Your Personal Color Palette

A vase of flowers sits on a small, square bedside table next to an open window framed by a gauzy white curtain and a light blue wall. A vase of flowers sits on a small, square bedside table next to an open window framed by a gauzy white curtain and a light blue wall.
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Your Personal Color Palette

Your personal color palette already exists. Embrace it.

When it comes to choosing color, it’s actually quite simple: trust your instincts. Your sense of color confidence comes from taking a close look at what colors you already gravitate towards – and love being surrounded by – then embracing the design possibilities they present.
Dark wood chair with white linen draped over the back in a light gray room with white window.

Take a Fresh Look

What are the colors you live and breathe in your everyday life? Step into your closet and pull out the clothing that shares common hues and shades. Spread them out and observe your personal color inclination. Take this theory further by thinking back to other prominent colors in your life…cars, pets, tableware – there is no ‘wrong’ answer. Note the colors that move you emotionally.
Muted pink walls with a white fireplace mantel holding a vase of matching pink flowers.
“Use your daily color choices as guidance for paint colors.”
—
ANDREA MAGNO
COLOR & DESIGN EXPERT

Explore More

Once you’ve established colors that organically resonate with you, visit your local paint store. Ask a color expert to find the colors you love in a fan deck, and then spend some time exploring colors that are in that color family. Next, consider what colors contrast with your core color picks: these are the accent colors that will help define your space in unique and interesting ways.
An eclectic selection of momentos, art and reminders are pinned against a light blue, wood-paneled wall over a sawhorse table.

Blend or Boast

Do you want to stand out? Or do you want to blend in? Think about your answer when it comes to establishing color schemes for your home. Go for the more subdued shades in the personal color palette you’ve developed if you prefer taking a more understated approach to design. If you want to go bolder, choose the more saturated hues from your personal color palette.
Blue rocking chairs show off nicely on this covered porch with a stained wood floor, greige siding and multiple light green trimmed windows.

Look at Locales

If you’re looking for something beyond your immediate sphere to inspire your personal color palette, look no further than your surroundings. Geography can help formulate color palettes that personally resonate – Nova Scotia offers choppy water, driftwood and seagrass, while Palm Springs delivers cobalt blue sky, palm leaf green and desert sand. Whether it’s where you live – or someplace you love to visit – consider locales you love as personal palette inspiration.