The Role of Colour in Design Storytelling
Colour is one of the most intuitive parts of design. Before a room is furnished, before textures are introduced, its palette already sets the tone for how it will feel.
For us, colour is never an afterthought. It’s a quiet but powerful tool for creating atmosphere — shaping how a space moves, softens, and holds light. It tells the story of the home before anything else does.
COLOUR AS EMOTION
Every hue carries something distinct. A soft neutral can create stillness; deep, earthy tones bring grounding and weight. A wash of warmth creates softness.
When we begin designing, we start with the feeling.
What should this home feel like, in its essence?
That emotional intention becomes our palette. The tones we choose aren’t about what’s trending — they’re about how the space should make you feel when you walk in.
Colour, in that sense, is emotional architecture.
COLOUR IN CONTEXT
Colour only truly exists in relation to light. It changes through the day — across surfaces, textures, and shadows.
We spend time studying how light moves through a space: how it falls across walls, reflects off water, or filters through trees. In Muskoka, that might mean embracing warm, golden light and materials that echo the surrounding landscape. In Toronto, it may call for quieter, more diffused tones that soften urban edges.
Understanding how light interacts with form allows colour to feel embedded in the architecture — part of the home’s natural rhythm.
COLOUR AS CONNECTION
A cohesive palette carries you through a home without you ever noticing. Each tone picks up where the last left off — creating subtle movement, familiarity, and flow.
We often take cues from the natural landscape — the tone of a stone, the patina of timber, the greens just beyond the window. These moments of repetition form a visual dialogue, linking spaces together through balance.
When colour is chosen with intention, it does more than complete a room. It connects it to its surroundings, and helps to create the story.