I had the honor of setting the challenge description for the December Modern Design Lab (MDL) design challenge. Instead of using a photo inspiration this month, I wanted the challenge to revolve around color, so when I found the Behr Color Trends for 2020, I thought they would be a great option for the challenge.
Inspiration – Behr 2020 Color Trends
- Cedar Spice: Earthy & Approachable
- Red Pepper: Deep & Dramatic
- Bubble Shell: Soulful & Floral
- Dusty Lilac: Vintage & Soft
- Dragonfly: Luxe & Costal
- Rumba Orange: Lavish & Exotic
- Creamy Mushroom: Cozy & Versatile
- Bluebird: Bright & Spirited
- Battleship Gray: Adaptable & Grounded
- Back to Nature: Fresh & Invigorating
- Charismatic: Energetic & Optimistic
- Secret Meadow: Eclectic & Global
- Graphic Charcoal: Modern & Refined
- Light Drizzle: Soothing & Serene
- Painter’s White: Soft & Composed
Fabric Pull
I considered going to Home Depot to get the exact color swatches, but knowing that my stash is rather small, I just pulled my laptop into my studio and color matched to the screen as best as possible. I was impressed I was able to find something to represent each color.
I pulled the image of the colors from the Behr website into Inkscape and thought about what I want to make. This month, the Aurifil Artisan challenge is a holiday themed project, so I was hopeful I could come up with a design that fulfilled both needs.
Holiday Project + Behr 2020 Colors
I designed a fun radiating star design using a sawtooth star and flying geese, and then spent a lot of time enjoying all the color options that the color palette offers! Ultimately, I let my fabric dictate which color palette I was going to use and settled on this design:
Finalized Design
The size of the quilt I will be making is based on the smallest amount of fabric I have on hand, which is a little bit smaller than a fat quarter.
Selected Fabrics for Project
I did have to order more Kona Cotton in Charcoal for the background. I’m aiming for a 36″ square quilt top.
Remaining (unused) fabric in rainbow order
I have to admit that I initially was pretty wary of what I’d be able to accomplish with this color palette, but as I was putting away the fabric I didn’t opt to use, I rearranged it into rainbow order and was delighted in this arrangement. Sometimes just moving things around a little bit can make a big difference!
Have you ever designed a quilt starting with color inspiration?
Thank you for sharing this pallet….I abolutely love it!…..especially the red pepper, rhumba orange, charismatic, dark grey combination…..Christmas has depleted my budget…but January will be here soon! I think the pattern you designed is perfect and I like the combo you picked for your holiday rendition!
That’ll be a pretty quilt! What a great challenge and I’m sure there will be plenty of creative ideas in the end. I’m intrigued by some of the Behr trend colors…not my normal color choices, but they are interesting!
This is a very fun exercise. I guess my pantone-inspired creations fall into this category.
The fabrics you chose are quiet but still make a very strong impact. I love this design, it will look beautiful in any color palette.
It’s a fun idea to start with color rather than an image.
That radiating star design is beautiful! I don’t think I’ve ever started with colour for a design, but it would be a fun challenge to try.
What a great idea. And that’s a great design.
Oh I know what you mean about rearranging our fabric! And there’s just something about rainbow colour order… 🙂 I like the looks of this next project!
What a beautiful color palette. I especially love that Secret Meadow tone of green. Your pattern and color choices are perfect. Looking forward to seeing your finished quilt.
I love the colour palette and the design you came up with. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the quilt comes together.
What pleasing color palette, Yvonne! I’d be happy with any of your renderings.
Love the color palette! Such a fun quilt design.