From previously editing the Birmingham Post to founding a company that delivers striking artwork to landmarks right here in Brum, and beyond as far as New York. Meet Stacey Barnfield of the Colour Palette Company…

You might think you don’t know the Colour Palette Company, but the chances are, you do. If you’ve walked through Grand Central, Touchwood, the Kingfisher Centre, any number of Birmingham’s museums or even New York’s Corning Museum of Glass lately, the striking artwork is unmistakable.

The Company’s founder and artist is the long-term former editor of the Birmingham Post, Stacey Barnfield. Stacey has always had an interest in colour and typography having studied graphic design as a youngster. His original Birmingham colour palette was created by playing around with design and type and when Stacey uploaded it to Twitter it was obvious there was significant interest.

He says: “It went crazy. Loads of people got in touch asking if they could buy it as a print or a mug and some were asking if I could create a colour palette for their area.” Some from as far afield as New Zealand were making requests.

HUGE SCALE

Stacey says he stumbled into the business creating a website first then bringing someone on board to help with the financial side of things. There are now 70 different colour palettes. The original idea has morphed into lots of different mediums, so initially small gifts and prints – essentially things the business could manage – easily growing into large scale public art, such as the Leamington version installed in the walkway under the station and a massive piece in Touchwood Solihull.

Of the Touchwood work, Stacey says: “It must be 25 or 30 metres. I love it. To see that go from laptop to screen to finished large scale piece is amazing. I went to Solihull College to study graphics so it’s a full circle moment from a personal perspective.” He adds: “I love seeing the huge scale. Grand Central was the first large scale format. I walk through Grand Central to get to work sometimes and it’s amazing.”

MR EGG YELLOW

The Birmingham palette worked thanks to the local knowledge and nostalgia which Stacey wholeheartedly understood having grown up here. Expanding to other areas has meant doing research and finding what’s unique there. For instance, when Stacey worked with York Museum and Art Gallery he got under the skin of the city and found out what’s special to York. And when Liverpool Museums asked for wheelie bin purple, Stacey listened.

The museum now sells miniature purple wheelie bins in its shop. It’s that local knowledge that makes it work. Buy-in at a local level is crucial to the success of a palette and Stacey recognises that. He says: “Mr Egg yellow is very random if you don’t know Birmingham.” The fact the artwork translates anywhere makes the prospect of growth exciting.

For example, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York spotted the palettes on social media and contacted Stacey. He recalls: “I thought it was just a speculative enquiry because of the geographical location. Then they went for it.” Stacey worked with curators to come up with a palette that tied in with an exhibition about the way colour feels through glass. He created postcards, mementos and a range of mugs for the gift shop.

SIDE HUSTLE

Eventually Stacey would like to employ someone to do the research identifying and contacting potential clients to boost growth. Aside from areas, there are themed palettes available too, so there’s a gardener’s palette as well as one for tea lovers, among others.

Stacey also sketches and paints, recreating some of his favourite parts of Birmingham. Spawned by lockdown, Draw My City started as a hobby which he now describes as a side hustle from which he donates some of the proceeds to charity.

He says: “I started drawing places I used to pass on my way to work, so Birmingham Cathedral and the Rotunda among others. I posted on socials and people asked if they could buy them. It’s raised a few thousand for Sifa Fireside, the charity that supports homeless people in Birmingham.”