A collage of fabric swatches, colour charts, samples of wood and pictures of lamps, lights and furniture - otherwise known as mood boards - are one of the tricks of the trade for interior designers.

Similar to sample boards, they are created to allow clients visualise the overall design and atmosphere of the room and can save you from making expensive mistakes.

Decorating a room, whether starting with a blank canvas or working with the basics already in place, can often be a frustrating process as the end result may not necessarily turn out as you had hoped.

Interior designer Clare Grimes recommends always making up a mood board before starting to decorate in order to be sure if the colours, fabrics and furniture chosen work together to create the desired impression and atmosphere.

If the end design product is not satisfactory then it's best to play around with colours and swatches until a better design is created. Interior designers will always ensure that clients see a mood board and are happy with it before starting physical work on the room or rooms. This can also avoid wasting time and money on rectifying mistakes.

Many people will be familiar with sample boards, comprising swatches of materials, wallpapers and colour charts - essential to anyone planning to transform a room.

Sample boards allow you to see and visualise how different colours and patterns will match and co-ordinate. Mood boards build on this and, along with the swatches, recreate the desired atmosphere of the room.

Ms Grimes explains that mood boards are indispensable to the design process. "On a mood board you will likely find a picture of the couch you wish to buy, or pictures of the lamps or lights you wish to have, positioned on the board, to reflect their position in the room. Mood boards then allow you to recreate the atmosphere to visualise the end result of the design project," she says.

First step to making your own mood board is to buy a big sponge or artist's board. Ms Grimes recommends using an A2-sized board or perhaps an A3. Then try to get samples of the fabrics you want to use for couches, curtains and cushions - most material shops will supply you with swatches.

"While the exact material types are needed to make a sample board this is not necessary with a mood board as you are looking to create an impression of the room. So similar fabrics will do for mood boards," she says.

Then cut out magazine and catalogue pictures of furniture and lights that appeal to you. Collect paint colour charts or cuttings of wallpaper. Include samples of wooden floors or blinds. If you plan to use stained glass windows then throw in a sample. Place and mount the various objects on the board as best reflects their position in the room. Colour cards should be placed in the middle of the board close to fabrics.

Mount the fabric swatches using Velcro so they are easy to change if not working - and so you can play around with them. Alternatively, use spray-mount which allows you to put something on a board and to reposition it later, unlike glue. According to Ms Grimes, the largest material swatches should be the couch or curtains, while chairs, cushions and co-ordinating fabrics should be smaller to reflect their less important overall role. "Size them according to importance," she says, so the colours won't confuse you.

The actual use made of the area being decorated is very important when creating a mood board. Grimes suggests adding features like chopsticks for a dining room, shells for a bathroom, toys for a child's bedroom and other objects that reflect the lifestyle. "Mood boards can have as little or as much as required," she says.

"Take your time accumulating the fabrics and pictures from magazines, look around and find a style that you like. Mix patterns and colours until you find a scheme you are happy with. Doing up a mood board helps to put everything into perspective and allows you to visualise the room," she says.

These basic steps help you plan the perfect room at home - and save you from making expensive mistakes. If it all sounds like too much hard work, just call in the experts and have them take over from you.

Clare Grimes can be contacted on 087- 2843521