THE VISION BOARD THAT STARTED IT ALL: ECLECTIC ESCAPE EDITION
Every Three Birds reno starts the same way - not with demo, not with tiles, not even with paint colours - but with a vision board.
And for our latest project, The Eclectic Escape, this little beauty set the entire tone from day one.
Before we made a single decision, we asked ourselves one big question:
How do we want this home to feel?
The answer? A relaxed, personality-packed escape from everyday life - the kind of home that wraps you up, invites you in and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The Vision Behind The ‘Eclectic Escape’
This vision board wasn’t about locking ourselves into one strict style. It was about creating a playful, relaxed, holiday-inspired feeling and letting the design flow naturally from there.
These are the looks and feels we leaned into for this project:
🌿 Family moments
Spaces that bring people together - long lunches, slow evenings, kids and chaos welcomed with open arms.
🎨 Colour drenching
Bold colour, layered with neutrals and textures and confident tile and artwork choices.
🛏 Relaxed living, restful nights
Cosy, calm, lived-in spaces where switching off comes easy.
🍃 Laidback luxe
Beautiful finishes without the precious vibes.
✨ Quirky details
Curves, playful moments and unexpected eclectic touches that make the home feel personal, not cookie-cutter.
Every decision we made throughout the Eclectic Escape came back to this board. If it didn’t match the vision, it didn’t make the cut.
FROM VISION TO REALITY - HOW DID WE GO?
Why a Vision Board Is the Most Important Step of Any Reno
If you’ve ever been halfway through a renovation thinking, “How did we end up here?” - chances are the vision wasn’t clear from the start.
A vision board is what keeps you grounded when:
decision fatigue kicks in
Pinterest starts confusing you
budgets tighten
opinions start flying
In our books, it’s non-negotiable to have your vision board nailed before a single nail is hammered. Share it with your builder, show it to your tiler, shout it from the rooftops. It’s the quickest and most effective way to get everyone on the same page and visualise the end result.
Vision Board vs Mood Board (Not the Same Thing)
Hot tip 🔥: A vision board is NOT just a pretty collage.
A mood board shows how you want your home to look.
A vision board captures how you want it to feel.
Our vision boards do both. They’re a visual summary of your goals (aesthetic and emotional), and they guide every single choice that follows.
How We Create Vision Boards (The Three Birds Way)
We start every reno by:
Naming the vision
Sum the whole project up in 3–5 words. Big picture only.Defining the feeling
Calm? Energised? Like you’re on holiday every day? Lock it in.Collecting the inspo
Pinterest, Instagram, screenshots galore - then we pull everything together so the story is clear on one page.
Remember: A vision board isn’t about copying someone else’s home image for image. It’s about being inspired by the things you love: the shapes, the colours, the textures, the design details and, most importantly, the way a space makes you feel. When we create a vision board, including for The Eclectic Escape, we’re not saying “we want this exact room”, we’re saying “we love that scalloped details, the practicality of that super cute garden shed, the confidence of that colour” - and then we put our own spin on it. A great vision board gives you direction without boxing you in, helping you create a home that feels cohesive, intentional and uniquely yours.
This is exactly what we teach inside Reno School, because once your vision is clear, decisions become easier, faster and way less overwhelming.
Why This One Step Can Save Your Reno (and Your Sanity)
A strong vision board helps you:
stay consistent
avoid expensive impulse decisions
communicate clearly with tradies and designers
create a home that actually feels like you
It’s not about being “good at styling”. It’s about clarity.
Want Help Creating Yours?
Whether you’re renovating to live in, renovating to sell, or just tackling one room, learning how to create a proper vision board will change everything.
Inside Reno School, we walk you through:
how to define your vision
how to translate feelings into visuals
and how to use that vision to guide every step of your reno
👉 Come learn exactly how we do it inside Reno School.
Trust us - your future self (and your budget) will thank you 💛
