- Consider the purpose of the project. What is it that you want to communicate? Once you know what feeling or message you want to get across, you can begin to think about colors that will help you do that.
- Think about the colors that you like and that work well together. You can look for inspiration in the colors of nature, in artwork, or even in your wardrobe.
- Determine how many colors to use. A good place to start is with just a few colors. We recommend three in different values - dark, medium and light for a cohesive look.
- Research color meanings and symbolism. Certain colors evoke specific feelings, so you may want to consider what feelings you want to evoke with your palette.
- Test your colors. Try out your colors in a variety of contexts. This will give you a better idea of how they will look in different situations. We recommend using paint swatches or fabric swatches to do this in the lighting of your space!
- Make adjustments. If you’re not happy with the colors you’ve chosen, make adjustments until you find the perfect combination - we like to consider adding a tiny or shade of the colors you are enjoying. If you love maroon and emerald but it’s not the right feel, consider a tint (like a blush pink) with emerald instead. Or a sage green (a lighter version of green) with the deeper maroon. It may bring more contrast to your space for visual interest.
- Finally, save your color palette for future use. Having a visual reminder of the palette of your space or your event will make it easy to maintain your visual consistency of your desired outcome!
Colors can be powerful symbols, each with its own meaning. Here is a list of colors and their symbolic meanings for your reference when deciding your overall mood:
Red: Strength, passion, and love
Orange: Confidence, enthusiasm, and joy
Yellow: Optimism, enlightenment, and playfulness
Green: Growth, balance, and harmony
Blue: Calm, trust, and communication
Purple: Wisdom, creativity, and spirituality
Pink: Compassion, nurturing, and femininity
Brown: Security, reliability, and structure
Black: Power, sophistication, and mystery
White: Purity, innocence, hope and cleanliness
Here at North Wood Blooms, we have used color symbolism for our Sponsor a Stem and World Kindness Day Promotions to make a larger visual and emotional impact for our recipients.
As you create different color palettes for your spaces and events, consider our examples here on the left to inspire you to see what is possible with wood flower artistry by North Wood Blooms!
