Essays

My Return from a 'Colorful' Trip to Scotland

Kimberly Grigg

My Return from a ‘Colorful’ Trip to Scotland

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”). Stone castle in Edinburgh 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. Scottish countryside. Photo from Scotland.visitandtravel.com 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. Here is an example of a simple gray and green fabric. Photo from Warm Biscuit bedding company. 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! Michael Miller Yellow Houndstooth fabric 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! 

**IF YOU WOULD LIKE HELP WITH MAKING YOUR HOME EVEN MORE FABULOUS, PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR AN IN-HOME OR ONLINE CONSULTATION AT KIMBERLY@KNOTTINGHILLINTERIORS.COM**
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June 8th, 2011 | Tags: colors, Edinburgh, Gray, Green, scotland | Category: Ask Kimberly, Bright Green, Charleston Interior Design, Color Trends, Condo Packages, Conway Interior Design, Florence Interior Design, Inspiring Nature Photos, Interior design, Knotting Hill Interiors, Luxury Interior Design, Myrtle Beach Interior Design, Paint colors, Pawleys Island Interior Design, South Carolina Interior Designer, Wilmington Interior Design * Danielle June 9th, 2011 at 1:49 am · Reply I love your pictures and this post! It’s fun to hear (and see) what inspires others! I don’t know how I found you, but I have been subscribing to your blog for a few weeks now. I have a blog and design for a few scrapbooking companies, but enjoy being inspired by interior design and other art forms!
Danielle * Katy June 10th, 2011 at 12:22 am · Reply I absolutely love Edinburgh! You’re so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to travel there. That yellow houndstooth pattern is fantastic! * prezenty November 26th, 2011 at 5:52 am · Reply Thank you a lot for giving everyone a very special possiblity to read articles and blog posts from this website. It can be very excellent and as well , full of amusement for me personally and my office friends to visit your web site on the least three times in one week to see the latest tips you have got. And of course, we are actually fascinated considering the mind-boggling tactics served by you. Some two ideas in this post are undeniably the most suitable we’ve ever had.

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