Claire Xue of Moodelier on how shapes and colors can impact the mood your apartment
What got me through the last year of college was knowing I’d be able to furnish my first-ever apartment exactly how I wanted it to look. Instead of writing papers, most of my time went to browsing Claude Home for vintage pieces or Restoration Hardware for couches I definitely couldn’t afford. 8 months have passed since I moved into my apartment and I’m sad to report the walls are still completely white and barren.
I like to blame this sad truth on the fact that work has taken over my life and I don’t have time to order furniture. The truth is I’m in a constant mental battle between the minimalist aesthetic and something colorful with more personality. While I love the idea of a bright green lamp next to my bed, I’m too scared to buy it out of fear I won’t like it the next week. At this point, I really just need to rip the bandaid off and start decorating. To help me out, I called Claire Xue, founder of Moodelier, for some advice on how to get started.
The truth is, I’m in a constant mental battle between the minimalist aesthetic and something colorful with more personality.
If you’re on architecture TikTok, or have visited your favorite brand’s retail space, you’ve probably seen Claire’s whimsical pieces firsthand:
In her own words, Moodelier is a mood-based studio creating objects for retail spaces, home decor, and set pieces. The name itself meshes “mood” with “atelier”, and is a nod to the artist workshops and studio pieces at the foundation of her brand. If you’re new to interior design, or just interested in decorating your bedroom, here are three key pieces of advice Claire shared that you may find helpful:
Visual Choices Define Your Space
Have you ever entered a room and felt an immediate sense of calm, or visited a home where some rooms felt cozier than others? Like us, you may have attributed this to the general “vibe” of the space, but Claire says it’s the result of the visuals of the space. The aesthetic of a room and choices of furniture can dictate the overall energy or mood of the space, and thus create a first impression when people enter your physical space. No pressure!
The aesthetic of a room and choices of furniture can dictate the overall energy or mood of the space, and thus create a first impression when people enter your physical space.
Shapes Can Alter the “Vibe” of Your Space
So what can you do to adjust the feeling if it isn’t in line with your vision? Claire says that playing around with the shapes and dimensions of pieces in your room can largely influence the environment you are working within.
Think of a simple example: colors. When you walk into a room painted with bright yellow walls, you’ll probably feel an immediate sense of calm, whereas a gray room feels more gloomy. This is exactly the case with shapes. Rooms with sharp lines and edges (think a hospital room, for example) will feel less welcoming than a room filled with curves and squiggly edges.
When you walk into a room painted with bright yellow walls, you’ll probably feel an immediate sense of calm, whereas a gray room feels more gloomy.
Start with One Piece and Work Around It
Now, for the main question of the day - where do I begin? Claire’s advice is to have fun with it, play around, and not overthink too much about your decisions. She says even the most seasoned interior designers make mistakes and change their minds.
In my opinion, “playing around” is what got me into this mess and I desperately need advice regarding how to make more concrete decisions. So, Claire advised me to start by deciding on one piece of furniture as the focal point of the room and basing other decisions on what will pair best with that anchor piece. For instance, if you fall in love with one couch, choose lamps, bedside tables, and other items based on what will pair best with that couch.
So, Claire advised me to start by deciding on one piece of furniture as the focal point of the room and basing other decisions on what will pair best with that anchor piece.
Now it’s your turn. Are you more of a squiggle person or do you prefer straight-lined objects? What’s your one anchor piece? We need inspiration!
