Industrial Color Palette - Modern Greyscale Elegance
The Industrial color palette, with its sleek combination of black, gray, and silver, draws inspiration from a modern, minimalist aesthetic. Imagine the smooth surfaces of stainless steel appliances or the monotonous facade of gray skyscrapers—these are the elements that inspired this palette. Nature bursts with color, but here, the grayscale aesthetic of modern industry reigns. 
Shown in the collage, starting from left and moving clockwise: one-of-a-kind Strength’s Embrace Necklace; Spike Earrings, Feathered Bib Necklace, 5-Knot Earrings, Mesh Cuff, Knotted Diamond Pendant and Double Cylon Cuff.
The absence of color evokes a sense of calm, order and understated elegance. Because this palette is achromatic, it is quite versatile and coordinates well with many outfits, especially those with black and cool colors. It can look quite striking with bright red or pink, but as a general rule should not be paired with warm colorways, as the silver tones tend to clash against a backdrop of golds, oranges and reds.
Due to variations in dye lots, the shades of grey may have different undertones—sometimes blue-ish, sometimes more green or brown. When creating an ombre effect, I carefully select grays with similar undertones to ensure a smooth transition. If I'm aiming for a more dynamic mix, I embrace the variety and might incorporate all the shades.
I classify this palette as greyscale, even though it uses silver instead of white. I do create black and white designs with matte white/off-white (acid-etched) aluminum, but I consider that to be a separate “black and white” colorway, as the matte sheen and white color diverges from the metallic, steel and chrome inspired Industrial palette.
Behind-the-scenes fun fact: I almost always create new patterns in greyscale first, before introducing color. By focusing on the structure of the weave, it gives me a better idea of how to use color strategically. The image below shows my original Celestial Swirl design in three Industrial palette variations.
Note how different structural aspects stand out in each one. Once I’ve created samples in greyscale, I’ll use that as a base to explore the same piece in colorful mixes and ombres.
Love the Industrial palette? View all items currently available in the industrial colorway, or submit a custom request for the design of your choice in these colors. If you're a crafter, make your own masterpiece with a custom DIY kit from Blue Buddha Boutique in this palette. Questions? Contact me and let's bring your vision to life!
Follow this series on the dedicated Color Palette board on Pinterest.
