by lauraadmin | Mar 17, 2016 | NOC
Green can be a precarious color to decorate with. It is bold and demands attention. However, it is one of the few bold colors that can actually serve as a neutral. We associate this color with life, nature, growth and renewal. It can also be associated with greed, jealousy and money. Whether you have an affinity or an aversion to this color, there is always a place in any room to make this color work harmoniously. With a myriad of variations, there is a shade of green for everyone. Green plays well with navy, gray, brown, gold and black.
If green is a favorite color of yours, you can make this color the star by using it on larger pieces such as bedding or upholstery. However, if you’d rather use more restraint when decorating with green, you can use it on your accent pieces such as pillows and throws.
In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, here is my post on all things green. I hope this serves to inspires some new additions to your home.
Below, these rooms utilize this color successfully. The first room shows this color used with a black and white palette. This palette is bold, graphic and masculine.
This dining room is a more refined use of green. This color is just used on the drapes and accent pillows. It is paired with gray, cream and gold. It is a more sophisticated and feminine use of green.
Image via Pinterest – BlogSpot
I hope you enjoyed this post. I leave you with this Irish blessing:
May your troubles be less
and your blessings be more
And nothing but happiness
come through your door
Thanks for reading!
XO Laurie
by lauraadmin | Jan 20, 2016 | NOC
While temperatures dip below freezing in the Northeast, writing a post on warm paint color palettes could not have come at a better time! Dreaming of sun, sand and all things warm is a nice respite from this frigid weather. This might be my longest post yet; so, buckle up, Babydolls!
I find that warm colors are more tricky to work with and harder to pair with other warm colors. The undertones of warm colors vary so greatly making it difficult to find other colors that marry well with them. That being said, there are a few tips I like to use when pairing these colors together. But first, let’s start with some color palettes and pictures that illustrate these palettes before I launch into my tips. As a caveat, most computer screens and the screens of hand-held devices are all calibrated very differently. This great effects the way these colors are viewed. Please take paint chips home or buy paint samples to try out in the space you are looking to use them (viewing them during both the day and night) to ensure the color is right for you.
The colors below are colors we all know and love with a few updates. Those who follow fashion know that when trends emerge from past trends, they are always tweaked to make them more current; paint colors are no different.
As I stated in my last post on this topic, try to use a dark, medium and light colors in each room adding a pop of color for interest and depth. The palette I highlighted below features Springfield Tan, Yosemite Sand, Rustic Taupe, Nightfall and Cork. A nice combination to use might be to have Springfield Tan on the walls, Yosemite Sand on the ceiling (this would look amazing), Rustic Taupe and Nightfall as your accent color and Cork as your pop.
The room below features sand colored walls with white trimmed box molding and pops of yellow and black. Unless you have a high threshold for color and contrast, it is a good idea to limit your pop of yellow to accent and accessories that can easily be swapped out. Yellow is one of the hardest colors to work with; therefore, when it comes to yellow, muted is best. In my opinion, pastel yellow only belongs in a nursery.
Image via Houzz
Here is a palette using a medium tone beige, a deep brown, cream and cherry red as an accent color. I love this bright, almost pink pop of red. This is a beautiful and more current red than was used 10 years ago. It is bright and saturated, yet still refined. In designing a room using these colors, I would use the medium color, Baja Dunes on the walls; the dark and light color, Fallen timber and muslin, as accents and Rose Parade as the pop of color. The dining room below is a very dramatic use of these colors. This designer chose to paint the walls a very deep shade of brown, with white moldings, trim and mirror. The pop of cherry red is used only on the upholstery, area rug and wall decor.
Image via Houzz – Tobi Fairley Interior Design
The deep brown (almost black) walls looks so rich with this shade of cherry red!
My last palette using warm colors features a color that a lot of people are afraid of: Orange. I can understand one’s hesitation to use this color. When searching through Designer portfolios for images using orange, I found more badly designed rooms using this color, than I did of rooms that used orange successfully. I have a few tips just for this color alone. When using the right shade of orange, in the right places, this color can add a fun pop or add a warm, comforting vibe to your space. The palette below features a crisp white, White Dove; a light beige, Manchester Tan; a rich brown, Brown Horse and a saturated orange, Pumpkin Spice.
