Color Can Be Soulful

When I close my eyes, I’m still having wonderful visions of Africa. While my mind races to so many different sites and places, the one thing that resonates with me most are the colors. Never in my life have I experienced color that created a more visceral reaction. It was as if it all tied together — nature, color, and design.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful places on earth but never has color impacted me so greatly.

Words cannot begin to express the breathlessness when viewing the African coastline. The richness of the sands, with the strength and depth of the blue sea are perfectly framed by the power of the browns in the mountain ranges.

Nature has a way of putting new experiences in our paths so we have the opportunity to revisit what we know. This trip to Africa, as I’ve mentioned, was exactly that for me.

I’ve studied and written about color and knew I had a mature grasp of the concept of color, but when I saw the colors of Africa, I was taken back to what I learned and was able to revisit my color know-how with a new perspective.

The colors in Africa were so impactful they took on a different entity. For instance the night sky became a lovely run of deep, blue velvet fabric, and I saw shades of pink and yellow, like that of exotic seashells, hidden in the sunsets.

I find myself with a new appreciation for how these amazing natural offerings can be an inspiration to my work. Actually, I believe that I have more to offer as a designer because of my experience — especially when it comes to the use and tones of color.

Imagine creating the design for a magnificent stone master bath where the stone color replicates the night sea sky of Africa and then adding just the right tone of pink or seashell in an accent or focal piece.

This visual discovery provided me with an exceptional color pallet, a way to further extend my personal design expression into the homes of my clients. These colors have the ability to touch a deep part of your soul–your inner self so to speak. Something deep inside that makes you feel alive and in touch with something incredible. Incorporating theses hues whether in a casual or formal environment will no doubt cause an emotional reaction. A comfort and peacefulness. It only proves out that nature has a way of coming full circle in life allowing you to rediscover and recreate what you thought you already knew.