As many of you know, I recently journeyed to Edinburgh, in Scotland, where my youngest son played in an international U.S. kids golf tournament.  As with any trip, I became very inspired!  Somewhere rattling around in my head – and on my sketchbook! –  I took special note of color. Since color recently has been one of my main blog topics, I thought  it would be interesting to share a few of my Scottish inspirations on the topic.

First, most of the buildings I saw in Scotland were made of stone. The stone looked timeworn and was a rich shade of gray. I imagined that if I was designing a line of fabrics (which I really want to do –  soon!),  I would create a beautiful geometric pattern that slightly mimicked the stone. The color would be a cool taupe-y gray.  This gray would also exist a bit in the “dirty”  range of colors (For more about Clean v. Dirty colors, read my post from last week on “Two little words that can change your life”).

Next, I could not help but take note of the beautiful, countryside greens. The shades ranged from grassy greens to those with distinct yellow undertones. And I could not help but notice one particularly unique blooming plant that was a vibrant acidic green.  It may sound strange, but in fact, it was quite a stunning find.

If I was designing a room – or a  fabric –  inspired by my trip to Scotland, I would include  a “magic fabric” (See my previous post on “magic fabrics”) that would be a print that would be a blend of the above mentioned grays, interspersed with various shades of yellow green.  I would also include a bold, nubby (there were a great deal of textural surfaces in Scotland!) acid green solid. This fabric would, perhaps, be used as upholstery on an accent chair, and/or toss cushions throughout the space.  Again, the tones would be a bit on the “dirty” side to compliment the muddy undertones of the grays.

Of course, Scottish inspiration would not be complete without a plaid.  However, my vision of the perfect plaid is not tartan. Instead, I would use a creamy background consisting of a large geometric plaid, showcasing shades of gray and green, as well as a touch of yellowish-gold for accent.  My plaid would harmonize handsomely with masculine leathers and rough, warm, rich woods. A yellow houndstooth would also blend beautifully with my other fabric selections!

Can you envision it?  I think I would love to create a room of grays and greens with a “pop” of yellow.  Have you been to Scotland?  What were your impressions and inspirations?

NOW, GO HAVE AN “It’s So Fabulous!” DAY!