Please tell me you sang that title to the tune of the Brady Bunch. If not, take a moment and hum it — it sets the mood.

With that out of the way, I want to share the little inspiration command center for our new house: a napkin we found on clearance from Crate & Barrel. It’s become the unexpected muse for many of our color decisions.

Honestly, that napkin has become the Sue Sylvester of Casa Petersik when it comes to choosing colors and shaping a whole-house color palette. She’s loud, decisive, and oddly comforting — all without the bullhorn (thankfully, since Burger would not approve). We often hold paint swatches up next to it to make sure a color “plays nice” with the napkin’s palette before committing, though we always choose the paint based on how it looks in the room first.

For example, the back of our built-in bookcases was inspired by El Napkin. So were the blue-green-gray walls in our bedroom and an artichoke-y green we’re eyeing for the kitchen. The process is simple: we pull swatches, hang them up in each space to see how they read in the room’s light, pick a favorite, and then double-check that it looks harmonious with the napkin. We’re not slavishly matching every color to the fabric — we’re choosing what looks best where and making sure the overall house palette feels cohesive.

Some of our favorite swatches look different on the wall than they do in photos — which is exactly why you should always test paint in your room before buying gallons. The top swatch we used for the bedroom reads as a calm blue-green-gray, a tame counterpoint to the napkin’s busier pattern. Another swatch became the moody color on the back of the bookcases, providing depth and contrast against lighter shelving. There’s an agave-like green we’re considering for the kitchen when we find the momentum to tackle that room. We’re also tempted by a deep aubergine-plum with chocolate undertones we’d love to work into a space when we feel bold enough. And finally, there’s a richly layered dark teal that I’m trying to build the nerve to use in the hall bathroom — in person it has a depth that photos don’t always capture.

Why does that napkin speak to us so strongly? No single reason. We just like the colors and the way they interact. If those hues can work on a small square of fabric, why wouldn’t they translate to a whole house? It’s a bit of a playful experiment, but it’s also an easy checklist while shopping: if something looks good with El Napkin, there’s a good chance it will look good in our home.

We even tuck the napkin into my purse on shopping trips so it’s always on hand when we’re deciding on textiles, ceramics, or decorative pieces. That little habit has saved us from a few impulse purchases that wouldn’t have fit the emerging palette. Case in point: the napkin pairs surprisingly well with a festive teapot the husband bought a while back — a small nod to how disparate pieces can feel intentional when they share a color conversation.

Where we’ll end up is anyone’s guess. We’re taking it one step at a time and are intentionally braver with bold color and pattern in this house than we were in our first home. With a little one around, we’re embracing more playful splashes of color instead of sticking to the beachy, airy neutrals we favored before. It feels liberating and fun, and it’s exciting to see rooms evolve as we test colors, live with them, and make choices that reflect a livelier, more confident aesthetic.

In short: a humble napkin sparked a whole-house direction. It’s practical, portable, and oddly authoritative — and right now, that’s exactly the kind of design collaborator we need.