COLOR & DESIGN HELP:
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IDEAS FOR MOLDING & TRIM:
IDEAS FOR YOUR BEDROOM:
Fall Color Scheme: Orange and Brown
Fall is my favorite season and I’m always inspired by the beautiful, warm colors that emerge this time of year. I especially love the color combo of orange and brown.
Yesterday, I took this photo of my front yard:
This is ‘peak week’ in my area — a time when the fall colors are at their best. But today, the DC – Baltimore area is also awaiting the landfall of Hurricane Sandy. This storm is expected to blow through, cause wide-spread damage, and take the fall colors with it when it leaves. I’m praying it won’t be as bad as some are saying, but we are preparing, nonetheless. If you’re in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast corridor, be safe!
I hope the rest of you will have the chance to get out and enjoy the fall colors in your area this week. And, no matter where you live, if you love warm colors and want to try an orange and brown color scheme at home, here are some very pretty ideas:
{the lennoxx}
{bedroom shown above from hisugarplum.com}
{juxtapost}
{hi sugarplum}
{pinterest}
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Color Scheme: The Inner Harbor
I’m very fortunate to live in between two major cities filled with color and culture — Washington, DC and Baltimore.
If you’ve ever visited Baltimore, you’ve probably been to the Inner Harbor. It’s a popular downtown destination with great restaurants, shopping, and it houses the world famous Baltimore Aquarium. It’s also a great place to find color inspiration, so I decided to take a couple of pictures during a recent stroll along the waterfront.
The dragons in the photo are actually paddle boats that you can rent and take out onto the water. I’ve always been drawn to the boats’ vibrant royal colors: green, purple, red and gold. A regal color scheme is fab and fun, and it’s especially fitting for a holiday party {the season will be here before you know it}!
Color inspiration is everywhere. Think about your favorite spots around your town. Even if it’s a place you’ve seen a million times….look again and look closer! You may discover the perfect color scheme for your home or your next party!
photos by Kelly Porter
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Make Summer Last With A Pop Of Yellow
If summer is your favorite season you’ve got a little more time to soak up the warmth of the sun’s yellow rays…
…And if yellow if your favorite color, now is the time to add it to your home so that you can enjoy a bit of warm sunshine during those chilly fall and winter days {photo above from olivebranchinteriors}.
Back in January, I wrote a post about Yellow being the color to watch this year. Yellow was very popular this year — especially as an accent color. Many people were using yellow for a pop of color rather than to paint an entire room with it, but I love to use it either way. Yellow makes a home feel casual and comfortable, and it makes us feel cheerful. What more could you ask for in a color?
{kitchen photo from drastic-plastic}
{I love yellow and navy — a classic color scheme that is always on trend. Photo by eclecticlivinghome.}
{Stencil your stairs with a vibrant shade of canary yellow! I love how different patterns were used here. Photo by houseandhome.}
{Totally glam..and painting a mirror frame is very easy! Photo from houseandhome}
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It’s Time To Change Accent Colors
There are just some things you can’t change about your home, but color is not one of them.
I change my home’s colors all the time — to the dismay of my husband. He says that as soon as he gets used to the latest colors, I change them again. So, what’s new at my house? Teal, turquoise and a refreshing mix of warm greens.
Painting is a very easy way to transform the look of a room, but adding or changing a room’s accent colors is even easier. Let’s face it. Once you take the time to paint a room {especially a large room or open space}, you may not want to paint it again. It’s much more efficient to change your accessories, which is what I’ve done in my family room.
{a corner view of my family room}
It’s a two-story room that opens to the upstairs and the foyer. We painted the space about ten years ago and I still love the amber wall color. I was just tired of the rusty-red accents. So, for the room’s mini-transformation, I started with fabric. I found an amazing, velvet and silk retro pattern that I used for color inspiration. The fabric vibes perfectly with the style of my home, which is a marriage of Spanish traditional and modern.
{my inspiration fabric}
I used the fabric to re-cover four throw pillows. I also used those gorgeous warm blues and greens to customize my existing wall clock:
I mixed acrylic paints to get four different shades of green and a rich teal. Then I painted the clock’s numerals and hands.
I also had fun rounding up accessories that fit into my new color scheme.
{I purchased these glass vases at Marshall’s.}
{This glass bowl is from HomeGoods. I love how it sparkles in the sunlight!}
Below are my thrift store finds from the Salvation Army. This is one of two lamps that I bought about a year ago but they needed new shades, so they sat in storage for a while. I finally found a perfect pair of silk shades at amazon.com, and I added turquoise finials that I got from Pier 1.
{The ceramic vase, also from SA, was a real bargain. I think it cost about $4.00.}
{I found these turquoise tassels at a local fabric store.}
I’m still working on some finishing touches in my family room, so when they’re done I’ll post more pictures. In the meantime, I hope you’ve been inspired to change your colors. Doing so will bring a fresh look and new energy to your home.
I took all of these photos with my iPhone via Instagram — my favorite app these days.
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Inspired By Olympic Gold {and Gabby Douglas}
As the 2012 Summer Olympics begin to wind down, I have been truly inspired by all of the amazing athletes from around the world.
Being a proud American, I am especially thrilled for Team USA! They have won over 40 Gold medals and 90+ overall! So, being the design/color blogger that I am, I couldn’t resist featuring a few golden ideas for your home – and I have a special shout-out to gymnast Gabby Douglas after the pictures:
{elledecor}
{architectural digest}
Gold accessories and accent furniture pieces work well with any color scheme.
