It’s the fun part of decorating that many people find rather mind boggling – choosing a paint colour. If you regularly read my blog, you will know it’s a subject I frequently write about but today, I have found another way to kick start the inspiration required when selecting colours. Of course there are many things to take into account when choosing colours which I have discussed in detail previously but if it’s a starting point you are looking for, why not try this.
People tend to be naturally attracted to “colour groups”. The groups may be seasonal colours ( see previous post Finding your Dominant Colour Personality), or environments such as woodland, beaches or urban colours. However, why not flick through your photo collection and find an image with appealing colours. It may be tricky picking out individual hues so why not pixelate your image and discover a palette looking right back at you?
I very definitely fall into the “beach” category so this photo of a Isle of Syke beach throws back a palette which is ideal for me.
As nature is an expert in combining colours, you may find this wild flower meadow a good starting point.
Looking for some natural grays? What about this group of Parisian pigeons
Or your favourite piece of contemporary art?
You may find a palette in a surprising place. This serene palette is a photo of graffiti I saw in New York City.
As you can see there are infinite possibilities so have some fun with your own photo album. Why not have your pixelated image enlarged and printed onto a canvas, a unique artwork for your room – the colours will be perfect!
Niki Fulton 
Thanks for your comments on the Memory Game post!! Please share those cards when/if you decide to hang them up. 🙂
This is a fun way to create color palettes. You might be interested in my colleagues’ work at My Sense of Place!
http://mysenseofplace.com/
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Thanks Kelly. I have just looked at Lori’s work book from the link you supplied (I only know her through colorbudz so thanks for that other link). I see both our colour minds have been working along similar lines, (just when I thought I was being original, darn!). I love pixelating, it’s a great way to quickly select colours although it is rather addictive……
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Wow that looks great, I should do that with my summer berry collection!
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Good idea, I would love to see that, I hope you post it on your gardening blog.
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What a wonderful idea – and so simple that even folk like me could manage it. The pixellated examples were excellent. A real-world, fairly fool-proof trick we can use in many decorating and even food styling situations. Thanks, Niki!
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Thanks Kellie, well your colourful recipes would certainly produce some wonderful palettes. Did I tell you we thought your http://bit.ly/rpfspy “summer rolls” were exquisite especially with the almond dip. In fact I enjoyed the process so much I made some sweet rolls too – Scottish berries wrapped in paper with sesame toffee sauce (sorry to spoil your healthy recipe!)
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