Tips for using orange: Use orange in a space that gets a lot of natural light. I would also suggest limiting this color to one wall. Orange is a secondary color, it is a blend of red and yellow. Choose an orange that has more red than yellow in it. Therefore, I would opt for a medium to deep shade of orange over a lighter shade of this color. In addition, when incorporating metals with orange, I would suggest using gold over silver.
The rooms below use this color as an accent color to add depth to the space. They both limit this color to strategically placed pops of orange. The first room uses a deep dramatic brown for the wall color, adding a deep orange throw at the bottom of the bed and orange Hermes boxes on the nightstands. The second room uses a lighter wall color with orange as the accent on the rug and upholstery. Most importantly, the designers of both rooms kept the intensity of the orange (deep and rich for the first, rich and bright for the second), consistent with the other colors in the room.
Image via Houzz-Gary McBournie Inc.
Image via Houzz
Below are my pairings for those of you who like things a little bolder 🙂 These palettes are deep and dramatic. There is much less variation in the intensity of the colors used in these spaces. This palette features Sherwin Williams paints.
Bold Color Pairing-Sherwin Williams
Image via Houzz- Salins Group
Image via Houzz – Leigh Olive Mowry-Olive Interiors
Image via Pinterest – Blogspot
In the image below, I love how this designer created drama using the same color intensity for all colors. Although this room is too dramatic for most people, it is really well done! Green is a versatile color in that it plays well with both silver and gold.
Image via Pinterest – Studio M Interiors
This last room illustrates a classic black, white and red palette. This palette will never go out of style. However, this is a fresh interpretation that I love. Most elements in this room are kept light and bright. The use of black on the window grills adds a dramatic and upscale element. It is as though this designer used kohl eyeliner to line the “eyes” of this room. The designer showed restraint in leaving the window treatments simple to highlight this feature. The red chairs are a perfect use of dramatic symmetry. I am loving this dining room right down to the blown glass orb chandelier!
Image via Houzz-Spinnaker Development
Ok, here are a few tips on warm paint pairings:
- According to House Beautiful, warm colors are best used in south and east facing rooms. South and east facing light is warm and will enhance warm paint colors. To determine what direction your room faces, you can download a compass app on your phone. Be sure to keep your phone (or compass) flat for most accurate results.
- As a general rule of thumb, gold is the best metals to use when accessorizing rooms using warm colors.
- Be cognizant of the type of light you are using in a room with warm paint. Florescent light bulbs (never recommended) emit a very blue green light and will completely change the way your paint looks at night. Incandescent light (most light bulbs) If you have nothing better to do, you can click here for more info on this topic 🙂
I will wrap this post up by expressing my deep appreciation for all of your kind, enthusiastic and supportive feedback. I appreciate each and every comment and private message I have received. This blog is a labor of love, and it is my hope that I am able to lessen the frustration and challenges that arise in home design. Your feedback is immensely helpful and lets me know what you are interested in reading about. Keep the suggestions coming 🙂
xo Laurie
by lauraadmin | Jan 16, 2016 | NOC
It is no secret that one’s home is a symbol of status. Whether it is accurate or not, we assume one’s bank account is in direct relation to one’s home. Who of us has not walked into someone’s grand or super stylish home and wondered “what do they do for a living?”. Or conversely, assumed that one was of modest means after visiting that person’s home.
For most, one’s home is one’s biggest financial investment. We are all hoping for a large payout when the time comes that we are ready to sell. Therefore, we look to do things to increase the value of our home. Whether you are looking to sell in the near future, or just want to elevate the look of your home, here are 5 things you can do to make your home look more expensive. (As a side note, I will almost never post “20 things” for anything. I am not a big fan of laundry lists. Personally, I do not want to do 20 things, no matter what the topic is. I favor tasks that feel achievable; hence, my list of 5 🙂
- Add Art to every room on your first floor (powder room included). Showcasing a gallery or a single piece of art gives the impression of a cultured and refined owner. You need not spend a fortune; Minted is one of my favorite sites that carries reasonably priced framed art. Keep the style of the art consistent throughout the house. Although it is possible to successfully mix things like photography and abstract art, it is not for the novice. For a really high end look, choose ONE piece to showcase in each room. I like to make this piece LARGE, as shown below. There can be other art in the room, but one piece should hold the spotlight.
