We open on an apologetic note for “going dark” with the PHAG blog since just before fright night- but, truthfully, the bleak results of a hard fought (and frankly, distrubing) election season left us in a different kind of mood…

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been mad, we’ve been sad, we’ve been confused, and even embarrassed.  While we recognize those emotions are as complex as elections, and even the candidates themselves, the one simple truth in all this complicated mess is that an under-qualified, incompetent man was handed the job of President- a job that an experienced, competent woman had prepared for her entire adult life.  We’ve had a tough time bouncing back, but here we are!  We return to the fight for equality more keenly aware than ever that there’s major work to be done on educating the masses, abolishing ignorance, and confronting hate and bigotry head on.  We welcome the season of Thanksgiving with a sense of gratitude for an election that has opened our eyes to the need to address the deep-rooted gender and racial problems that the President-elect has brought to the forefront of our lives.  Today, we are thankful for our intelligence, our unbridled creativity, and our open minds.  Once again, we find ourselves in a different kind of mood… the mood to fight- to fight for what’s right!

Now that we’re all fired up to fight for equality, if we were wearing a mood ring, it would surely be red!  At PHAG, we love the idea of mood rings. Their color changes based on your body temperature and we wholeheartedly believe that your home’s sense of style should change with your mood, too.  So, in the spirit of being in a different kind of mood, we’re sharing some of PHAG PHounder Jason Crook’s gorgeous design mood boards.

What does your home say about you?  What does it say about your mood?  It’s an important question to answer before you begin your re-design. Do you want a complete overhaul? Do you hope to create bathroom that guests will want to write home about?

Or maybe you’re in the mood to get naughty by taking some big risks with decor? Whatever you’re in the mood for, we encourage you to do you!  A good way to get started is by creating a mood board yourself.  Mood boards help establish the basics of your re-design: wall color, pattern, accessories, window treatment options. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

If you decide to hire a designer, creating your own mood board in advance is the perfect conversation starter. With the broad strokes of your preferences and tastes at the ready, you and a designer will speak the same language and feedback is crucial to creating a space that you will love. The best designer is the one who will be eager to hear your input.

Don’t let the events of recent weeks keep you down.  As you assemble loved ones around your table this Thanksgiving, harvest all the positive you can, and be thankful that it’s up to us to create a different kind o f mood in our country!  Maybe you’ll be inspired to re-do your dining room, while you’re at it…

It’s about keeping an open mind and re-imagining what could be- in our homes, and all around us!  Maybe these mood boards will inspire you to re-imagine everything from your home to your role in your community in the weeks and months ahead.  By showing you what the potential outcomes are, a designer proves that collaboration can benefit everyone, no matter your mood.  After all, the fact remains- We are Stronger Together.