{decorpad}
Now to my shout-out:
I’m proud join a group of fellow bloggers who are posting, tweeting and pinning our love for Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas. In this year’s games, Gabby has won two gold medals in both the team and individual all-around competitions. She is the first American gymnast to do this at the same Olympics. Gabby is also the first African-American gymnast to become the individual all-around champion. That inspires me.
I wish I had embodied Gabby’s courage and perseverance when I was a young, aspiring gymnast many moons ago. I was actually pretty good…but I wasn’t confident enough to believe that I could be great. Gabby knew she could be great even when she looked around and rarely saw other gymnasts who looked like her.
So, congratulations to Gabby Douglas – America’s Golden Girl and a true inspiration!
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Christmas Colors Preview
I know…it’s only August but Christmas will be here before you know it. So, take a quick break from the Olympics and back-to-school planning, and check out some colors that I think we’ll be seeing this year.
Bright, vibrant colors have been trending in 2012 and I think that will continue into the holiday season. So, this color scheme — Tannenbaum Twist — reflects these eye-catching hues with…you got it…a twist. What’s the twist? I’m so glad you asked! The twist makes an expected color unexpected. It’s a color’s undertone that gives it an edgy, curious look — which I love because I’m all about doing something different and fun. Here’s the breakdown:
Wasn’t that fun? I hope this sneak peek gave you something to keep in the back of your mind for the next few months (and of course, I’ll post more Christmas colors later this fall). Now, back to reality and your regular scheduled programming…
Featured photo from goodhomes.net.
Up Next: The third and last post in my Dorm Decorating Series.
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Choosing A Color: Red
In my last post I wrote about the benefits of using red in the workplace. This time, it’s all about feeling the love at home.
After all, red is the color of love…and it also represents passion, power and warmth. If you like to entertain, red always sets off a great dinner party in the dining room. And if red is your favorite color, it will feel cozy in the bedroom.
Red brings a positive vibe into your home, but don’t limit yourself when choosing this color. Red comes in a variety of tones — like the coral red shown above {design by tobifairley.com} – so look carefully when deciding on the best red for you. Here are some other hot ideas:
{the little house that grew}
{landaishu}
{elledecor}
{christianlouboutin – I couldn’t resist}
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Choosing A Color: Coral
Warm weather makes me think of the color coral.
I know many people associate yellow with warm weather. After all, yellow is the color of the sizzling sun. But if you’re like me, when summer is on it’s way you’re thinking about a beautiful beach house, the center of a seashell, and even an amazing sunrise or sunset — all in shades of coral.
{apartment therapy}
{calfinder}
Coral is a great color choice if you love vibrant, warm hues because you get the benefits of both orange and red. Orange is uplifting and festive, while red is energizing and confident. Coral makes a room feel intimate and cozy without appearing dark or too overwhelming.
Coral makes a unique and welcoming color for the front door…
…And it’s wonderful to use an an accent. Coral looks very chic with gray, turquoise and lime green.
{decorpad}
{odie}
{furniture trendoza}
And don’t forget the ceiling! I’m a huge fan of painted ceilings. You’ll be surprised at how marvelous it will make your room look. Below is a living room I did for a client. We pulled two shades of coral from her artwork and used them on the walls and ceiling.
I also love the ceiling in this space. Coral and teal is a very complementary color scheme:
{free house}
And if you’re having a party or you entertain regularly, coral makes the perfect backdrop for a celebration.
Summer is coming! If you need help selecting colors, contact me at kelly@porterhousedesigns.com. I offer eDesign Services to assist you wherever you live!
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Retro Accent Colors
In my last post I featured a collection of mid-century modern spaces.
{rex kelly}
This time I have few more, but the emphasis is on accent colors. If you love retro and really want to work color in your space, these photos will give you ideas for creating a colorful, authentic look.
{Keep these colors in mind when looking through the photos.}
{rex kelly}
{met home}
{flickr}
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Choosing A Color: Chartreuse
I’ve read there are two types of ‘green’ people:
{hgtv}
…those who prefer blue-greens, and those who favor yellow-greens {such as chartreuse}. Many children and teens love the idea of having a bright yellow-green room. Manufacturers are also using this color for products targeted toward a younger crowd. While chartreuse is definitely a youthful hue, I’m also seeing more of it in grown-up, contemporary spaces. I recently blogged {at houzz.com} about the appeal of yellow-green and, while most people responded favorably, one reader described the color as ‘baby diaper green.’ That’s quite a description…”
–An excerpt from my Living Style column for Sherwin-Williams.
{lightlocations}
Chartreuse is one of the most eye-catching colors on earth — and not just because it’s so vibrant. Red is vibrant, but we look at red and know exactly what color it is. On the other hand, chartreuse intrigues us. Is it green? Is it yellow? It looks like something gross…but it’s also kind of cool.
{design crisis}
{A pretty chartreuse and blue color scheme. Photo by houseandhome.com.}
Chartreuse started showing up everywhere in the early 2000′s. I believe this wave of warm green was similar to the avocado-green trend of the 60′s and 70′s. But this new green had transformed into a color that was much more vivid. Could this comeback be linked to this guy?…
It’s quite possible that chartreuse has become a hot color because of the movie character Shrek. That would also explain the color’s popularity among the younger set. And what’s hot in popular culture eventually works its way into home design:
{katy ridder}
{bhg}
{decorpad}
{adesignstory}
{flickriver}
{ideal home}
{amy butler}
For a monochromatic color scheme use chartreuse with other types of green {as shown in the room above}. Or create a look that is more lively by adding turquoise, pink, purple or orange. To tone down your palette include white, black, brown or gray in your chartreuse room. This color fits into any design style — from a traditional dining room to a modern bedroom — so don’t limit your possibilities when choosing chartreuse.
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