An interest in telling stories through color with supporting research in architecture, raw materials, geography and manufacturing was the catalyst in choosing color strategies shown through application on wallpaper and paint as a thesis project. This was a process first written about by Atelier 3D, a French company about their company’s research, and done frequently throughout the United Kingdom but rarely in the United States. A locations (henceforth referred to as the source) language of color is based on its architecture, manufacturing history, culture, geography and raw materials. Provenance will create color strategies for wallpaper designs and interior paints that are inspired by the elements that make up the source’s color language. With research from subject matter experts, color palettes will be designed that reflect the source’s story, and in this instance, the source is the city of Detroit. The same photographs that influence the color palette choices will also guide the designs for wallpaper.