This room is one of my favorites that illustrates this tip:
2. Add molding! This is a tip we’ve all heard. However, most times it is crown molding that is the focus. I completely agree with this; however, the base molding seems to be the ugly step sister of molding and therefore, is rarely mentioned. A truly high end home usually showcases 4″-6″ base moldings. If you want your home to look more expensive, beef up those base moldings! I also like adding an extra piece of molding at the top to create an even more custom look.
I love the way the picture below uses the extra piece of molding at the top of the base molding; it is the details that gives this a truly special appearance.
Image via Houzz – Bruce Johnson & Associates
3. Use inside mount window treatments. Inside mount window treatments are usually associated with custom treatments……cha-ching!!!!! Those of us who have installed custom window treatments know that it is easy to spend $2000 per window. (In another post, I will give you my tips for major window treatment design hacks to save you big $). Using inside mount treatments will undoubtedly give your home a more high end appearance.
The pictures below are from The Shade Store and start at $345. The Shade Store is a great resource. Their designer collaborations with Dwell, DVF, Robert Allen and Jeffery Alan Marks make it so you can get designer fabrics at a steeply discounted price. The fabric alone would cost this amount at designer showrooms.
4. Pull some furniture away from the walls. In addition to this, remove a couple pieces of furniture from each room. Floating the furniture gives the illusion that the room is larger than it is. High end homes do not have furniture crammed into a room. Quite the opposite; they usually have much less furniture than the space can hold. This also gives a more open and stylish appearance.
I love the way this room feels like there is room to breathe. The room is a good size, but looks even larger because all of the furniture is floating and not anchored to any wall.
Interior via Martha O’Hara Interior Design
5. Update your light fixtures (especially your ceiling mount fixtures, change them out to semi-flush mounts). The parallels in fashion and interior design are endless. You can elevate a dress from Banana Republic with a few nice pieces of jewelry. The same principle holds true for your home. Choose lighting that is interesting. Make a statement with crystals or laser cut metals.
Here are a few that I like from Shades of Light and Lamps Plus:
We will return to our normal programming, and continue with our paint pairings using warm colors for our next post! Hope you enjoyed this interruption! Let me know what you think, or if you can add to this topic in any way.
xo Laurie
by lauraadmin | Jan 15, 2016 | NOC
It is hard to get paint wrong when dealing with gray and beige. Yet, one should not limit oneself to gray and beige alone. Color is the fastest way to give any room a lift! Below are some NO FAIL color schemes to add interest to your rooms. Every great paint palette consists of a dark , medium , light and pop of color. With any of these palettes, the colors can all be used as paint applications. However, most of the time two to three paint colors are used and the other colors are brought in through furniture and accessories using these pops color. As with any changes you make to your home, know thyself! If your threshold for color is low, stick to the schemes in the first half of this post. What you wear is a great indicator for your color threshold. Take a look in your closet. If you own very neutral (black included) clothing and very little color or pattern, you probably have a low threshold for color. If you are looking to dip your toes in the “color pond”, start simple by adding only one pop of color to your room. Painting (and wallpapering) the ceiling is one of my favorite design tricks for adding interest to any room. However, I would recommend starting a little less ambitiously by keeping dark or accent colors to the bottom half of the room.
Part 1 of this post deals with the color schemes using cool colors such as gray, beige, blues and pinks. It is impossible to get it wrong with these schemes. At the end of the post, I will showcase a few bolder palettes for those of you who are more daring. All of the paints used in the first part of this post are Benjamin Moore colors.
In the room below, the throw pillows and blanket are the dark color, the headboard features the medium color, the walls are the light color and the pillows and bench showcase the pop of color.
