Palette generation
Color has always been a paralytic challenge for me: So. Many. Choices. A good way to get beyond the mind boggling number of possibilities is to take inspiration from local nature. It provides continuity from inside to outside, and can bring memory of different seasons to life at a different time of year.
As an example, I generated a palette from a photo I took of a trumpet vine bloom visible from our living space (click the image to get to the online color generator site):
I can choose from a 3×3, 5×5 or 7×7 grid, depending on how many options I want to cull from the image. Voila – a narrowed field of 25 as opposed to 16 million. Simpler is always better. In this case, there are several colors with very subtle differences, and some with a tad more punch. A good sampling to choose from, whether the end application is fabric, paint, or lighting.
You’re so right, for many years I’ve been advising people, who label themselves as color challenged, that the best way to pick combinations is to look at shells, animals, insects, plants, etc. In my opinion the colors found throughout nature are the most pleasing to the human eyes.