COLOR

The art of living with color – 
Creating interiors that feel
personal, layered, and timeless

For me, one of the most important things to consider when starting an interior design project is selecting the right color palette. Color sets the tone for everything that follows and becomes the foundation that helps connect the different elements of a home.

Color has the power to completely change the way we experience a space. But creating a beautiful palette isn't simply about choosing colors that work well together. It is about finding the right balance between color, pattern, texture, materials, light, and art —and creating an interior that feels personal to the people who live there.

Color startS with a story

For me, a color palette often begins with something that inspires me: a beautiful textile, a wallcovering, a piece of art, an interesting material, or simply a color my client loves.

I also pay particular attention to the color of my clients' eyes . Eyes contain so many subtle nuances—greens mixed with gray, blues softened with warmer tones, browns touched with amber or gold. Bringing some of those tones into an interior can create a subtle and very personal connection between my clients and their home.

From there, I layer colors, patterns, textures, and materials, allowing one element to lead naturally to the next. I also consider how natural and artificial light will affect each color throughout the day.

The goal is never for everything to match. It is for everything to feel connected.

And color doesn't always need to be bold. Sometimes it is a painted ceiling, a piece of furniture, a beautiful stone, or simply a few carefully selected accents that give a room its personality.

Art can lead the palette

Art can be one of the most beautiful starting points for an interior. The colors within a painting can inspire fabrics, wallcoverings, furnishings, and accessories throughout a home without ever needing to be repeated exactly.

But I also love reversing that process.

At the end of some of my projects, I create a custom mixed-media piece of art for my clients, bringing together the colors and textures we have used throughout their home.

It becomes a very personal finishing touch—a piece created specifically for them that captures something of the story we have created together.

For me, color is not simply something we add to an interior. It is a thread that can connect the people, the rooms, the materials, and even the art.

— Sandrine Naumann Curnyn

SNC Interiors