Cream

color inspiration: champagne, dusty rose and stormy seas

in

photo via f5,6

Although our home is very bright (I'm a white paint lover) I've always been drawn to the dark and stormy colors. You know, the deep plums, the wrought iron grays, the pipe smoke blacks- they always feel more soulful to me than cheerful yellows, hot pinks, etc. So when I saw this photograph, it took my breath away. It's dark without being overwhelming, has just enough glamour (thanks to the sequins and fabrics) and yet still feels playful because of the various party dresses. Maybe one day (when we have a house that we're allowed to paint all dark and mysterious) I'll try this in a bedroom or a powder room.

color inspiration: cranberry, spearmint, and cream

in

photograph via honeytree

I decided to do something different with my color inspiration today and hope you like it. Instead of trying to mesh different photos together like I've done in the past, I thought I'd give you all a glimpse at what goes on in my mind. Normally it only takes one photo to trigger a color palate in my mind and that's what I decided to share with you all today. This particular photograph I've had on my desktop for months (and months) because I was instantly drawn to the vibrant, playful colors. Pink and green together is definitely not a new concept, but here the combination looks subtle and fresh, as opposed to the loud and preppy connotation I'm used to.

So what do you think? Do you like this set up, or would you rather it go back to the way it was?

color inspiration: lavender and garlic

in

I've had this garlic photograph for years and can't track down it's photographer. Can you help?, doodles via me, bedroom via the paris apartment, Moroccan wedding blanket via here

In my own mind, I'm not really a fan of purple. There is something too synthetic about it to me (maybe all the grape flavored lollipops or medicine growing up?) but my tune completely changes when that purple becomes a rich merlot or an earthy lavender. When that happens, I swoon over it. And paired with the papery skins of garlic- ranging from a deep beet red to the lightest of parchments, it becomes comforting and tranquil.

Color Inspiration: peaceful palette (grey, blush, sienna, blue, cream, mint...)

in

thread via seesaw, thank you tags via elizabeth anne designs, love ice cream via grey likes weddings, greenery via with this ring

Sometimes I think we can have a tendency to get too wrapped up in specific color schemes and forget that not everything has to be one of three colors or even the same shade of those colors to work well together. That's why I love this inspiration- it's incorporates a range of muted natural colors- mints, mosses, blushes, sienna- and then throws in that pop of blue for good measure. And thanks to none of the colors being too jarring, the effect is incredibly peaceful.

color inspiration: coffee, parchment, and velvet

in

pencil sharpener photograph via Jen Causey's blog Simply Photo, typewriter keys via peonies and polaroids,the pinwheels photo has been on my desktop for forever, but I've never been able to find where it's from. Could one of you please help me so I can give credit where it's due?

Unlike most people I know, I really loved school. (And I actually mean the school part of it.) Of course, my education was definitely unique so that may be why I have such fond memories of it. I spent 5th through 12th grade at a fine arts magnet school where at any time during the day you could wander around and hear the jazz band, watch dancers practice choreographed routines, see kids painting or throwing pots, etc. Once I got to college, I studied scientific illustration and even though I did have science classes (which was actually where I met my husband), most of my days (and many a week day nights) were spent in the studio joking around with my friends.

Those uncomfortable metal stools with the wooden top?  Always reminds me of critiques (and never being able to get comfortable.) Pencil sharpeners? I can already smell the graphite and wood shavings. And no whenever I see a can of white paint, I'm always reminded of the final days of a show when you've taken all the work down and are repainting and repairing the walls for the next one.

While most people I know tried everything to get out of school, I always felt like it was part of me and that I was part of a long line of artists who studied there before me. So when I found Jen Causey's photograph of an old pencil sharpener, I was immediately reminded of studio days in college and knew I wanted to do a board around it. This one in particular reminds me of old wooden floors that creak as you walk across them, parchment and tracing paper scattered across tables, natural light streaming through old glass panes, and the smell of coffee (and quite possibly whiskey from the night before) that was forever lingering in the air. (If you'd like to see our old building, you can view it here.)

And for anyone wondering where the velvet comes in- blame it on elementary school. Anytime I think of velvet I think of a deep green and am reminded of the super heavy stage curtains that framed the little stage in our cafeteria. (Of course those were red I think, so who knows why green comes to mind....)

Antique Coral, Cream and Turquoise

in

flowers via saipua, shoes photo by Lisa Lefkowitz, bike photo via gypsie (on my mind), vintage book photo by Cassia Beck via seesaw

I have a soft spot for old books. The yellowing pages, the softened colors, the smells- it's all very comforting to me. So when I saw this photo by Cassia Beck on seesaw, I knew I wanted to create a board based around it. The colors remind me of a lazy sunny day- maybe one accompanied with a picnic in the park or a nap in the sunshine after reading a good book in a hammock.