Is there a particular color that makes you feel happy? Maybe you can’t recite the Behr color number from memory but somehow walking into a room composed of a certain colorway instantly changes your mood.
In this post we are going to take you step-by-step through an iterative discovery process using Pinterest that will ultimately result in selecting the perfect colors for you and your room.
Step-1: Visit My Color Boards & Re-Pin What Catches Your Eye
Click Here to peruse My Pinterest Color Boards and look for colors you are instantly attracted to. “Re-pin” the images you are instantly attracted to onto your own newly created Pinterest board.
Click to visit my Color Board where you can re-pin images in order to create a shortlist of colors we will then refine further using Pinterest search functionality
Don’t try to over analyze at this point or write in any comments as we are just starting to organize some examples based upon your initial emotional reactions. You can simply place an exclamation point in the notes section so it will save properly.
Pay no attention to furniture style, if you really love something specific about the furniture come back later to pin to a separate furniture board because we are focusing on color only.
As you peruse my Color Boards look at the big picture. Choose room scenes in their entirety and try to avoid choosing individual elements like furniture or fabric.
Step-2: Assess and Declare a Theme for Your Selections
Now take a moment to evaluate what you have re-pinned to your own color board. Does a theme emerge? Are the colors primarily reds, aquas, lavender, orange, gray or are they simply dark or light? Is there a feeling associated with these images such as calming, serene, vibrant, eclectic, simple?
Go ahead and come up with a one or two word description (your theme) for what you’ve chosen, overall.
For example: calming gray
Once you have your theme go to step-3.
Step-3: Search Pinterest for Inspiration
Searching Pinterest for "calming gray" produces a myriad of calm gray room scenes that you can then narrow down even further toward your perfect color scheme
With your theme in mind (let’s say for example calming gray) you will search Pinterest. Input your “theme” in the Pinterest search box (top left corner of your browser window) and begin to re-pin to a new board those images that are most attractive to you from among the search results. You can also broaden the results by searching for just a “grey room” or “warm color palette.”
With these selections you will have a much more focused collection of rooms that more accurately represent the colors that make you feel the way you want to feel. This wealth of images on your new “color board” should be a carefully curated collection of refined colors that’s getting much closer to what you want your space to feel like.
Step-4: Analyze and Comment
Click on your username on the top right corner of the page, click on the name of your color board that you have created and you’ll be able to hover your mouse over each picture to select “comment”. Now edit each image by adding your personal opinions in the form of comments. Here are some things to focus on:
- Thoughts on the “intensity” of the color. Intensity refers to color value, for example from the palest yellow to a deep mustard.
- Thoughts on the “amount” of color meaning the proportion of accent colors (reds, blues) compared to neutral base colors such as monochromatics, grays or browns.
- Use descriptive adjectives. Do you like the playfulness of this room, is there a mood given off. How would you describe the way it makes you feel.
Step-5: Are You There Yet?
Have you arrived at your color destination? At this point, many people are able to define the colors that are on their final board. Are there lots of warm reds, oranges and yellows that exude energy and excitement? Or do you have cool colors including blues, purples? Maybe you have an eclectic mix of both!
It’s up to you if you feel you’ve defined your color objectives or if you want to continue to iterate and conduct a new search in Pinterest’s search box. There’s no harm in continuing to search and refine your colors by “pinning” rooms you love!
Follow Me On Pinterest
Click here and “Follow Me” on Pinterest because Homemade Design is constantly adding pretty things.
Also – we’d love it if you’d email your Pinterest username to designteam@hmdhome.com (or directly to your HMD designer if you have one) so we can help you to analyze and refine the colors you’ll love for your room!
Happy Pinning!
