Here at Make it in Design, we absolutely LOVE colour. From rainbow brights to pastel palettes, we are true colour fanatics! In addition to our acclaimed surface pattern e-courses and annual design challenges like Summer School and Winter School, we’ve been eager to provide a new (and ongoing) source of teaching and inspiration; something new and fresh to compliment the creative ideas and passions of our community. That’s why we created our new monthly members’ club, The Colour Gang!
In celebration of our recent members’ club launch, we interviewed our co-founder and course instructor Rachael Taylor, who is known for her vibrant and colourful design work, garden, and home styling. Here she shares on her relationship with colour from a young age, what it means to her, and lots of other fab insights into using colour as well. If you want to learn more about what’s included in The Colour Gang, take a peek here or register for one of our flexible membership options here!
Your favourite colour is Orange – has that always been your favourite?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I have always loved a broad spectrum of colours and favoured bright palettes. It hasn’t always been Orange – basically any colour that’s in the standard rainbow or simple primary colours. I did go through a phase of obsessing over lilac, but that’s not really a colour that suits me in terms of fashion. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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During my design course at university, everything was quite fine art focused and we were encouraged to be experiment and push boundaries, so as a screen printer I fell in love with more daring and neon colours when creating my final collection. These were typically paired with neutral backgrounds which really helped the colours pop.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As I got older, I really started appreciating all colour and how it could transform anything – after years of working in-house as a designer for a large company I started to feel restricted with colour, I then rebelled and began to do my own thing which gave me more colour confidence. I find I am naturally drawn to colours that remind me of holidays, warmth and sunshine.
What’s your earliest memory of loving colour?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Growing up as a child I was always extremely expressive whether through dance, art, or drama. I was always a bit of a performer I suppose, so I never looked to blend in. I was always drawn to bright colours and if I am being honest, I was being influenced by what shows I was watching and what toys I was playing with. I blame Trolls and My Little Pony! I’ve always had a strong appreciation for rainbows and perceive them as a magical sign! I also loved unicorns and Rainbow Drop sweets (and still do)!
Why do you think some people are intimidated by bright colours in fashion and interiors?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Colours can be quite bold, playful and daring – they can definitely draw attention and be quite demanding. I think most of the time people choose to play it safe, follow suit and go with trends. We all know grey is the new beige – I’m a fan of grey, but for something like interiors , I use it in small areas to act as soothing shade allowing my brights to really stand out.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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With fashion, I’ve definitely got more daring with age. I choose things that make me feel happy or bring out a positive vibe. Clothing is quite an intuitive process – I don’t worry about trends or particularly pick colour to make myself stand out, I just feel more ‘me’ and confident when I wear brighter palettes.
Is ‘The Colour Gang’ only for those who love bright colours?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Our community is for everyone, whether you’re colour shy, pastel queen, a monochromatic addict, or a lover of rainbows like me, it’s an encouraging and uplifting environment – a safe haven for exploration with colours in all types of design play. It’s a place where you can connect with like minded people in an uplifting and supportive community.
We delve into various trends and colour themes throughout the content along with exclusive design insight and even things like recolouring old designs. No colour is off limits – we thoroughly explore a range of colour and how we can integrate it into our design work, our daily living, fashion, or even life choices. That includes traditional options such as black, brown, grey, beige and we strive to celebrate all tastes, styles, palettes and genres as we come together in celebration of living colourfully!
What are some unconventional or interesting ways colour affects your day to day life?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 10 years old, so I naturally eat more fruit and vegetables to replace meat. However, I do eat a lot of beige food which you wouldn’t expect! Some days I can be really bad and not pick up anything with colour in. For example, toast for breakfast, creamy cheese pasta for lunch, and a jacket potato with Quorn for an evening meal. I do try to eat healthy but I’m not the best and the beige always creeps in! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I would definitely encourage a celebration of colour within your food choices – the more naturally colourful something is, the more healthy it tends to be.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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For many years I also had a dark coloured car – a black / grey one – and on grey days I was involved in car accidents. Obviously I’m OK but subconsciously I think it has affected my colour choices with new vehicles. My new @vwserendipity van is grey, however we all know it’s not going to stay like that for long! It’s a great base colour and the fun design magic will happen soon!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Another thing is that I wear colour because I personally just like it and particularly in winter I do seem to get approached a lot with people commenting on how refreshing my clothing choices are. Some have even said that I make them feel like it’s summer! So that’s always nice to hear. It’s quite funny but my friends have also started calling me ‘Rainbow Rach’! 🌈
What are some of your favourite Instagram accounts for colour?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I have SO MANY! But some that spring to mind include @mariannetaylor, @mr_plantgeek, @incolourfulcompany, @pantone, @studiodiy, and @emilycoxhead! We share more inspiring accounts, interviews and lots more in The Colour Gang, I cannot wait to get started!
