Craft & Catalyst: Conjuring Color

Oct 6

Color Curation that’s easy to apply.

I think color can be one of the most overwhelming aspects of styling a space.

First we have to decide on color(s), then determine exact tones & shades that work together. Then we have to factor in composition, meaning how much of each color goes where in the space.

It’s enough to drive anyone bananas. There are tons (and tons) of hacks and tricks out there, but I wanted to bring you a streamlined flow you can try for curating a color palette that makes you feel a master artist in your home.

First: Let’s Build a Palette.

There are two methods I like to recommend when building a palette feels impossible:

The Art Method & The Nature Method.

These techniques are exactly what you think they are.

The Art Method

Find a piece of art, online or IRL that you absolutely love, and extract the colors that make up that piece.
Pay attention to the feelings these colors or this piece evokes – these will be your GPS system for decision making.
Write down your favorite 3-5 colors in that piece or gather swatches in these tones and bring them into your home.

The Nature Method

Take a picture of a natural scene or element (a landscape, flower, etc)
Pull out all the colors that make up that photo and list or grab swatches for your top 3-5
Pay attention to the feelings that arise when you gaze upon that nature scene

Next, let’s set a hierarchy

Now that you’ve got your top 3-5 colors selected, you’re going to decide what you want to be your primary color, secondary color(s), and accent colors.

Primary: main focal color of the room (most people select a neutral tone, but don’t be afraid to experiment if bold colors are calling you)

Secondary: the next most influential tones, what the eye sees second to the primary color. Selecting just one secondary is easy, but you can have more than one if you desire.

Accents: the personality infusions. This is where it’s easy to play an experiment. My advice is to repeat each accent 3+ times in the space to make it memorable and intentional

Now, let’s apply them

A tried-and-true color method that’s easy to understand and apply is the 60/30/10 Method.

60% of your space will be your primary color (walls, large furniture, rugs, etc)
30% will be your secondary (statement walls or ceiling, furniture, rugs, textiles, art)
10% will be your accents: décor, art, textiles, etc.

This helps you define your color selections clearly and cohesively. It doesn’t have to be follow exactly – it’s just a helpful guideline to keep you grounded in the process.

Color Crazy

I know color curation can be a little crazy-making. That’s why I made it the second step of the Foundry Formula, because once you have your colors defined, you can make the rest of your decisions much more easily. You can read about the whole Foundry Formula home alchemy process here or just download the workbook if you’re ready to get started. (It’s only $27)

If you’re needing more personalized help crafting your color scheme, contact me today, and we can meet to discuss a custom design plan that tells your color story.