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Color for Your Home

30th August: Today's Tips

Kate on Color:

On the main floor of most homes it works best to have the colors in all rooms work together. This doesn't mean that all rooms have to be painted the same color. You can use your fabrics, accessories, and furnishings to tie the colors together. Read On »

More tips from Kate »

Meet the Color Mavens

Kate Smith

Kate Smith

"As a professional color expert, trend forecaster, engaging speaker and founder of the Sensational Color network, I work with both corporations and individual clients on using color to create interest " more...
Bonnie Krims

Bonnie Krims

"Bonnie Krims, a nationally recognized architectural paint color consultant, is adept at developing paint color schemes that not only reflect the needs of the client, but also highlight the important design features of their home. " more...
Ellen Kennon

Ellen Kennon

"With colors from her signature collection of Full Spectrum Paints and over 25 years of experience as an interior design Ellen creates environments that are often described as magical or healing while " more...
Jaima Brown

Jaima Brown

"“Surround yourself with beauty” is Jaima Browns mantra and her eye for color and design is beautifully reflected in her signature line Jaima Brown Home Her design expertise combined wit" more...
Denise Turner

Denise Turner

"As an American Society of Interior Design national spokesperson, Denise regularly appears in the media and you may even recognize her as a winning designer on HGTV Designer’s Challenge. However " more...
Barbara Jacobs

Barbara Jacobs

"Barbara is a gifted designer with a keen understanding of using color in a functional as well as aesthetic way, which is essential for creating supportive spaces. A designer, consultant and specialist" more...

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Dorothy Draper colors

22nd Apr. '08 · Design & Decorating Resources , Today's Decorating Dilemma · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Authored by Kate Smith

Today’s color dilemma…

I’ve been reading about Dorothy Draper but most of the pictures are in black and white. Can you give me some examples of the colors she actually used? I’d like to decorate my apartment in bold colors and thought her palette could inspire me. Thanks, Riley K.

Kate suggests…

Benjamin Moore put together a special palette of their colors that captured the style of Dorothy Draper a year or two ago for a museum retrospective show. Here are the colors they included:

dorothy_draper.png

Dorothy Draper was the Grand Dame of using bright, bold color and texture combinations in her day and thought to be quite outlandish. While they are bold by today’s standards these colors don’t seem all that unusual.

Find out more about America’s first interior designer in my article on Sensational Color…

Resources:

  • Type in your zip code for a list of Benjamin Moore dealers near you.
  • Do you have a color dilemma? Post it in the Makeover Gallery at RoomVues.com and you could be the next reader to have your color question answered on the Color For Your Home blog.

**Please note: Due to individual computer monitor limitations, colors seen here may not accurately reflect the paint colors. Please refer to an actual sample of the paint for an accurate rendition of the color.   

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Madison’s pink bedroom

18th Apr. '08 · Bedrooms , Today's Decorating Dilemma · Tags: , , , , , , ,

Authored by Kate Smith

Today’s color dilemma…

I saw a post on Jill’s blog when I visited again after first learning of ‘Forever & Ever House’ when I posted my thoughts on the entries for “Spring green roundup”.

Jill was sharing that her four year old daughter wants a new room color. You can see the entire entry on her blog but here’s how it begins…

There was ONE exception to the “need to renovate” rule at our house and that was my daughter’s bedroom. Seventeen years ago, when our home was built, it was painted a very pretty, classic shade of yellow and it has remained that way to this day. So, when we moved into our home I said to myself “Self…well, at least THERE’S one room that doesn’t need to be painted.”

madison.jpg

Madison’s bedding and valance from our starter home even had some yellow in it and with a few strategic placements of art, the nail holes in the walls from previous owner’s art would be covered.

Easy-peasy. Yippy Skippy.Well, you know where this is leading now, don’t you?

My daughter really wants a pink room! (more…)   

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Pink, black and white color scheme

4th Jan. '08 · Bedrooms · Tags: , , ,

Authored by Kate Smith

Today’s color dilemma…

“I have chosen to do my daughters room in pink, black and white. I don’t want a light pink, but I don’t want Pepto Bismol either.

She is 11 yrs. old and we are going to put black and white self adhesive polka dots on the pink. Any suggestions? –gg

Kate’s suggests…

Pink, black and white is a great choice for you daughter’s room. A classic color combination that is often associated with the 1950’s, poodle skirts, and rock and roll this combination has stood the test of time and polka dots are a natural in this colorway.

Many designers, artist and do-it-yourselfers enjoy creatively using pink and black polka dots. Here are a few items found on etsy that make imaginative use of this theme: tags from paperologie, the tote from baffinbags, or the hanging tiles from parischicboutique.

Pink, black and white is a popular color theme chosen by young women on Polyvore’s outfit editor site as seen in the outfit above but women of all ages seem to find this combination appealing as you can see by the response to Grace’s post about this color combination on her blog Design Sponge.

Just like the Donghia fabric I wrote about recently Madeline Weinribe has given an updated look to this suzani fabric through her use of pink and black.

While once considered mainly a feminine or “girly” color it has acheived more widespread popularity among members of both sexes as I talked about last month on Live In Full Color.

As you already recognize walls painted pink can make a bold statement and some hues of pink may be overwhelming. I think that the key to enjoying the color for years to come is to chose a pink that is a bit more sophisticated and let the polka dots add the playfulness that attracted your daughter to this color scheme and decorating style.

A middle value hue will give the room the fun feel I believe you are after but it will also be restful enough so that your daughter can have a peaceful “beauty sleep” each night.

The wall in this room designed by Diamond Baratta and featured in House Beautiful are covered in Ralph Lauren’s Spectator Pink in linen, which goes beautifully with the black and white houndstooth rug. This is the intensity and value of pink I would recommend.

A couple of other options might be Silk Kimono #MS011 from the Martha Stewart collection, Berry Red 2 #LA202 or Plaster Pink 2 #302 both from Laura Ashley Home or Valspar’s Seaside Retreat Pink Flamingo #SR504 all of which are available at Lowe’s.

We’d enjoy hearing how the project turns out and having you post before and after pictures on RoomVues.

If any of our readers have suggestions for other pinks that they have used successfully please let us know in the comments. Color, Colour, Home, Interior, Exterior, Design, Decorating, Paint   

For a sensational home–add color!

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