Using inverted colors

As you know, I love to create color palettes and I find that choosing colors from your artwork to add color accents to your decor is an easy and effective way to choose colors. Also, it’s pretty foolproof. Next time you see an image of a gorgeous interior, notice how it’s the pops of color that make it so special.

Here’s a great example from the winner of Apartment Therapy’s Small Cool contest, Daniel Kanter. You see straight away that the red chair and the artwork complement each other.

I can’t tell from the small image but I’m confident  that the salmon pink of the shade on the light above the table is included in the lower piece of artwork.

The color of the gray chair is featured in the top piece of artwork. Which came first? I don’t know but the photograph shows well just how pops of color from artwork makes  the room.

And then what do we see? The ‘casually’ placed lemons on the counter which are echoed in the small vase of flowers on the table. This (to me) is the difference between a decorator and a designer. It shows too that the symbolism of color – something I’ve written about quite a lot – is important here. That lemon color says (screams!) ‘fresh’. And fresh is exactly the feeling most people want in their kitchens.

As you know, we love to supply swatches of color with our artwork, giving you a palette to work from when decorating your home.  The pops of color can be permanent, like Daniel’s chairs, or temporary, as are his lemons and flowers. Imagine that the lemons were green peppers and the vase contained long, green grasses. You can imagine how the room would have a different look.

Take a look now at this example of Andy’s artwork. There are some great colors there to work with. Imagine that Daniel had this giclée above his dining table. Now imagine that the flowers in the vase are blue. Then lilac. Then gold. Now imagine a bunch of blooms that contain all three colors. You can imagine how the look would change just by using an inexpensive bunch of flowers.

Now imagine that that artwork is in a sitting room. See the room with golden pillows on the sofa.  Or any other color picked out from the swatch of colors contained in the painting.

You can be bold, or subtle. And what’s more, by the use of very inexpensive accessories – candles, a throw, flowers, a ceramic piece, a lampshade, a flowering plant – you can change the look of the room every season. Or even every week if you wish – you can have SO much fun with this. Blue is America’s favorite color – one month you might have blue accessories in your room and a month later, simply by switching a few inexpensive accessories to those using other colors within the palette. Each swatch has bold colors, pale colors, bright colors and subtle colors.

What if you want contrasting colors? Well, we can also supply you with a palette of those too. I’m a bit of a wuss when choosing colors for my home. I like harmonies. I like objects to blend. But actually, using an inverted palette is also a fairly safe option. Get your imagination working again and take a look at these colors. These are precise inverts – the aqua bottom left is a accurate invert of the lilac in the same position in the swatch above.

So much fun!