# How a paint color unlocked my design confidence

> A writer who thought she had no eye for design discovered that starting with a thoughtfully chosen color could anchor an entire room.
- Title: How a paint color unlocked my design confidence | Shortify
- Summary: A writer who thought she had no eye for design discovered that starting with a thoughtfully chosen color could anchor an entire room. A writer discovered…
- Keywords: interior design, paint color, home decoration, creative confidence, children's rooms, design process, business, technology, paint, color, unlocked, design
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/picking-paint-color-kids-room-design-inspiration-2026-9
- Author: Jillian Pretzel
- Published: 2026-09-21T13:50:39.178+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: interior design, paint color, home decoration, creative confidence, children's rooms, design process, business, technology
## Decorating felt impossible
The author spent hours trying to design her daughter's nursery but always got stuck. She'd find a crib, search for matching wallpaper, then spiral into endless choices about shelves, lamps and finishes, ending frustrated with no progress.
## She believed she lacked design talent
The author had never cared about decorating her own spaces growing up. Her dorms and apartments were mismatched hand-me-downs. But pregnancy changed her. She wanted her daughter's room to feel special, warm and welcoming, like a friend's beautifully designed nursery.
## A work assignment changed her perspective
Writing for a real estate news site, the author was assigned a story about paint colors of the year. She interviewed a color selection team member who explained they analyze trending colors across makeup, clothing and cars, plus cultural trends and how people use homes.
## She discovered a design anchor
When moving to a townhome with her one year old daughter and another baby on the way, the author chose Benjamin Moore's October Mist, a soft sage green. It reminded her of a mossy lake and cool mornings at sleepaway camp. The color sparked ideas for tree stickers and a picket fence bed.
## The room came together naturally
With the color as her starting point, the author added a green shag rug and throw pillows that looked like logs, creating an outdoor backyard theme. Her daughter loved the finished room. The author realized that starting with a few color options made everything else make sense.
## She applied the method again
After moving again, the author looked at the latest color of the year selections. Glidden's Artifact, a soft aqua, reminded her of a photo album her mother made with pictures of her grandparents and former homes. She painted old picture frames with it and added matching flower decals above her oldest's bed.
## She's building design confidence
The author admits the room is still a work in progress and she spends more hours thinking about it than she should. But she is making progress and is proud of how it looks. Starting with a thoughtful color choice gave her the creative spark she needed.

> it looks good
## Key takeaway

A writer discovered that anchoring interior design choices in a carefully selected paint color gave her the creative confidence she lacked.