--- title: "Mood boards and inspiration libraries in Notion for interior designers" url: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/inspiration-library-notion-interior-design updated: 2026-10-27 author: Notion for Architecture --- # Mood boards and inspiration libraries in Notion for interior designers Keep one Inspiration database of tagged images and materials for the whole studio, then show filtered views of it on each project's mood board. Tag by room, style, material and source, and link finished choices to your selections so inspiration turns into specification. ## Key takeaways - A library is a database; a mood board is a filtered view of it. - Capture source and licence notes with every image. - Tag consistently with a small, fixed set of select options. - Link approved references to selections to close the loop. ## What is the difference between a mood board and an inspiration library? A mood board is a presentation for one project. An inspiration library is the studio's long-term collection that mood boards are drawn from. In Notion, the library is a single database and each mood board is a gallery view filtered to a project, room or style. For the step-by-step build of an individual board, see the existing mood board guide. ## What properties does the library need? | Property | Type | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Name | Title | Describe it: Oak herringbone, matte black tap | | Image | Files or page cover | Use the page cover so galleries show it | | Type | Select | Space, Material, Furniture, Lighting, Colour, Detail | | Room | Multi-select | Kitchen, Living, Bedroom, Bath | | Style tags | Multi-select | Keep to 10 to 15 tags | | Project | Relation | Optional; leave empty for general library items | | Source | URL | Where it came from | | Credit and licence | Text | Photographer, rights notes | | Why it works | Text | One line: texture, proportion, mood | The Why it works line is what makes a library searchable by thinking rather than by filename. ## How do you capture inspiration quickly? - Notion Web Clipper: save a page or image URL straight into the database. - Mobile: share an image to Notion from your phone on site visits. - Paste an image into a new row and add Type and Room before leaving. - Weekly: spend 10 minutes tagging anything untagged (a view filtered to empty Type). Respect image ownership. Keep the source link, and check licence terms before using any image in a client presentation or publication. ## How do you build a project mood board from the library? 1. Create a project page: Add a linked view of the Inspiration database. 2. Filter the view: Project is this project, or Room and Style match the brief. 3. Choose gallery layout: Card preview: page cover; card size: large. 4. Group by room or type: So the board reads as a narrative. 5. Share the page: Share that single page with the client as a guest. Because the board is a view, adding a reference to the library updates every board that filters for it. ## How do you build a materials and samples register? Add a second database, Materials, for physical samples. Properties: Name, Supplier (relation to Vendors), Finish, Dimensions, Sample location (for example, drawer 3), Sample status (Requested, Received, Returned), Price per unit, Lead time. Relate it to Inspiration for the image and to Items when a material is specified. The sample location property alone saves a lot of searching. ## How does inspiration become specification? Add an Approved relation from the Inspiration row to the Items database. A reference the client likes becomes a specified item with supplier, price and status. Now a mood board image and the FF&E row are linked, and you can answer where an image ended up. - Make a mood board in Notion: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/mood-board-in-notion - Build an FF&E budget tracker: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/ffe-budget-tracking-notion-interior-designers - Client approval tracking: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/client-approval-tracking-interior-design ## Where InteriorDesignOS fits InteriorDesignOS has a Pin Board, Selections and Vendors sections and a Template Vault. It does not ship a dedicated tagged image library or sample register; the structure above is an addition you can build in a few minutes. - InteriorDesignOS: https://notionforarchitecture.com/interior-design-project-management - Pricing: https://notionforarchitecture.com/#pricing ## FAQ ### Can I make a mood board in Notion? Yes. Use a database with images as page covers, then a gallery view. Group by room or type and share the page with the client. ### How do I organise inspiration images in Notion? Use one database with consistent select and multi-select tags such as type, room and style, plus source and a one-line reason. Avoid creating a new tag every time. ### Does Notion store images at full quality? Notion stores uploaded files, subject to plan upload limits. For large originals, keep them in file storage and link from the row. ### Can I use Pinterest images? Link to the source and respect rights. Do not assume pinned images are free to reuse in client or public material; check the licence or ask the owner. ### Can clients comment on a mood board? Guests with comment access on a shared page can comment, subject to your Notion plan. Keep approvals recorded as dated properties. ## Sources - [Notion: Gallery view](https://www.notion.com/help/galleries) - [Notion: Web Clipper](https://www.notion.com/web-clipper) - [Notion: Top 8 Mood Board Templates](https://www.notion.com/en-gb/templates/collections/top-8-mood-board-templates-in-notion)