lemons in cobalt bowl
Inspiration for a new color scheme can come from anywhere and encompass anything you love. Look at this bowl of lemons …. you probably have a bowl of fruit sitting on your counter or table right now. What inspiration can you draw from that? You don’t have to know color theory to see that the yellows, golds and oranges against that cobalt blue are pleasing to the eye.
inspiration board from fruit bowl
Colors and patterns like these (inspired by the fruit bowl picture) could combine to make a whimsical, interesting room – the solid gold for wall colors; the darker blue grid for upholstery pieces, the stars and/or flowers for some great pillows or cover the tops of ottomans, a splash of the orange in a valance or simple window treatment…… see how it builds?
- your daily walk through the neighborhood – look at exterior paint color combos or a garden full of exuberant color
- your closet – what colors show up over and over in your clothing?
- art – one of the most common sources of inspiration but an infallible one; pull colors from a beautiful painting and you’re half way there
- accent rug – another tried and true method to select colors
- your morning cup of coffee – the deep, rich brown mocha of coffee, add milk to make a soft, soothing milky brown, poured into a bright red mug (or blue, or beige…everything goes with coffee colors!)
- a book cover – graphic art on many novels can really inspire a bold color palette
- magazine photo of a room – this is a totally safe source of inspiration because you can already see the play of colors used in a room setting
- a computer web page – with so many of us browsing the web in search of information, pay special attention to sites and banners and colors that catch your eye. What is it that appeals to you….maybe it’s the combination of colors used.
- mother nature – a never ending source of inspiration for color as well as texture, light and fragrance (more ideas on mother nature later)
These are just a few of the myriad sources of inspiration that surround us all the time. When you feel like a change, start noticing what you find pretty or appealing as you go through your day. What colors are you drawn to over and over? Do you have some other sources of inspiration that have helped you create a color scheme or change up a room? Please share your inspiration sources with us.
If you’d like some help turning your inspiration into a viable color scheme, I’m here to help.
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