Using Art as Inspiration

Using Art as Inspiration

Using Art as Inspiration: How Paintings Can Guide Your Colour Scheme

When it comes to decorating, choosing a colour scheme can often feel overwhelming. With endless paint charts, trend forecasts, and Pinterest boards at our fingertips, it’s easy to get stuck in indecision. But if you're searching for colour combinations that truly work — timeless, balanced, and full of feeling — there’s no better guide than a piece of art.

Artists have always known how to make colours sing. Whether it’s a soft coastal scene or a bold abstract composition, paintings offer curated palettes that are emotionally rich and visually harmonious. So, why not use them as inspiration for your interiors?

A Lesson in Colour: Coastal Calm from a Seascape

Take the painting above, for example — a peaceful coastal scene with beached fishing boats, rugged mountains, and faded sails. At first glance, it’s a calming image. But look closer, and you’ll see a beautifully composed colour story:

  • Muted slate blues in the background cliffs

  • Weathered stone greys on the boats and shore

  • Soft, aged ochres and rusts in the sails and nets

  • Deep wood tones in the boats' timbers

  • Gentle sky blues and faded whites to lift the mood

This palette is quietly sophisticated — it doesn’t shout, it whispers — and it would translate beautifully into an interior.

Bringing the Palette Home

Inspired by this artwork, here’s how you could interpret the colours into a room setting:

  • Walls: A soft slate or misty blue to reflect the distant hills

  • Furniture: Weathered or painted wood in greys and taupes

  • Textiles: Cushions, curtains or throws in warm rusts, sand tones, and soft whites

  • Accents: Aged brass or burnished copper for lighting or picture frames

  • Artwork: The original painting, of course, or others in a similar palette

By pulling just a few tones from the image, you instantly create a space that feels intentional and harmonious — just like the painting itself.

Why Art Makes the Perfect Colour Guide

1. It’s Already Balanced

Artists instinctively understand contrast, proportion, and harmony. When you choose a palette from a painting, you're borrowing from centuries of colour theory — no guesswork needed.

2. It Captures Emotion

Art conveys feeling. Whether it’s coastal calm, joyful florals, or moody landscapes, the colours in art carry atmosphere. Let that emotion guide your decorating choices.

3. It Feels Unique

Using art as your muse ensures your space reflects your personal taste, rather than trends. It’s a more soulful approach to styling your home.

How to Use Art as a Colour Starting Point

  • Step 1: Choose a painting you love — one that evokes the mood or tone you want in your space.

  • Step 2: Pick out 4–5 dominant colours: one for walls, a couple for accents, and a neutral for balance.

  • Step 3: Build your scheme using those tones — layer them in paint, fabrics, furniture, and finishes.

  • Step 4: Echo colours subtly around the room for cohesion, just like a painting builds depth through repetition.

Final Thought: Think Like a Painter

When we approach our homes like an artist approaches a canvas, we begin to create spaces that are not just decorated — they’re curated. Thoughtful, layered, and full of personality.

So next time you're stuck on what colours to use, don’t reach for the trend guide — look to the walls. Art has already shown us what works.

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