Inspiration for Accent Colors

The inspiration for my color palette

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A common rule of thumb when decorating a room is to choose all of your furnishings and accent fabrics first and then choose a wall color. After all, it's a whole lot easier to match paint to fabric then the other way around. Of course it's always good to have your color palette chosen before selecting that all important wall color. But me, I'm not so good at following all of the rules. I chose the wall color for my great room before giving much thought to accent colors for the space. Hey, I figured, my furniture pieces are all neutral, I can chose anything my little heart desires and my heart desired chocolate brown walls.

What do you think about painting the entryway chest in one of my accent colors?

The walls have been painted for an entire month now which gave me plenty of time to look for inspiration for colors that would work for accessories like pillows, decorative items and art. I may have just found my inspiration. Last year I printed a series of butterfly prints found at the New York Public Library Digital Gallery and had them hanging in my dining room. The colors, shades of blue, coral, orange, black, brown and white, not only work with what I currently have in the room, they would coordinate well with the furnishings in adjoining rooms of my home.

Now that I'm fairly certain I settled on a color palette for my accent pieces I'll be keeping my eyes opened for fabrics and accessories that will bring the room together. I'm already picturing something large hanging on the wall you see in the background in the image above that contains pops of orange and blue on a white background.

I'm open to suggestions. Have you seen any accessories, lamps, pillows, etc... in the accent colors I mentioned that might make a good addition to my room? Do tell.

Interview with Interior Decorator Kathysue Perdue

Whenever I have a design question, one that only a seasoned interior decorator could answer, my blogging friend, Kathysue Perdue of Good Life of Design has probably answered it on her blog. Always a design enthusiast, her entry into the field of decorating started by a chance when the interior designer she hired to help her with window treatments saw that Kathysue had an eye for design and offered her a job. Today she's answering a few of my questions about what she's learned in her 30+ years of experience.








Q: Kathysue, how would you describe your personal style?

I like to think of my personal style as Traditional with a Twist! I love an understated-elegant look! I love Traditional pieces mixed with vintage and antiques. I will mix wood with painted finishes and I have to have color to keep me happy. All my colors lean toward a spring-like feel and you will always see touches of black and white in the mix. My favorite patterns are stripes and checks.

The actual feel of my home is more important to me than how it looks. I never make a purchase without thinking first how it will marry to other pieces in my home and will it maintain the feel of my home. The nicest compliment I ever received about my home had to do with the feeling of my home not the look. The person said,"This is the most peaceful, restful home I have ever been in; it looks just like I thought it would, It looks like YOU!!" I was so taken aback by that compliment. She did not say your home is charming, gorgeous or beautiful; she told me how my home made her feel. That is the most important thing to me....... I want all my guests to feel welcomed and at peace when they are here!!

Q: What do you see as the biggest mistake that homeowners make when decorating their homes?

The biggest mistake I have seen homeowners make is making a large purchase without having an over-all design plan.

I am big on planning. I feel there needs to be an over-all plan before any purchases are made. Without knowing the direction you want to go you might go down the wrong path. For instance:

You LOVE a certain sofa and you buy it!! Now what? You look for the chairs and you find the only chair that is available to you in your price point that works with your sofa, you don’t even like. Now you have to go down the wrong path and before you know it, the room has evolved into a look you never wanted.

By having an over-all plan you can make adjustments as you go along. We all make our purchases based on not only what we like, but Affordability, Availability and Practicality.

Once you find your base pieces, sofa, carpet, chairs (basically your soft-goods) then go forward with purchasing but not until, or you might be forced to go down the wrong path.

Q: How do you handle a situation when you know that a client’s vision for
his/her space would not be visually appealing?

The important thing is to listen!!! Sometimes the look they are trying to articulate is actually more of a feeling they are trying to achieve, and this is the only way they know how to achieve it. . People will use the same words over and over when they are describing what they like in a room

I listen for certain buzz words with my clients. I put these words into mental categories listed below. I will ask specific questions pertaining to:

Lifestyle

How the room will be used

Light

Texture (shine vs. rough)

Color

Warmth

Collections

Style

Wood vs. Painted wood

I will show them a group of images of rooms. I have them tell me which rooms they like and dislike.

