FROM A CANVAS TO YOUR DÉCOR

Question:

I want to redecorate my living room but I have no idea where to start choosing my colors. I’m lucky enough to be starting from zero, since I am intending to change my old sofa and my drapes. I don’t have to take these fabrics into account, but it’s almost as though this total liberty of choice is blocking me instead… there are too many possibilities! What approach would you advise?

Caroline, Boston

Answer:

Many people seek inspiration in a palette of colors from a piece of printed fabric, or even in the carpet in order to find the right color scheme. But inspiration can come from just about anywhere: a postcard from Tahiti with incredible blues, an illustration from a children’s book. If your eye finds itself attracted, there is a good chance it’s due to a color somewhere. My own sources of inspiration for creating harmonious color schemes include paintings by some of the grand masters of art.

For example, I like Modigliani a lot. He was a painter who worked in Paris in the early 20th century. You have probably already seen his portraits of women looking a bit melancholic, with their long necks and eyes without irises. Modigliani often used ochre shades, and red-oranges and browns in his paintings; his use of color created a composition at once powerful and harmonious.