Our coloring book has been available for a few months now, and I realized we never really explained how it came together. We hadn’t thought much about how a coloring book is made, so suddenly being in the middle of creating one was a pleasant surprise.
In case you missed our earlier posts, Color at Home is an 80-page coloring book aimed at adults who enjoy interiors and design. It includes full-room illustrations, curated vignettes, mood boards, frameable art prints, and pages that collect items such as pillows, chairs, and lighting. The goal was to create a relaxed, low-pressure way to experiment with color and composition—try new palettes on paper before committing to paint or new furniture. It’s also a great way to pause, unwind, and play with design without any real-life mess to clean up.
The idea came from a small publisher, and we realized a coloring book could be a fun, approachable way for people to build decorating confidence and break through paint paralysis. It lets you explore bold choices and unexpected combinations on paper first. You can test accent colors, furniture groupings, or wallpaper patterns without committing to any of it in your home. And yes—the whole process turned out to be unexpectedly relaxing and satisfying.
You might wonder what it means to “author” a coloring book when you aren’t the one doing the drawings. We worked with interiors illustrator Joan Borawski, who was incredible to collaborate with. Our role was mostly art direction and curation: writing a few short pieces (color tips and warm-up exercises), planning the book’s structure, and guiding the illustrations so each page would be fun and usable to color.
We began by mapping out the book’s flow: how many full-room spreads, small vignettes, mood boards, botanical pages, and exercises we wanted. To keep everything coordinated, we created a detailed master document for the illustrator with notes, sketches, and references. Sometimes we supplied a mood board or collage of accessories for Joan to include; other times we started with a photograph—occasionally one from our own home—so some pages may feel familiar to readers.
One early lesson was that not every photograph translates well into an interesting black-and-white line drawing. Some photos became too busy when converted to line art; others looked too plain without color. For each photo we liked, we usually provided a second version with notes about what to simplify, emphasize, or change to create a strong coloring page. Below is an example of one of those annotated references.
Joan often sent rough sketches early in the process so we could identify problem areas—overly ornate sconces, details that would be lost in the book’s binding, or large blank planes like walls and ceilings that needed interest to be enjoyable to color. We’d mark up those drafts and request adjustments to balance detail and negative space.
Watching the pages evolve was a highlight. Joan hand-drew so much of the work, and incremental sketches made it easy to see what needed to be added, simplified, or refined. Little decisions—like whether to add a patterned rug or how ornate a piece of art should be—made a big difference in how satisfying each page would feel to color.
Some pages were more involved, and others were straightforward. We included several rooms from our own home—living room, dining room, bedroom, sunroom, and office—and adjusted those illustrations so they read well as line drawings. Sometimes that meant adding art or simplifying an area to make the image more engaging to color.
We tested pages with friends and readers before finalizing, and it’s been so fun to see the different color directions people take. The same room can look totally transformed depending on palette and technique. If you have the book, please tag your pages with #YHLColoringBook on social media so we can see your versions.
For first-time colorers, we recommend colored pencils—basic sets are surprisingly versatile. Pencils allow for subtle shading and blending that work well with the home-focused pages. Markers and watercolors also work beautifully for experienced colorists, but pencils are a forgiving place to start.
The pages are printed on thick, premium paper and are perforated, making it easy to remove sheets if you want to display finished pieces. We included several frameable quote and botanical pages that echo the artwork found within room spreads, so you can color them, frame them, and hang them if you like.
There are also mood-board pages where you can experiment with color combinations and patterns—perfect if you want to test accent colors for cabinets, tile choices, or fabric samples before making real-world decisions.
We had a fantastic time putting Color at Home together and hope you enjoy coloring it as much as we enjoyed creating it. Big thanks to our editors at the publisher and to Joan Borawski for bringing these pages to life—this project felt like a true collaboration among friends and creatives. #colornerdsforthewin
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