This paint palette features Chelsea Gray as the dark color, Waynesboro as the medium Taupey color, Muslin as the light, fresh color and Melrose Pink as the pop of color.
This next palette showcases white, gray and blue. The first room is a bold look that uses the pop of color liberally. Painting the ceiling using the accent color creates major drama and visual interest. The second room uses a softer palette with the pop of blue used on the pillows, art and ottoman. The deep color is used on the rug to anchor the room, and the light color is used on the wall.
Below is a gray, beige, cream and yellow paint palette. In these rooms, the pops of color are featured using accessories.
For the more daring, here are some pairings from BHG that will really take any room up a few notches. Notice that all of the colors used are the same intensity. Choose one color to serve as the main “anchor” color, and use the others as accents and pops to add visual interest.
A caveat to using a really bold color palette like the ones above is that any contiguous rooms should feature a neutral more subdued palette. In addition, those rooms should have accessories which feature a few of the colors in your bold color room to create coherence. There is nothing worse than every room featuring a different bold color. It should never look as though Crayola had too many RBVs and came home and vomited all over your home……..not good!! Choose colors like Muslin and Carlisle Cream for the rooms that lead into your bolder rooms.
Next up is Part 2 of this post: Paint Color Schemes using warm colors. STAY TUNED!!! Let me know if there are any colors that you have been dying to use, and need help pairing with other colors.
Thanks for reading!
xo Laurie
by lauraadmin | Dec 15, 2015 | NOC
Creating a unique and visually appealing gallery to display one’s art and photos can be a challenge. The options are almost unlimited. One can mix art with photos (this is a stunning look, although tough for a novice to pull off). One can also mix frames to lend an eclectic, carefree vibe. Another option is adding decorative elements to your gallery to add an interesting and layered look.
Here are a few guidelines I use when hanging art and photos:
- I use repetition and symmetry A LOT when creating galleries. One’s eye searches for patterns, as well as matching elements. If you look closely at the galleries I created below, I repeat images multiple times in most displays.
- Lay out your art on the floor and play with the arrangement. Finalize the arrangement before you put even one nail in the wall.
- Art hung in odd numbers usually looks more appealing (there are a few galleries I created below that use even numbers of hangings. However, when you are just starting out arranging and hanging art, I would stick with odd numbers.)
- Stay within the borders of the sofa or table which you are hanging the art over. Although it is not wrong per say, to expand beyond the borders, it will look more refined and deliberate if you use the length of your sofa or table as your guide.
- While designing, I create horizontal and vertical grids in my head to ensure spaces are balanced. I do the same while hanging photos and art. Make sure that the space above, below and between each picture is the same distance apart (I use 4″ as a rule of thumb). A lot of times I line up the top edges, bottom edges or both of the frames’ edges to create an border.
- USE THE LINES OF THE SOFA TO CREATE A GRID IN WHICH TO HANG YOUR ART!!! The picture that lies in the center of the arrangement should either be centered over the center cushion of the sofa, or the center line of the sofa should bisect the photo that lies over it.
- I LOVE to layer and stack frames on top of each other. This is the ultimate way to add dimension, interest and a truly custom look to your gallery. This layout requires A LOT of patience and meticulous measuring……..basically, don’t drink and hang!
- Hang art lower than you think it should be hung! If you have to tilt your head up to look at the picture, it is hung too high! A good rule of thumb is to have the center of the photo at about 58-60″ above the floor.
Below, I showcase a few variations to give some inspiration on hanging your gallery. As a tip, West Elm has great frames. They are super stylish and are easy to work with. The frames come with a paper template that you can tape to the wall to adjust and play around with.
Building a gallery around a beautiful mirror is an easy and classic way to display art. Adding mirrored stars between art and photos adds a lot of visual interest to the second and fourth gallery.
The use of a grid in all three layouts makes these displays stand out. In the first and third displays,I lined up the edges of the tops and bottoms of each frame. In the second display, I lined up the top of the frames to create structure. Because this layout is the most “organic” of the groupings, I relied heavily on repetition of both the size of the frames, and the images displayed.
Let me know what you think. I would love to hear what tips you have for displaying your photos.
xo Laurie
