color inspiration | Dujardin Design

On my new Dujardin Home website, I say that “Inspiration Starts Here!” I want to inspire all of you to see your home with new eyes, to be delighted with the very special items we’ve searched the world to find, and to find new ways to bring elegance, beauty and health to your lives.

I thought you might be interested to see where my inspiration comes from. My life and my work have taken me to some of the most wonderful places on earth. I have seen so many beautiful sights just this year, from the shores of Long Island Sound where I make my year-round home…

…to the harbor of Nantucket Island…

…from the excitement of New York City…

…to the town of High Point, North Carolina…

… from the castles of St. Andrews, Scotland…

…to the canals of Venice.

Add to that the many showrooms I visit in the Decoration and Design Building and at 200 Lex in New York City, and in Design Centers in other cities around the country. I see and handle sumptuous fabrics, brilliantly designed lights and chandeliers, hand carved wooden case goods and deeply comfortable upholstered furniture. All of it becomes part of my thoughts and my dreams.

Now I’ve realized one of my dreams, which is to bring this beauty and elegance to you. Our curated collection is inspired by the best of what I see and live every day, and the many creative and talented people I meet and work with.

Here I am with John and Chad Stark, of the Stark Carpet Corporation

And we’re just beginning. Stay with me. We’re going to some wonderful places, and I have some more wonderful things to share at Dujardin Home!

“The rushing of the sea–tides of the soul; And inspirations, that we deem our own.”

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If you have ever faced the ocean and known bliss in that moment when the horizon blends into the water, and all you see about you are shades of blue and cream, luminous gold and palest rose, then the sea may just be your color inspiration, as it is mine. I have always been inspired by nature: my muse is found in the dappled quiet of forest paths, the brilliant sunrise shedding gold on fields of flowers, and the buttermilk sky when clouds are gathering. But always and forever, I have turned to the sea.

photo: Rob Berkley

I want to share with you some of my favorite scenes and colors, found in the wildly tossing ocean waves, as well as the gently muted tones of the sea glass I find later on the sand. This is my world of color inspiration. Come take a look with me!

photo: Terry Pommett

There are hundreds of shades of blue. They can change whether a room is lit by sunlight or candlelight.

photo: Terry Pommett

Green is the essence of serenity, especially when combined with milky white. It makes a bedroom such a restful space.

photo: Erik Rank

Glass tiles can gracefully recall seaside blues and greys, and the fluidity of water.

photo: Terry Pommett

The white of sand, the blue of sky, and ocean views from uncovered windows combine to make this room an inviting respite from the world.

photo: Michael Partenio

Sometimes color is the merest whisper, yet is always powerful. Whites can be soft oatmeal or shimmery mother of pearl, pinks are romantic or playful, greens are apple or sage, blues are nostalgic and faded or bold and lustrous.

There are so many breathless moments I’ve spent at the shore, with the wind in my face. The cold splash of waves awakens me to the vibrancy of life, and suddenly I know a bold cobalt is the perfect counterpoint to purest white. A room comes together in my mind.

photo: Terry Pommett

Books are another beloved source of inspiration for me. One of my favorites is simply called Waves by Steve Hawk. His photographs bring me back to the beaches I love, even when I’m far away. You can almost hear sea gulls with every turn of the page.


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