The twelve frames
The full layout is below. Build it physically on A3 or rebuild the same frames in any slide tool — the frames are the method, not the medium.
| Frame | What goes in it | Size on an A3 sheet | Why this frame exists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Anchor image | One room photograph that sets the whole direction | 140 x 100 mm | If a decision later contradicts this image, one of them is wrong |
| 2 — Palette | Five colour chips with paint brand and shade codes | 140 x 40 mm | A palette without codes cannot be bought |
| 3 — Primary wood | Laminate or veneer swatch with brand and code | 60 x 60 mm | This is the tone every other finish is judged against |
| 4 — Secondary wood | The contrast or accent wood, with code | 60 x 60 mm | Prevents a second wood being chosen ad hoc on site |
| 5 — Stone / counter | Quartz, granite or marble sample photo and name | 60 x 60 mm | Stone reads differently in a photograph; name the slab |
| 6 — Floor | Tile, SPC or wood sample with size and finish | 60 x 60 mm | Floor is the largest surface and is usually decided last by mistake |
| 7 — Metal finish | One metal: brass, black, chrome or nickel | 45 x 45 mm | One metal across handles, CP fittings and light bodies |
| 8 — Fabric | Upholstery and curtain swatches, two maximum | 80 x 45 mm | Tests whether the palette survives contact with soft material |
| 9 — Lighting | Two fixture images with colour temperature written on | 80 x 60 mm | 3000K and 4000K look like different palettes; decide now |
| 10 — Hardware | Handle or profile image with length and finish | 60 x 45 mm | Handles change the character of joinery more than shutters do |
| 11 — One texture | Fluted, cane, stone-finish or textured paint sample | 60 x 45 mm | One texture, used deliberately, is the difference from a catalogue |
| 12 — The rule | Three written lines: what this scheme will not do | 140 x 40 mm | Constraints hold a scheme together far better than references do |
Sizes are for an A3 sheet. Every frame must carry a specification, not an atmosphere.
How to build one
- Start with frame 12, the constraints. Deciding what the scheme will not do makes every other frame easier.
- Write the brand and code on every physical swatch the day you receive it, before it joins twenty others in a bag.
- Put the colour temperature on the lighting frame. 3000K and 4000K are two different schemes and the board should say which.
- Test the board against the anchor image. If a later choice contradicts frame one, one of the two is wrong.
Three failures it avoids
- A palette nobody can buy. Five colours with no codes is a feeling, not a specification.
- Two metals in one room. The single metal frame forces the decision at board stage, where it is free.
- A scheme that collapses when the fabric arrives. Frame eight tests the palette against real soft material before anything is ordered.
Pick a direction first with the style quiz or the colour palette generator.
Frequently asked questions
Physical board or digital?+
Physical for materials, digital for images. Laminate, stone, fabric and paint all need to be seen in the room's own light and felt in the hand. A photograph of a laminate on a screen is not the laminate. Keep the image frames digital and print them to A3 alongside the real swatches.
Why only twelve frames?+
Because a board with thirty images stops being a decision and becomes a mood. Twelve forces a choice per frame, and a chosen board can be priced. If you cannot fill twelve frames, the scheme is not resolved yet; if you need thirty, it is not resolved either.
What goes in the constraints frame?+
Three written lines about what this scheme will not do. 'No gloss anywhere.' 'One metal: brushed brass.' 'Nothing that needs dusting weekly.' Constraints hold a scheme together far more reliably than references do, and they are the frame most people leave out.
Should the board include furniture?+
Only as fabric and finish, not as specific products. A board is about materials and tone. Specific sofas and lights belong in a furniture schedule, which comes later and changes more often than the material direction should.
How does the board relate to the 3D views?+
The board decides the materials; the 3D view shows them arranged. Where the two disagree, the board and the dimensioned drawings govern — renders shift colour with lighting settings and are not a reliable record of a finish.