I’ve always loved inspiration boards. In high school I took a fashion class at FIT and our first assignment was to create a mood board. I spent hours cutting images from international fashion magazines I bought at a specialty shop—those early mood boards sparked a lifelong habit of collecting visual ideas.
For years I’ve wanted an inspiration board in our studio. While the internet is an incredible resource (it’s part of how I make a living), there’s something energizing about seeing physical images and objects together. We decided to turn a pegboard into our studio inspiration board so items can be hung, rearranged easily, and shelves can be added.
We partnered with BEHR® to bring this project to life, and I’m thrilled with the result. Besides holding inspiration, we added a few motivating words that reflect Studio DIY’s values so every time we look at the board we’re reminded of what we strive for.
We used BEHR PREMIUM PLUS® Interior Flat Paint & Primer in several of their top 2017 colors. If these shades are any indication of the year’s palette, I’m all in—especially for the pinks. The paint is low odor and zero VOC, which meant the team didn’t have to vacate the studio while we painted. Because it’s a paint-and-primer in one, it saved time and coats. If your board will see heavier use, consider BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA® Interior Paint & Primer for extra scuff and scratch resistance.
Supplies Needed
Two 2’x4′ pegboards
BEHR® Premium Plus Interior Flat Paint (we used Everything’s Rosy, Shades On, Peek a Blue, Jade Dragon and Lemon Burst)
Paint roller or large brush
Small paint brushes
1/4″ dowels or pegs
Small wood spheres or discs
Scrap pieces of lightweight wood for shelves
Scissors
2″ letter stickers
Pencil
Strong glue (for example E6000)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Paint the entire pegboard with a roller or large brush in your chosen color (we used Everything’s Rosy). Allow it to dry completely.
2. Choose the phrase or words you want on the board. On scrap paper, sketch the layout and spacing so you can visualize placement. We centered our phrase to leave room along the edges for hanging images and items.
3. Lay the two boards side-by-side and mark the center of the combined surface with a light pencil mark. Position the center of your phrase at that point. Lightly place letter stickers where you want them—don’t press them fully until you’re sure of the spacing. If you don’t have enough stickers for the entire phrase, do one line at a time. When satisfied, trace around each letter with a pencil.
4. Remove the stickers and continue placing and tracing until the full phrase is outlined in pencil.
5. Use a small brush and a contrasting paint color (we used Shades On) to fill in the letters. Let them dry.
6. Paint the small wood spheres in assorted colors; these become caps for the pegs and help hold items in place. Sand and paint any scrap wood you plan to use for shelves.
7. For standard pegs, glue a painted sphere to one end of a short dowel. For shelf supports, trim longer dowels to the depth of the shelf plus about 1/2″ for insertion into the pegboard, then glue a sphere on the visible end.
8. Assemble the board and arrange your inspiration. We leaned ours against the wall, but you can mount it or display it on a narrow table as desired.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
I love how playful and useful the finished board is—yes, we even pinned a lollipop to it because why not?
This post was created in partnership with BEHR® and ShopStyle. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Studio DIY going. Read more about my editorial policies on the site.