A client in a small town diner taught me something about color theory

I was grabbing coffee in Millerton last week and an older lady at the counter saw my color swatch book. She pointed to a dusty rose shade and said, 'That's the exact color of the sky right before a summer thunderstorm rolls in over the cornfields.' I'd always just seen it as a cool-toned pink, but her description clicked. Now when I'm doing a color consult, I try to connect the shade to a real memory or feeling instead of just warm or cool. Has anyone else had a simple comment change how you explain color to people?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinnm775d ago

That's a beautiful story, but I have to push back a little on the color theory part. Calling a color 'cool-toned' isn't just a dry technical term. It's already trying to connect to a feeling, because 'cool' and 'warm' are sensations we all know. The lady gave you a specific memory, which is great for clients, but the basic idea of temperature is still a useful starting point for a lot of people. It gives them a simple anchor before you get into the personal stuff.

the_nancy5d ago

Wait, you think "cool" and "warm" are sensations we all know the same way? That's wild to me. My cool is a frozen lake in January, but my friend's cool is the shade under a palm tree. Those feel totally different. If I tell a client "this is a warm red," they might picture a brick fireplace while I'm thinking of a spicy pepper. The basic idea falls apart as soon as you get personal, which is the whole point of color.

davis.olivia4d ago

Honestly, I'm still trying to explain color without just saying "this one looks like my grandma's couch from 1987." So maybe I'm not the best person to ask.