to make sure all the colours and materials flowed well from one space to the next, as they could all be seen together.

What colours/colour palletes do you predict to be big in 2018?

I think that people will be using accents of bolder colours this year, with grey remaining a popular choice for a neutral background. I have also noticed a trend towards darker wood finishes and wood with more character than the simple, lighter “Scandi” look that has been popular over recent years.

What do you like about working with Chaunceys Timber Flooring?

We have used Chaunceys for years, so we know the products are of a high quality. I also like the range of finishes available and the option to pre-finish or finish onsite, depending on the needs of the project. All the staff at Chaunceys are knowledgeable and helpful with whatever we need.

Where do you draw inspiration?

My inspiration comes from our clients, it is really interesting to meet different people and work out how to make their interior dreams a reality. Our clients come to us with an idea of the style they are looking to create and how they need the space to work.

Our Architects, Interior Decorators and builders at Moon cover all aspects of the project by working together to create one cohesive space.

What do you like about working with wooden floors?

I like the warmth and depth of wooden floors. They make a space feel more welcoming and tactile. If I were to pick a favourite it would be character grade wood the variation in each board is really appealing and warm.

What do you look for in a supplier?

Predominately value and design. I strongly believe good value isn’t about being the cheapest; it’s about being the best value for best quality.

We always try to use suppliers who we know well and trust; suppliers who’s products will look good and function for years to come.

Can you remember your first design project? 

When I first started at Moon 10 years ago I worked on small elements of the interiors of projects with our Architect. It was a great way to get to know all the aspects of the Moon process. The first project I worked on in this way was a refurb and extension in Bristol. It had Chaunceys character grade oak floor. I remember the excitement of seeing the first kitchen I had drawn for our workshop to build, being fitted. 7 years on the clients came back to us, and we refurbished their new house (a mansion that had previously been an office space) which we then transformed back into a family home.

What is your design signature/style?

Moon’s signature style is the idea of creating spaces that are beautiful as well as being practical and working well for our clients.

What type of people do you love to work with as clients?

My favourite type of clients are the ones that really engage with their project. I especially like the ones that challenge me to realise an idea that they have which is different to anything we have done before.

Can you tell us about a particularly exciting/challenging project?

I think that would be the one in these project images. Watching the Architects’ design for the space take shape was amazing, because of the size of the house the propping solution, to remove floors and walls we needed, was epic. Then seeing the space take shape again.

We designed and then built the 6-metre-high bookcase in sections in our workshop. So that when it was fitted it looked like a single piece of furniture.

It is one of the first things you see when you walk into the house and the simple white colour scheme works really well with the Chaunceys Parquet flooring and the mix of simple modern and original period features.

Does your home reflect your professional style?

In some ways, yes. We have kept our colour scheme quite simple, brown oak floor (from Chaunceys) with white walls, accented with various pictures and soft furnishings.

If someone reading this was about to begin their own home redesign project, what would be your best advice to them?

I love Pinterest and advise clients to gather as many images of things that they like, on there, as they can. I’d then tell the client to hone these inspirations down to really get to the essence of what they what. Always make sure your expectation fits in with your budgets and practical constraints of your project.