Tell Me a Color Story

"What is a color story?"  Well, there are different types of color stories that exist in multiple professions, from interior design to fashion design, + even journalism.  I touched a bit on the importance of color a few weeks ago in my first Kitchen Style Series post that you can read here.  I wanted to take things a little further + touch on how I specifically pull inspiration for some of my designs.  So what is a color story?  It is essentially a color scheme that will guide you in selecting decor, lighting, paint colors, etc.  I am a visual + "feeling" (read: intuitive) person, meaning in some cases there is no defined justification for certain (design) decisions/selections other than it intuitively felt right, + is reflective of how I interpret my clients + design for them.

Color inspiration can come from aaaaanywhere + definitely shouldn't be limiting. The cool thing about color is that it transcends specific styles + has an aesthetic that can speak to different textures + patterns.  One thing to note is that you can't be afraid to stray away from the palette, in many cases there are colors that you find attractive that may become complementary colors. I love creating color story + inspiration boards for my clients + have received many compliments on them.  Here are a few that I have done:

Some designers may decide to create their boards as a more tangible representation of their design direction for their clients including a range of objects, samples, + textures.  I love this as well, it introduces an opportunity for different senses to be aroused other than just the visual.  One of my favorites, though is finding ways to incorporate the sense of smell to my physical story boards, + depending on your direction this can still be synonymous with the color story.  For example, using red pepper flakes or chili spice on a red color board, it arouses the senses but also communicates nicely as visual texture.  The key in creating a nice color story is to find inspiration to bring your design vision to life.  The way you get there is up to you.  Here is another color story board that I created, I like to include unexpected images in my boards like the lavender + blackberry ice cream image in this purple color story board below.

I wouldn't get too caught up in "trends", especially certain color trends like the Pantone Color(s) of the Year.  Again, these may (or may not) be limiting in a color palette that you would otherwise like to tell a beautiful + cohesive story.  I am a fan of the "unexpected" but just be mindful of how particular colors could impact your space.

For the purposes of this post I selected color stories that consisted of only one color scheme.  There are many ways to tell color stories using two or three colors, just be sure not to overload your board to the point where it's difficult to read the cohesiveness of the colors.  Again, this post focused on image-only color story boards, but tactile boards are really awesome!  For a treat I included tactile + texture board below that puts a little spin on the color story boards.

Interior environments that inspire are nice to look at, + great to be in!  Overall, design integrity + distinctive color palettes can be reflective of our stories, our histories, + the people + places we encounter, + more!  The possibilities for inspiration are endless, from beautiful art, to furniture, to nature, + collectibles. 

So, are you inspired?  Or do you need a little inspiration?  I offer a color consultation service that can assist if you need it!  Contact me here to schedule an appointment, I would love to work with you!

Til next time!