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Turquoise And Green
I know that for many of you the weather has been sweltering. It’s been pretty warm here too on the East coast. This is usually the time of year when I start to crave the watery hues of the ocean.
Turquoise and green is one of my favorite color combos. It’s cool, refreshing and always stylish.
{alluminare}
If you’d like to try this color palette, try experimenting with different types of green. Emerald, spearmint, lime green, wasabi green and olive green are some to try.
So, if you’ve been burning up out there, I hope this post has inspired you to create a space where you can chill out and cool down.
*For more tips on picking the right green {and other great colors}, check out my column at houzz.com!
Thanksgiving Table {with a touch of turquoise}
Thanksgiving is this Thursday, so today I’m sharing a tablescape that I styled with autumn flair and a touch of turquoise.
For the centerpiece, I arranged pumpkins and pine cones in a ribbon-wrapped wooden crate. The tablecloth is a satin throw.
I found the dinner plates for $2.00 each at the thrift store, which is my favorite place for sourcing vintage china. These plates have a gold and silver leaf motif, and I placed them on top of two chargers — the bottom is silver and the one on top is amber glass.
{I purchased the giant, ceramic acorns at the craft store a few years ago.}
Layering equals elegance, and it also gives you the chance to introduce more color and texture. So, not only did I layer the chargers, but I also doubled-up the napkins and ribbon.
Tall tapers in a dark hue also add elegance and a bit of drama…
and a small box of truffles adds a personal touch.
It can be easy to overlook the details for creating a festive Thanksgiving table, but it doesn’t have to be difficult to create one. Look in your yard or take a walk in the neighborhood and collect pine cones, acorns and dried foliage. Bring in that pumpkin from your front porch. Add a few candles, and you’re in business. Happy Thanksgiving!
All photos from Porter House Designs.
A True-Blue Tribute To Lena Horne
Today I pay tribute to the legendary Lena Horne. She was a beautiful, talented and elegant lady who demonstrated class and poise throughout her distinguished career as a singer, actress and all-around performer.
She paved the way for so many African American women, and along the way she encouraged U.S. troops, stood at the forefront of the civil rights movement, and even entertained children {Remember her on Sesame Street?}.
In looking through old photos of her, I’ve come to a conclusion — this lovely lady adored the color blue.
Over the years she was photographed many times wearing blue ensembles, even for her album covers. So today, I’m not only inspired by Ms. Horne’s legacy, but also by the color in which she strutted her stuff! This post showcases pretty things that are as sophisticated as the performer herself:
{lampsplus; realsimple; bizbash; velvetstore}
{1stdibs; kaboodle; homedepot; horchow}
{house to home; swank lighting}
Farewell and thank you to Lena Horne. Her true-blue talent and tenacity will not soon be forgotten.
Decked Out Dressing Table
Come holiday season, there are very few areas in my home that go undecorated. Even my dressing table gets a festive, glam treatment.
Tiffany Blue is my Christmas color of choice here because it’s the accent color in my bedroom {it’s a very serene and romantic color}.
This dressing table is actually a small desk that I bought from a thrift store over 10 years ago. As you can see by the photo below, it was less than impressive…
…but it was nothing that glossy white paint and new hardware couldn’t fix. I also re-surfaced the top with a ceramic tile mosaic. The ‘vintage chic’ chair came from an old, wrought-iron garden set that belonged to my husband’s grandmother. I spruced it up with a new seat cover.
I love decorating with ribbon because it’s inexpensive but makes a huge impact. I was very excited to find festive gold and aqua ribbon, which coordinated perfectly with everything else.
I’m a firm believer that busy women and moms need a pretty space of their own. You can turn any small table into a delightful dressing table. Just gather up your perfume bottles, photos and other special mementos, and bring in a glamorous free-standing mirror.
Then, during the holiday season, you’ll have a special space to decorate any way you want, using the colors you love.
All photos by Kelly Porter of Porter House Designs
I’m Featured In The Washington Post!
