Welcome to COLOR YOUR LIFE – Guest Blogger week! We have invited 5 vibrant contributors to the Colorhouse blog to write about how color inspires the creative work they do and beautifies the world we live in. Today’s guest bloggers: Nathan and Katie Williams from Kinfolk Magazine.

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Nathan and Katie Williams are the founding Editors behind Kinfolk Magazine. They, and the Kinfolk team, recently established their new office in Portland, Oregon. The idea for Kinfolk developed while hanging out with a group of friends while they were studying in Hawaii and is now a quarterly print publication and online resource for things to make, cook, and do.

Inspiration for us comes from nature, and the colors found in our surroundings. We gravitate to neutral tones that complement the more vivid accents you’d find in, say, the blue sky, or bright flowers. In our work we play up the light and airy tones, leaving a lot of space compositionally, allowing the photos and art to do the talking without having to compete with distractions. The color palette in our image spreads is often minimal, focusing on maybe 2-3 focal hues.

Photo Credit: Leo Patrone

We don’t mean to come off as sullen or austere as some may interpret this approach; truthfully, we feel that a simple combination tends to create a deep and dramatic impression. Our aesthetic taste could be labeled as neutral and minimal, and is very apparent in the resulting work we put out, be it in print or online. We see beauty in this approach and recognize that it has become a distinguishing part of who we are.

Photo Credit: Parker Fitzgerald

We recognize that color plays a big part in making editorial decisions and placements. We try to connect and link images together from one to the next, so that even as you turn pages into new stories, they transition smoothly with similar colors and feels. Each photo and design choice is made deliberately and with careful consideration. These things aren’t often noticed right off the bat, but do play a behind the scenes role in the overall reading experience, which we take very seriously.

Photo Credit: Tec Petaja

In our personal lives, color plays out in much of the same way. Our home is decorated with items from nature and found trinkets that remind us of special times. We have created a space that feels personal, and remains restful and cozy, with splashes of color here and there. It’s important that we feel excited to go home and it is separate from and a retreat from work - which has a lot to do with what we choose to display and have around. We also strive for it to be a place where others feel welcome and know that our door is always open.

Photo Credit: Parker Fitzgerald

- Nathan and Katie Williams

For more inspiring images from Kinfolk, visit our Color Your Life Pinterest board!