Creating a colour palette for your home
Updated: Nov 27, 2020
The single most important step in designing a room is creating a concept board. A concept board will help to keep you focused (especially when out shopping and all those lovely temptations come your way) and help you navigate to your dream space. You have probably heard of concept boards, mood boards and image boards before. They basically all refer to the same thing.
INSPIRATION FOR MOOD BOARDS
My best suggestion would be for you to take an A2 / A3 piece of paper and stick about 5 - 10 images on there. Pinterest is great for finding images. If you already use Pinterest, look at your boards and chances are that you will see common threads in your pins and these common pins are most likely what you would want in your own home. Pinterest is my go to social media for creating Pinterest Boards. These images will represent the interior you are aiming for. Pick images that will show the colours, textures, shapes and general mood that would represent your ideal space. You can also create a digital concept board through Powerpoint.
Nature can be very inspiring and can make for unique designs. Look at your surroundings and the perfect colour palettes you find at beaches, mountains and in sunsets. Add physical items to your concept board to emphasise the mood - perhaps a pair of earrings, a piece of wood or a special teaspoon. This is a process - add some objects and images and take away some until you find the right scheme. You can find your inspiration anywhere. There is a scene in F.Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby where he describes flowing white curtains and this image is one I would love to re-create some day.
Another tip is to make sure that you create some flow throughout your home. It will make your home feel more harmonious. What you could do is create a concept board for your entire home and then just change the use of the same colours slightly. For example: If you choose a colour palette that is off white, aquamarine and a deep blue, you can make the aquamarine the dominant colour in one room with a deep blue and say a bit of burnt orange as accent colours, using throws and pillows. In the next room you might want to use the deep blue as the dominant colour and use the aquamarine and say a peach as accent colours.
DESCRIBE YOUR COLOUR PALETTE
A good idea is to take five words that would describe the space that you would like to create for yourself and your family. "Crips, light, natural, minimal and calm" would be something I would want in my home. Putting it into words enhances the feel of your concept board.
THINK IT THROUGH
Take a few days to ponder your concept board - our moods change from day to day. Once you are sure that this is the design for you, you should keep a smaller colour copy of your concept board with you when out shopping.
GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT PAINT COLOURS AND TEST IT IN YOUR SPACE
Painting your home can make such a difference, but choosing the right colour the first time, can save a lot of effort and cost. Our colour guides aim to help you make the right choice of paint colour for your home, as well as selecting trim and accent colours to best suit your interior. Test the colours you want to use agains each wall in your space as it will look different on each wall. If you need more help choosing the right colour, you can op for my colour consultation.
IMPLEMENT YOUR CONCEPT BOARD
This is where the fun begins! Take samples (materials, tiles, wallpaper etc) and hold it next to the board. Stick to the plan, but there will be times when an object / colour is a better fit and that is fine as long as you consider it carefully. It is all part of the creative process and remember - it will be different for everyone.
The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the process.
Need a little help? Have a look at my services or buy a concept board gift card for a friend.