After I have two piles of pictures I will then go over each picture and ask them specific questions of what made them like or dislike the images. From this little exercise I can get the answers to all of the above questions pertaining to lifestyle, light etc.

A designer is somewhat like an Interior-Psychologist. It is up to us to analyze our clients well enough to be able to steer them in the right direction. It is important to keep their needs and likes at the forefront even if we have to do something we don’t personally love. It is their home, not ours.

Once you have their trust, then you can sway them more easily. Being a designer has just as much to do with people skills as it does design skills.

Q: What would be your advice to someone who could use the guidance of a professional but has a limited budget?

Ask the designer if they have hourly rates and let them know up front that you have a limited budget and what that budget is. Once this has been established the designer will let you know how she/he can best serve you, and you can move forward from there. Communication is key on both parts.

I would also suggest that you have pictures of images that you love, fabrics, paint chips etc. Also a list of questions so you can get right to the point and make the best use of the desiger’s time and your monies.

Q: Fill in the blank: People would be surprised to learn that a great resource for accessories and art work is…

There are some great websites for art done by college students at affordable prices. Always check with your local colleges and Junior colleges to see what is available. I also love vintage/thrift stores for older pieces, I love mixing old with new!! I also like this website:

20 x 200

Q: What are your thoughts on following decorating “rules”?

They are made as guidelines; nothing is in cement in design. Let’s face it, sometimes when a designer breaks a so-called rule they become the next, “Design Diva!” Remember when they use to say, “Small furniture for small spaces?” We all know what happened to that rule. I rest my case!

Q: What advice would you give someone who is considering pursuing a career in the field of interior design or interior decorating?

First, I believe you have to have a natural ability and love of design. I always think education is important if you want to make this a career. Education is usually the key to open doors so always remember that. Whether it is a formal education or on the job training always stay on the learning curve. That is the beauty of this field, there is always something new and exciting to learn about!!! Design has given me the good life!!! That is why I named my blog, “The Good Life of Design.”

Thanks Kathysue!

To get more insider information from this experienced decorator, visit Kathysue's blog.

Never Choose the Wrong Paint Color Again

When Yelena Kublitski and her husband started their full service home painting company in 2004 she quickly discovered that those tiny chips in a paint deck were not all created equal. As a paint color consultant she found that some colors looked pretty on the swatch but when applied to the walls the shade was too intense or an undesirable undertone suddenly revealed itself. (Yelena reports that 40% of all paint purchased is the result of an original mistake.) She also found that some colors were virtually foolproof. “After a while I noticed that I tended to reuse those foolproof colors again and again in my work. In fact, I felt kind of guilty at first because I thought that was ‘cheating’ on my part…until I saw that other color consultants and designers also had their own no-fail color files.”

After months of carrying a file filled with large samples of her go-to colors to jobs, Yelena, urged on by her customers, created Paint Color Cheat Sheets, an e-book filled with all of her secrets to selecting paint and coordinating paint colors. According to Kublitski, “Now homeowners from anywhere in the United States and Canada can buy my Paint Color Cheat Sheets from my site, and have access to the same proven, tried and tested paint colors that have worked so well both for me and other people.”

Paint Color Cheat Sheets does not disappoint. To simplify the process of selecting a color, the book is divided by sections covering reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, purples, browns, grays and beiges. (All colors are from Sherwin-Williams.) Individual printable cheat sheets for each color group contain a generic description of the various shades with a color group in one column and its perfect coordinating “cheat” color in an adjacent column, some with names that you’d never suspect would be the shade for you. For instance, would you have chosen a color called “Comfort Gray” if what you wanted was an aqua green?

