Today I’m joining a few other bloggers over at Remodelaholic, chatting about how all our kitchen cabinets have held up after painting them several months ago. Be sure to check out the reviews if you’re thinking of painting your own cabinets. But before you head over to see them, I want to share with you a little color theory, and how it can help you pick colors for your home. We have been trying to get motivated to paint the exterior of our house for about 10 years now, ever since we moved in. Let’s just say that the home’s exterior is not what attracted us. But I’m a firm believer that a… Keep Reading
Blueberry Palette
I know that fall is approaching because this is the first week we haven’t been in the 90’s all week, but I’m still clinging to summer in my mind. While most folks are putting up their fall decor, I’m still trying to coax the last bit of life out of my spring colors. That’s why, when I saw this blueberry picture, I just had to use it for something. When you’re building a color palette to use in your home, it’s usually a good idea to include a version of a contrasting color to offset your dominant colors. Here, the blues are obviously the dominant color, and that soft straw… Keep Reading
Soothing Nursery Palette
When my blogger friend Pamela, of Haartfelt.com, asked me to help her design a nursery palette for a series she’s writing on building self-esteem in children, I jumped at the idea. While my babies are almost as tall as I am now, I have several friends who are preparing to welcome new little ones into their families, and my creative juices are positively sizzling for them. I mean, babies are great, but an excuse to redecorate a room in your house? Even better! (Just kidding, kids. I love you, not just your cute rooms.) The soft greens, gray, and yellow of this palette make me really happy, and I know… Keep Reading
Misty Beach Palette
When I think of the beach, I tend to think of it as I knew it growing up in Texas. Once as year, when we could, my family would get together and visit the beach along the Gulf of Mexico right around July 4th. It was hot, muggy, and so sunny it would sear your eyeballs, not to mention the bottom of your feet if you tried running barefoot on the crushed shells that made up most of the beach and surrounding streets. We didn’t care. It was paradise and still is, in my mind. So when I saw this picture, it seemed like such a different experience that it caught my… Keep Reading
Ode to Coffee Palette
How do I love thee, Coffee? Let me count the ways. I covet thy bracing strength, I crave thy comforting warmth, I thrive on thine aroma of hope and possibilities… My apologies to Mrs. Barrett Browning. I do so love a good cup of coffee, or three or four. I love it so much, I dedicated a whole Pinterest board to coffee. So when I ran across this picture (before having my morning coffee) it made me smile. One thing I love about coffee is its many nuances from bean to bean, and between different types of roasting processes. Naturally those nuances made me think of color. Take brown, for instance…. Keep Reading
Fresh Pastel Palette
Remember the pastels of the 80’s? Mint green, Miami Peach, and who could forget Dusty Rose? Believe me, I’ve tried. You may have noticed that in clothing, some of the 80’s styles are making a dubious comeback. I just saw stirrup pants the other day on a girl who was too young to know that she hadn’t invented that trend. And don’t even get me started on neon. Well, some of the pastels are making a comeback too, especially in home design. This fact caught my interest the other day as I was reading a decorating magazine (I have the best job in the world where reading House Beautiful is… Keep Reading
Canyon Palette
OK, let’s be honest here. Sometimes I just make up these palettes because I like to look at pretty pictures. I mean, look at this canyon picture! It’s got every color on the spectrum of yellow, orange, and red, and even a little dark raisin-y purple to ground it. I’m not sure what you’d use a super-warm palette like this for, but I just had to share it anyway. I hope this canyon palette brightens your day as it has mine.
Olive Palette
This Olive Color Palette combines muted greens and red tones for contrast and interest, without overwhelming the senses. When I first saw this picture, I thought these were tiny apples, but upon closer inspection I realized they are olives. I hate the taste of olives (I can spot one a mile away and half buried in cheese on my pizza) but I do think they’re beautiful, especially in their natural state. They conjure images of Tuscan vineyards and sunny Italian hillsides. Color, like aroma, is such a good transporter! Photo credit: macro girl / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
Greek Isle Palette
As the sleet falls outside my window, and the floor heater warms my toes under my desk, I find myself dreaming of faraway sunny places. Santorini, anyone? Time for a little getaway, even if it’s only virtual… When I was in college, I spent a semester in Italy. In the last few days before I was to return home to the states, I ran out of money. All I had was a train and ferry ticket that was good for anywhere in Europe, and a small bag of clothes on my back. So I set off for the furthest point I could get to, Greece. (This way I could… Keep Reading
Water Lily Palette
Can you tell I’m ready for Spring? This Water Lily Palette kind of says it all. Its rich greens and purples look strong enough that you could almost step on them and float on the surface of the water. After all the grays and browns of winter, it’s time to put some color back into our lives!