Sherwin-Williams Colormix 2026

This all started with a simple ask. Bernice, would you like to enter a contest for best vignette at the Seattle Design Center for Sherwin-Williams Colormix 2026.

I hesitated and thought, Do I want to enter a contest? My pause was all of 20 seconds when I said, "Sure, why not?". I've never entered a design contest before, and this would be my first time showing my skills to a large audience besides my portfolio event for my associate's degree program in 2019. As soon as I said yes, I knew what I wanted to do with this vignette. It had to be dynamic, and it also had to spark the audience's senses.

It started with choosing a paint color and painting my walls for the vignette. I was excited because the color was so rich, and I knew I could really pull this together, but could I win the contest?

I began searching for my furniture pieces that were loaned to the contestants from a furniture showroom in the design center called DFG. Shout out to DFG for sponsoring pieces. Whoot Whoot!

I chose all of my pieces with the paint color and the artwork in mind. I then made my mood board, showcasing all of the materials and colors that I wanted to use. I purchased fabrics and made my throw pillows to coordinate with the colors and the theme of texture for the senses. Oh, my theme: Tell me what you smell when you walk over to my vignette.

It worked! So many people said they smell coffee beans or chocolate. I won. Not the contest at this point, but I won in my mind with the majority of answers being coffee or chocolate. My heart melted. I felt like I could do anything that I wanted in my career at this point. I smiled so much that I probably looked a little crazy. I thought somebody gets me. :).

Then, another few people told me that I understood texture and senses really well. I was proud. This was a great day for me, because although I knew these things about the way I design, it was wonderful hearing someone say it out loud. Needless to say, I won the competition, and it's just been a great boost for me.