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, you can head to the individual page for the shade you chose. This is where Paint Color Cheat Sheets can save you time and money. Here you’ll find:

-A detailed description of what the color will look like on the wall

-The undertones that are revealed

-What colors will look best with the shade

-How light affects the color

-The rooms in which the color works best

-The Light Reflectance Value (This tells you how much color is reflected, 0% being pitch black and 100% equally perfectly reflecting white)

-Whether primer is needed and what tint to purchase

I recognized and have used several of Yelena's suggested colors in the three homes my husband and I have owned. Each of Yelena’s descriptions of the colors and where they work best were spot on. For instance, she recommends Sherwin Williams Naval for exterior doors. When I tested this color I found it to look very dreary in evening light in the interior of my home, but it looked beautiful in daylight which would make it a great addition to your short list of color choices for a front door.

Naval, the color on the right is a beautiful shade of dark navy in natural light.

For the $47 cost, about the same as a gallon of quality paint, you could end up saving $100's of dollars in paint samples over the course of your lifetime. More importantly, you can save precious time that would otherwise be spent in the pursuit of the perfect wall color. To learn more or to order a copy visit the Paint Color Cheat Sheets site.




*A complimentary copy of Paint Color Cheat Sheets was given in exchange for an impartial review of the product.

Form and Function, Is it Possible to Have Both?

Would this style of bed work for you?
Via Decorpad

When choosing furniture for the design of your home which is most important to you, the aesthetic beauty of a piece or the functionality? In a perfect world we could have both, but in reality we can't always make that happen. We may crave the looks we see between the pages of our favorite design magazines, but when you have small children, pets or even a significant other who is prone to spilling some designs will be stuck in an inspiration file never to be seen again.

In recent years the trend towards the use of a bench to serve as an alternative to traditional side chairs in dining rooms has taken off. There's no doubt that it's a great look, but I've often wondered if dinner time would resemble a game of musical chairs with dinner guests elbowing one another to avoid a seat on a backless bench.

via Decorpad

The image below is a fantastic alternative for those who love the look of bench seating but don't want to give up comfort. Flea markets are a great source for locating benches that need a little TLC. With some reupholstering you could get this look even on a budget.



Based on the number of hits I receive each month on a post I wrote about white sofas, these beautiful, yet, let's face it, impractical pieces of furniture are perennial favorites among design enthusiasts. If you love the look of a white sofa you might be able to make it work depending on what fabric you choose. White leather is one option, but a slipcovered sofa is probably your best bet. Not a fan of the slippie? Keep an open mind, I regularly launder my white slipcovers (and enjoy red wine and coffee while seated on it!)

Chameleon Interiors

Decorpad

Apartment Therapy

Decor Pad

Poufs are a fun way to add color to a room but are they practical for anyone over the age of 8 or who weighs more than 65 lbs? They never seem quite sturdy enough to hold a full grown adult, especially one taller than 5' 2". A small scale, well-made round ottoman upholstered in a bright pattern is one way to get the look but retain the functionality. (I'd love to hear from anyone who owns one, have you been happy with the functionality?)

Via Decorpad

When there is a trend you love, but the practicality keeps you from enjoying it, keep your mind open to possible substitutes that will satisfy your desire for both form and function.

Have you found a piece that seamlessly combines both form and function?

An Edible Centerpiece

A visit to an Edible Arrangements store got my do-it-yourself wheels turning. Their edible bouquets constructed of fresh fruits are absolutely beautiful but prices for arrangements can run as high as $200. I couldn't rest until I tried whipping up one of these show stoppers for myself. A quick visit to the Edible Arrangements website was all the inspiration I needed to come up with an idea for an arrangement that I could use as the centerpiece of my Easter brunch. Since this was my first attempt I didn't want to take on too ambitious of a project.

I started with a small silver pot and cut a head of lettuce to fit inside to serve as the base for my arrangement. Tip: For a more finished look you can cover the head of lettuce with dark green leafy lettuce leaves.




When I visited the Edible Arrangements site my favorite arrangements were the ones that included flowers so I wanted to include a few in mine. I'll let you know in advance that without a cookie cutter to shape the flowers, they didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. If I try this project again in the future I'll get a cookie cutter. Also, it would be far easier to cut a soft melon like cantaloupe.

