A Color Scheme From Disney

When designing a room the first thing to consider is the color scheme. The colors are the starting point of a room and help create the feeling and message of a space. Limit your color choices to 8,  otherwise it wont really be a color scheme, just a bunch of different colors. Start off by choosing the neutrals and work your way into color. When I look for inspiration I turn to the past. I look for new ways to interpret what has inspired me. In this case, I'm turning way back to Disney classics like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Tarzan. FYI I think Rosie O'donells best role was playing the baby gorilla in Tarzan. So for those of you who feel uninspired, let's start with my all time favorite:

The Little Mermaid

At first glance this is Ariel talking about how she's falling in love with a man she saw through a hole in a boat, a true depiction of reality. But at a closer look, this is a really soft & feminine color palette. You start with the blues and lilacs which are soft cool tones and add the warmer textures. This is how I would translate the picture above into a color palette:

So I've used five colors, the lilac pink, maroon red, lavender blue, a baby blue and aqua green. These colors set the tone for this soft, feminine and sophisticated palette. The chandelier, the plant, the paintings incorporate the colors and bring them together. It feels organic and delicate, and I like how the red and green feel against the soft cool colors. This would be really pretty for a dinette in a kitchen with natural light. So if anyone ever comes over to you and asks for a color palette inspired by the little mermaid, have confidence in knowing you can make it happen :)

Looking back Ursula got a lot of slack because she was the "sea witch" and wanted to trick Ariel into being her slave for life, yadda yadda yadda... From her perspective Ariel was a 16 year old princess who  spent her time talking to a Jamaican crab and combing her hair with a fork. Doesn't sound like someone I would spend my time with.
Ursula had her own den, she had powers and she was rocking the flipped mohawk way before Pink or Miley Cyrus. 

This color palette is dark, deep and sensual. Here's my interpretation:

I chose purples and black with some grey. This is mysterious and dark like Ursula.The plants remind me of Ursula's eel side kicks so I added them, they also look really good. This color palette would be suited well for a dining room where there's intimate dinners and some drinking. It would also be a good match for a master bedroom.


Aladdin

Jasmine with her pet tiger Raja and her father, the sultan; such a cute little man. But ultimately jasmine wanted a man unlike her father- homeless barely dressed and best friends with a monkey.

This would be a place for the modern day jasmine. The palette has a lot of blues with white and gold. This feels elegant and young. Instead of going all out with the expected, I used some restraint. I like the softness from the colors and textures mixed with the toughness of the gold and tiger. (I couldn't leave the tiger out.) This palette would be good for a home office or a teenager's bedroom because it would transition well into adult hood.


Beauty and the Beast

So I'm sure this has happened to many of us. We go on a horse ride, end up trapped in a castle with a beast and fall in love with him over a snow fight. I can't tell you how many people I know with stories like that. The thing to do after falling in love is attend a ball in a castle and invite no one else- obviously.

Beauty and the beast is romantic, dark and traditional.
 

This feels regal and rich, by adding the Rothko there's a darkness that reminds me of the castle. The colors are blue, deep red and gold. I love the mix of pieces, the chairs are very ornate and detailed while the Saarinen table is pure and simple. The candlesticks give a nod to the past and the chandelier is more present. This is a good palette for a more grand dining area, one that's used once a year for Thanksgiving.

 
 The Lion King

How good was this movie? It was so touching and funny and entertaining, I fell in love with Simba. I don't know how that would work but I did have a crush on a cartoon lion cub for a while.

I used a soft natural color palette. This feels tribal and earthy but it's not in your face, it's more of a feeling. The peacock mirror is glamorous and still feels undone because of the mat finish. I love this palette because it's so versatile. You can use this in a nursery or a den; it would work perfectly in both.

Tarzan

Ah yes, the swinging, undressed man. This palette is light and natural. It feels exotic and exciting. There's a man getting around using a rope miles high in the air, of course it feels exciting.

This palette uses mostly natural colors, the tan leather chair, banana leaf wallpaper, wood side table. This would be so cool for a library. Do people still have libraries? So if you don't have a library (I don't even have a shelf dedicated to books) you can use this palette in a living room. It would definitely work well.


If you weren't inspired when you started reading the post, I hope you're inspired now. Good weekend to all.