Today, I’m super excited to be featured in The Washington Post’s new Local Living {Home} section! Thank you Terri Sapienza and the Local Living staff for brilliantly showcasing my “Mom Cave.” Hopefully this cover story will be a source of inspiration for design enthusiasts who love color and love bargain shopping even more!
Vote For My Home Office!
I’m so excited to learn that my home office has just been selected for Apartment Therapy’s Room For Color Contest 2009!
My home office is finally complete and I was able to enter photos into the Room For Color contest just before the deadline! If you like what I’ve done, please CLICK HERE to give me the “Thumbs Up” over at Apartment Therapy! You’ll also see a few more pictures, the inspiration behind my design, and the color palette {with the paint colors I used}.
Voting for my entry ends at approximately 3:00 pm EST on Saturday, October 17, 2009. Thanks for your vote, and for supporting Color Sizzle!
Girls Spa Party
Today, over at Design Dazzle you can see my post on how I designed a really fun and colorful spa at home for tween girls….
It begins in my master bathroom…
and ends in the basement {aka the ‘Crazy Sexy Cool’ Luxe Lounge}:
{HOT IDEA: I took a picture of one of the pillows, printed it out, and used it as a custom wrapper for the chocolate bars.}
A space to create, inspire and dream.
Office Preview
If you’ve been following my tweets on Twitter, you may know that I’m re-designing my office.
{off with the wallpaper — with the help of a steamer}
I’ve removed stubborn wallpaper, painted, assembled furniture, disassembled furniture, fixed a leaky pipe, and patched the drywall — well, actually my wonderful, patient husband has done most of the work. The old carpet has been removed and the new flooring is in place. I’m not quite finished but progress has been made.
{on with one of the three paint colors}
I’m really loving the new color palette. In a roughly 10 x 12 space, I managed to use three of my favorite paint colors: lavender, aqua and chocolate brown. The colors are serene but the combination is fun. I couldn’t resist posting just a few sneak-peak pictures:
{the new sunburst mirrors reflect all of the colors}
{I love pretty-printed storage boxes}
{crisp white curtains are always chic, and I love the brown detail}
{a touch of whimsy}
More to come soon…
Color On A Roll
This colorful little lady really grabbed my attention the other day.
As one of 30,000 participants in this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll, she was skillfully dressed head-to-toe in color and pattern, and she stole the show. She was even photographed alongside President Obama as he offered his assistance during the egg roll. Her stylist — Mom perhaps — must understand the power of color.
It would’ve been hard not to snap pictures of this adorable child with her bright pink headband; aqua, strawberry and green jacket; pink patterned dress and petticoat; and red & black ladybug boots. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that she has red hair. Just as this outfit is layered with color, pattern and fabric so too can you layer your room in the same way.
In looking for inspired spaces, I immediately thought of my fellow-blogger Erin. House of Turquoise, her outstanding blog, focuses on gorgeous turquoise spaces, along with wonderful complimentary hues. Here are a few rooms that I think capture the colors of the featured outfit. Be sure to check out Erin’s blog for even more great pictures.
top photos by: huffingtonpost.com; washingtonpost.com
A Lesson In Blue
One-third of all people say that BLUE is their favorite color.
Maybe that’s because of it’s soothing properties. If you want to create a serene space, blue is the perfect color.
Use a warm TURQUOISE in your foyer to relieve stress as soon as you get home from work. If you have a room that gets too much sunlight, paint it PERIWINKLE BLUE and it will seem cooler.
Paint the ceiling SKY BLUE in any room for an airy feel {it will work with any wall color}. However, if your ceilings are very high, opt for a slightly deeper blue or you may not even notice that the ceiling is painted.
And you CAN pair blue with green. Just look outside. The grass, leaves and plants are green. The sky and ocean are blue. Somehow God makes it all work.
If you’re on Facebook, join my new group – The Paint CAN Crew – to see more photos of beautiful blue spaces, and get more advice on painting those white walls.
Photos are from the books, “Color Healing Home,” by Catherine Cumming and “The Smart Approach to Kids’ Rooms,” by Megan Connelly
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