Organized by color

The organization of objects in our environment, both our physical as well as our digital environment, is a large part of visual communication. When you are trying to design the character and mood of a space, each object with in the space whether revealed or concealed  plays a role in the visual landscape.    It seems like a simple idea. But what needs does organization have to fulfill? Ease of use, storage and visual aesthetics come quickly to mind. Sometimes all of these goals can be served by the same type of organization, but not always. Take a closet or a materials library for example:

Via Lou, Boos, and Shoes

The accessibility of the materials, storage, as well as the composition are well served by this organization of light to dark, warm to cool colors within the storage zone.

Via Apartment Therapy

You'd never lose a heel again with this bright arrangement by specific hue working around the color wheel.

But what about book libraries? Can books, objects we commonly think of in alphabetical terms, also be approached like the yarn or shoes?

Via Colossal

Via Web Urbanist

This is beautiful visually,  but are books by color practical without subject or author to go by? That all depends on the reader. To be more precise these systems, alphabetical vs chromatographic, are visual narratives (which you can read more about here). We get to use them to tell a story about our spaces. So we manipulate color not just by painting a wall or buying a certain dress but also with organization. How do you organize you books and shoes and yarn? Maybe this secret life of books video will get you thinking!

- Emily Eifler, Writer, Colour Studio

- Jill Pilaroscia, Principal, Colour Studio