Where Do YOU Look for Color Inspiration?

Color inspiration can be found everywhere you look.  But I have four areas that I like to open my mind to when looking for new ideas for a project.  In this blog post I'll show you some of my favorites and hopefully get your mind thinking of new and unique ways to spark your own bouts of creativity.

#1 - NATURE

My favorite place to look when I'm in need of a fresh idea for a color scheme is nature.  I personally believe this entire beautiful planet and everything in it was carefully fashioned by the ultimate designer - God.  So naturally I believe the colors we find in nature are well thought out and intricately laced together to produce the most natural color combinations for the human eye to see.  The beauty in nature is often so intense and yet at other times so softly understated that we have to slow down and appreciate the peace it can bring.  So why not tap into these natural resources for color inspiration for our own designs? 

The beauty of this source for color inspiration is that you have your fair share of it no matter where you are.  Start with your own garden or visit a local botanical garden to get some great ideas.  You can also head to the beach or go for a hike.  The trick is to keep your eyes open while imagining where you can apply the colors in nature to your space.  Then take LOTS of pictures.  Once you have those back at your computer, or even better, a paint chip fan deck, try matching up those colors to pre-selected pigments from familiar paint manufacturers.  Then decide where you want to put them. 

#2 - ARTWORK

Another favorite spot I like to visit when working on some new inspiration is artwork.  It's such on obvious place to look!  There's certainly no shortage of it and it's almost always saturated full with color.  Not to mention most artists have already put together palettes that make sense and have a natural flow to them.  You can also frame these pieces and use them in your finished design to show off your inspiration and accentuate the color scheme you've decided on for the entire space.

You can work with the classics like Cassat and Okeefe or look for a local artist that inspires you.  And just because you like a color scheme of a more classic piece or an abstract work, certainly doesn't mean your design has to match that look.  Just find a color palette that inspires you and make it work in your space.  In fact, that will lend itself to a much more creative design process if you can find a way to reverse the style from its original intent to become your own beautiful work of art.

#3 - Travel and Architecture

This is perhaps one of the most common sources of inspiration for many artists and designers.  A major quirk of my job is that my mind is always looking at the world around me through the eyes of a designer.  Sometimes that can be a nuisance but most the time it allows me to see the beauty in things I might not otherwise see.  Often I find this to be true when I'm visiting new places.  I'm ALWAYS taking in the architecture; especially when it has a very distinctive history.  I am constantly in awe of the wonderful things that other designers have created.  I recently got the chance to visit Savannah with my family again for the first time in years.  Seeing all that history through the eyes of my children opened me up to things I'd never noticed before.  Walking along the infamous Riverstreet with my mom, we both stopped suddenly, completely stunned by the old Savannah Cotton Exchange (now the Freemason's Hall).  The color, detail and age of this building were captivating to us both.  The pigments were so rich and the patina gave it such a grand and almost haunting feel.

These moments are what I'm on the lookout for all the time.  I've even found myself sitting at a drive thru waiting for lunch and notice a color scheme in something surrounding me that speaks to me.  It's a natural tendency when your main profession is design, but you too can tap into this source of inspiration if you'll start training your eye to take things in from a more artistic perspective.

#4 - Internet

Another place I look when I don't have a lot of time and need to come up with something quick is the internet.  Because you can find ANYTHING on the internet!!  No seriously.  It's too easy most of the time.  A couple of great places I've recently discovered are a pretty cool site called Design Seeds at www.design-seeds.com and Color Me Curious at www.colourpod.com.  These are both well-put-together sites that have already removed most the guess work and let you just sift and play.  Sites like these can be a bit overwhelming if you get easily bogged down by too many options, but if you can handle the plethora of information at your fingertips, then this could be a wonderful place to start.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The world around us holds so much in the way of color inspiration.  The key is to keep your eyes open and always be open to it.  This helps mostly if you already have a project in mind.  And if you do, just follow my list of favorite places to look when searching for the right color palette for your design.  But even if you don't, opening your designer's eye to your surroundings will still allow you to be inspired in ways you might not otherwise consider.