Mood Boards or Realistic 3D Visualizations?

Moodboards or Realistic Visualizations?

Both have their pros and cons. Different interior designers have different experiences and work styles, so I can only share mine.

When I started designing furniture and later moved into interior design, I used Coohom. It’s not perfect, but it's amazing how fast and easy it is to create visualizations. Of course, you need at least the Pro plan. I’ll write more about Coohom another time.

Since I could create realistic room visualizations quickly, I didn’t even think about using moodboards—until some clients started asking for them. It surprised me. Why?

Here’s why:

Yes, moodboards are easy and quick to make. But for clients, it’s much harder to imagine their own space using just a moodboard. That’s why I’ve used them very little. Still, moodboards do have their advantages:

1. They help collect ideas—colors, patterns, and shape combinations.

2. They are fast and inexpensive to create and easy to update later.

But in my experience, the downsides are bigger:

1. Clients struggle to picture their actual space using a moodboard.

2. This often leads to many changes during the design process.

3. In my opinion, realistic visualizations are still necessary for smooth communication with clients.

So, I think moodboards are now more helpful for designers than for clients.

Realistic visualizations have disadvantages too:

1. They take more time.

2. They can be expensive.

Let me explain. Usually, designers or architects use one program to create the layout of a house or furniture. Then they use a separate program to make the visualization. This process is slow. These programs are expensive and require powerful computers.

But things are changing. Now, there are cloud-based apps that make visualizations easier and faster. These programs offer fewer options for creating something completely unique. However, for very custom furniture, the cost is higher anyway. Clients who are looking for original ideas and are ready to invest usually understand that they will pay more—not just for the product, but for the design process too—and they’re willing to wait longer.

Working on many projects has taught me that using Coohom for realistic visualizations is often simpler and faster than other methods. At the start of each project, I explain to clients that there are some limitations, especially with very unique or custom designs. Most of them understand. In the past few years, I’ve only refused two projects because of those limitations.

This is not just an ad for Coohom. To help you better understand what you can do with this app—and how the visualizations and drawings actually look—I’ll share examples from my own projects.

Just a heads-up: Coohom does not offer proper CAD drawings. I’ve tried, but the results weren’t accurate. So I provide only PDF drawings and elevations with dimensions. I explain this clearly to clients and their contractors.

In reality, different furniture manufacturers use different systems, so CAD files are not always useful for everyone. But PDF files work for all of them.

I don’t create structural designs for buildings or furniture myself. I always consider them, but in the end, I believe that each professional knows their job best. That’s why I always tell clients that construction and technical drawings are the responsibility of their chosen contractors or specialists.