Living In Color: My Palette

It’s early morning; I’m sipping coffee and mixing paint. I live and work in a world of color. I don’t know how I got here, or when I fell in love with these specific pigments, but I seem to know what I’m doing. See, I’ve always been attracted to color, and when using it, I have to listen to my intuition.

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My pallet is forever growing, changing, and in a lot of ways, staying the same. It’s quite the opposite of my daily uniform of introverted white, black, and denim — much more eccentric. You know when you start a project, and you really can’t see where it’s going until it’s finished? Well, as I slipped out of bed this morning, that happened to me. I looked around my home and realized that it is fully furnished. Dust is collecting, a few scratches have appeared on the floor, and somehow in the past six months this place became my place.

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A little mix of everything, just like me. I’m indecisive, so when it comes to décor, I just follow what my heart is telling me. When I first began planning, I stumbled upon my grandmother’s vintage Duncan Phyfe sofa, which she hand-upholstered in a mossy green, mustard, and pale pink striped print. I couldn’t let that go, and so my palette began.

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I always thought my first place would be all white. White walls, white furniture, white everything. I love how white creates that clean cut, airy feeling. It’s the perfect base, but my heart told me I needed warmth. I’m the type of person that is extremely affected by surroundings, so bringing that temperature into the place was vital. I did so through texture, pattern, and setting no creative boundaries for myself. Whatever I felt inside, I went with, and the outcome has made me realize how much of my happiness comes from the palette of this place. Bubblegum pinks, rusty browns, collard greens and mustard yellows mixed with charcoal greys, and stone cold blacks.

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While mixing shades and looking around my apartment, I felt relief, one that I wanted to hold onto for a while. I decided to form a physical palette that reflected all of the different colors that I used in my décor. I dated a file, named each color stroke, and on the back, wrote the hues I mixed to create each different shade. This archive will be helpful with every move, re-decorate, or simply the need to see my colors within. My palette has been forming inside of me for years without me even knowing it; I see my travels to the rolling hills of Tuscany in each shade of green, I see the same pinks that my muse, Frida Kahlo, once wore on her flower crown, I see tart yellows — the same shades that are in my lemon meringue pie. My palette is inspired through travel, music, love, food, art and emotion. It is with me now, and will probably change many times as the years pass. As I grow, my palette grows with me, and I’ll express it through my surroundings and let it make me feel everything in all the ways colors can.

Take a look around your home, wardrobe, and art. What colors do you see? What is your palette? What shades make you feel happy, sad, excited? Document them! + Let me know in the comments!

Follow fpmadisyn on Instagram, and check out her blog!

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Joana
9 years ago

Wow your place is truly amazing! I’m sure I would feel amazing and inspired living in a place like that!
I always felt better wearing dark clothes and over the years I dragged this tendency to my place… however this is something I’ve been working on to change since I noticed that something was missing in my eyes… i noticed that colors make my eyes happy, colors make me happy!
So currently my room is composed by a wide palette of colors although my wardrobe hasn’t changed that much (but there’s a noticeable change in comparison to a few years ago). Guess this is something I’ll continue working on :-)

Uli
9 years ago

I can’t decide if your words sound lovelier than what the pictures look like. I can see a personality in both. I also love white, clean homes but figured out I could’t live like that; it wouldn’t be me. Since I can’t decide which colours suit me well or are me, every room at home has a different theme. My life isn’t just one theme either ;)

http://www.foundsomepaper.com

9 years ago

Beautiful Post!

I just posted my blog post on my travels to the US Virgin Islands! Hope you guys check it out.

website: http://www.hippiegal13.wordpress.com
Instagram: Hippie_gal13 (follow me so I can follow back)
Twitter: Miss_joycita

Stay Free ! xoxox

9 years ago

Love this – and your lucite chairs are awesome! I painted my room a barely there lavender this summer after 6 years of a healing, deep turquoise. The turquoise I needed because as a 15 year old my mind was utter chaos, especially after losing my grandmother. Now, moving home after college, I opted for the hint of lavender to sooth and reflect the tranquility and simplicity of my mind and life today. It looks fabulous with the deep, rich wooden 1920’s bedroom set I inherited recently. I love that you have your grandmother’s piece!

Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com

9 years ago

This is a great post. I adore your home, it looks so cozy and loved.

http://www.tigermlk.com

Brittney Lauritzen
9 years ago

Did you make your chandelier on a stick? It looks awesome and I want to make one! Future tutorial?:) Your house is amazing and it is always an amazing feeling to feel at home in your space!

9 years ago

I’m definitely still waiting for that ‘it’s mine’ feeling for my new apartment. Your place just oozes personality – love it!

http://shopnowrunlater.com/

9 years ago

Is the 8th picture, is that stand with the suitcase on top a flea market find? It’s exactly like what I want for my apartment. Super jealous of this space btw… My apartment is too cookie cutter for my taste, but I’m slowly working on it!

9 years ago

I am in love with this post and these photos. Those rugs are gorgeous. I too thought I would have a completely white home, as I just moved recently and had a blank slate to work with. Somehow my palette has grown as well, because all of a sudden I have pops of color everywhere, and I realized how much I love white with royal blue and yellow. This is inspiration to me to keep decorating and adding to my palette. : )

http://seedoflifeacupuncture.com/blog

Ally
9 years ago

I absolutely love your kitchen set up :) That cabinet is to die for!

Elizabeth Ivy
9 years ago

You are my hero.

Rachel
9 years ago

Simply amazing. The photography, the writing. ..y ou are a true artist, and your place shows it! I’m inspired!

Zana
9 years ago

This post was wonderfully done. I just love the meaning and can feel how passionate you are.

9 years ago

I find that my surroundings also affect how I feel. I love seeing all the things i’ve created hanging on the walls, along with photographs of loved ones. I love all shades of grey (pun unintended)..and hard wood floors. I love cozy and clean yet messy in an artsy kind of way. Your home looks cozy and inviting!

Ilovefrostedcupcakes.tumblr.com

9 years ago

Such a beautifully done up place! I love everything about it!
Xx
Rhea
http://www.fuss.co.in

Julia
9 years ago

This is brilliant. I might try something like this for my wardrobe, home and life!

9 years ago

Wonderful read. Love the idea of making a palette of your home/life.

http://korinsusanne.blogspot.no

9 years ago

Cool furniture!

Pearl
9 years ago

Omg !!! Fantastic !!! The white curtain panel is what i have been looking for forever !!!
Please tell me ehere i can get it !!!! Thank you

9 years ago

the pictures above are absolutely amazing! as for colours that i love, i like having whites in my room such as sheets and walls and then adding bright pops of colour here and there like artificial plants and a photo frame, just stuff like that!

Amber B.
9 years ago

That wood carved hall tree… 5th pic from the top, is stunning!! Please share where you found/got it! I’m nesting in my new home and am scrounging like crazy for a piece like this!
:)

9 years ago

Me encanta ver todas las cosas que he creado, pero me fijo mucho en la decoración de las paredes, por eso dejo aqui una web que puede que guste http://goodvinilos.com/es/7-fotomurales

9 years ago

Your place is beautiful and I absolutely love your palette. As an artist, one of my favorite things is seeing other artist’s palettes, paint tubes included. Thanks so much for sharing!

9 years ago

I love the colors. And your space is truly beautiful, I really fancy the mix and match of furniture, while yet it remains so coesistent.