To create the flowers I cut the ends off of a pineapple and then trimmed off the sides. To shape the flowers I cut small triangular sections down the length of the pineapple.

After slicing

Once I finished cleaning and prepping all of my fruits, the fun part started, putting the arrangement together. Creating an edible arrangement is just like making a floral arrangement, it's best to start with the large elements and fill in with the smaller ones until your arrangement is complete. I started by placing my flowers first.





For my arrangement I used barbecue skewers cut to various lengths to skewer my fruits. I used green and purple grapes, honey dew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple and strawberries.

I need to work on my melon ball skills.

Final thoughts after completing the project

Practice will make perfect.

Start with easy arrangements using fruits that don't need to be cut with special tools. Threading grapes on a skewer, for instance, is a breeze.

Choose a wide array of colors of fruits to make your arrangement more visually appealing.

All is not lost if your arrangement doesn't turn out as you desired, you can always make a nice fruit salad with your mishaps!

The Edible Arrangements people won't be offering me a position any time soon.

A few ideas to try

For chocolate lovers, the Nuts for Berries arrangement ($45-$95) could be whipped up in no time. If I tried this one I'd go for both white and dark chocolates for contrast. To make it even easier you could skip the chocolate and place the arrangement beside a dish of melted chocolate for guests to dip their own berry.

The Hearts and Berries arrangement ($49-$59) looks fairly simple. Made from pineapple, grapes and strawberries, I'm certain I could handle this one. A heart shaped cookie cutter would make the preparation easier and quicker.

I like this slightly more elaborate arrangement made from pineapple, cantaloupe and grapes ($52-$62.) During the summer months I'd use seasonal melons instead of pineapple to save money when fashioning the flowers.

I imagine that putting together an arrangement the size of The Delicious Party ($89-$209) would be very time consuming, but it provides a good source of inspiration.

Did your parents ever tell you not to play with your food? Now that you're not a kid anymore you have permission to play with your food all you want and just possibly whip up an impressive edible centerpiece for your next celebration.

Setting the Table for Easter Brunch

Whenever I'm hosting any type of gathering in my home I always try to prepare as much as possible in advance. Setting the table is one of those details that you can do a few days in advance and forget about it. I'll be hosting a small Easter brunch on Sunday so out came the dishes on Wednesday afternoon.








The table came together fairly easily. The pale blue salad plates were found this past fall at TJ Maxx for just $2.98 each. When I saw them my first thought was how perfect they'd be for spring and summer entertaining. I love the paisley detail and the subtle scalloped edge.







Petite silver frames from the Dollar Store mark each guest's place. I printed our names on cardstock on my computer and cut them to fit inside the frames.





About 10 years ago I found a book on napkin folding on the clearance table at Barnes & Noble. I always think that an artfully folded napkin makes the presentation more special.

Check out the author's name in the bottom right corner? Loved your diary girl!

In lieu of flowers I used a cupcake stand as a centerpiece. My daughter and I got crafty a few weeks ago and made the glittered eggs that are nestled in paper Easter grass. I found the paper grass at Goodwill last year for .50 per bag.




The little white rabbit was also a thrift store find, $3. He just needed a coat of white paint to give him a fresh look.

Poor little guy, this is how he looked when I found him.

I apologize for the dark images, black dining room walls and a gloomy day aren't a good combination.

Happy Easter!

Pillow Design by Joom

I came across Pillow Design by Joom while looking for affordable ideas to update the home for spring. With some pillow covers as low as $16 and a wide variety of colors and styles, you'd have no trouble getting a fresh look for spring without breaking the bank.



















If you aren't in the market for new pillows, check out the home accessories here too.

Yellow Blooming Blossom Wall Art, $27

A set of two Tweetie Greeting Cards, $9 could be framed and hung or placed on a shelf to bring a hint of spring to your room.

Framed Cardinal Print, $13

I'm smitten with the whimsical clocks.

Orange Bird House Clock, $40

Birdie Wall Clock, $40

Red Bird Nesting Clock, $40

If you like what you see stop by and check out all the goodies at Pillow Designs by Joom.