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Popular Posts
Mood Indigo: Dark Blue Rooms
Indigo is the sixth color of the rainbow. Our eyes see it as a deep shade of blue, but this color is actually in between blue and violet.
{style estate}
{google images}
Indigo will make a bold statement in your home and serve as a terrific backdrop for brighter, vivid accent colors as well as gold and silver. Definitely a way to set the mood!
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!
Drab To Fab: Multi-Purpose Makeover
Today, my third ‘House Calls’ redesign is featured in The Washington Post!
{illustration by Julius Goyanko}
This makeover was really fun, and I’ll admit, somewhat indulgent. The idea was to show that multi-purpose rooms do not have to be so basic and utilitarian. These spaces can be comfortable and attractive, too — which is something I learned when designing my own multi-purpose room {aka: the basement}. Every room in your home should be a place where you want to spend time there, and any room can serve more than one purpose.
{BEFORE – photo from The Washington Post}
The homeowners have a waterfront property in Maryland. They wanted to use this space for watching TV, sewing {a request from the Mrs.}, crafting with the grandchildren and just hanging out.
{the Design Board}
{The color palette is ‘in reverse:’ blue on the walls and green on the ceiling.}
My favorite thing: this Thomas Paul Crab Pillow {www.pillowsandthrows.com}. Can’t have home on the water in Maryland without a Maryland Blue Crab!
Colors To Watch In 2011 – Part 1
Honeysuckle has been declared the ‘It’ Color for 2011 by the folks at Pantone…
…but I have four off-beat, edgy colors of my own that you’ll want to watch this year. In this post I’m sharing the first two:
Wasabi Green has been making a slow resurgence in the past few years — coming back from the ’60′s and ’70′s when it was called Avocado Green.
{Calico Corners}
With our world becoming more environmentally conscious, the color green is being associated with organic and earth-friendly living. Many of us are going retro as we look back towards a simpler way of life. We’re finding terrific back-in-the-day finds on eBay, Etsy and in thrift stores, where Avocado Wasabi Green is bountiful.
{Family Circle}
{decor8}
Peacock Blue made a strong showing in late 2010 at New York Fashion Week. This gorgeous shade of blue varies in between vivid Turquoise and deep Teal. It definitely makes a bolder color statement as compared to the lighter tints of blue-green.
{decorpad}
Peacock Blue also represents an exotic, global aspect of design that is becoming more mainstream as our world becomes ‘smaller.’
{Crown Paints}
{Suzy Hoodless}
Stay tuned for my next post! Part 2 will feature my other two Color picks that you’ll want to watch in 2011!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Christmas Wreath Number One
Each year, during the holiday season, I put up no less than 35 wreaths around my home — on the windows, doors and out in the yard.
Here is the first one I’ve put up so far. It’s in the foyer {I’ve been on a blue kick, lately}.
I make all of the wreaths {and bows} myself. Most of them are different, some are faux and some are real but all of them are colorful. The Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year to color your home!
A snapshot from last year:
{my front door}
All photos by Porter House Designs
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.
Christmas 2010: Blue and White
I know…Thanksgiving isn’t even here yet, but the Holiday Season begins in about a month. Blue is on-trend again this year. This time, it’s beautiful sky blues and royal blues being paired with winter white.
I just received the most beautiful holiday catalog from RSH, and I wanted to share their gorgeous photos with you. Plenty of blue and white eye-candy for Christmas and beyond!
Autumn Dessert Table Ideas
Attention Fab Fall Party People! In this post, I’m sharing photos of my Autumn and Thanksgiving Dessert Tables!
Not only are these tables infused with a surprise pop of blue, but they also feature my new Autumn Printables.
The hues were inspired by a vintage quatrefoil pattern. I digitally enhanced the print and used it to design the printables. I love the unique variations of the pattern, and blue is a fun, unexpected color to use in autumn decor.
Orange burlap makes a great backdrop and tablecloth, and you’ll see I displayed cupcakes two different ways: on a cake plate with a mini-pumpkin tower in the center {above}, and…
on a small bale of hay {which you can get at the craft store}. The candy corn topiaries are a take on my baby shower topiaries. This does take a huge dose of patience and hot glue…but since Halloween candy is now on sale, why not try it?
For the base, I used those gorgeous colbalt-blue Saratoga water bottles. LOVE the way they turned out!
These Dessert Tables are perfect for Thanksgiving or Autumn birthdays. I hope you were inspired!
Design and photographs by Porter House Designs.
Tantalizing Teal
When New York Fashion Week wrapped up a couple of weeks ago, Teal was one color that created a buzz.
{Designs by Tracy Reese; Betsey Johnson; Prabal Gurung}
Typically, the color teal is a medium to deep blue-green. Teal has started appearing on the home front as a slightly different and deeper alternative to the ever-popular turquoise.
Teal is such a great, relaxing color for your home — especially for those of you who prefer richer hues. Teal is serene but not washed out. I love pairing it with contrasting hues such as red, pink, yellow, orange and warm-green.
Other yummy take-away colors from New York Fashion Week – Spring 2011 {from Pantone}:
{Glad to see that Lavender is included, too!}
Cool Blue
The weather has been sweltering here in the Mid-Atlantic region. Temps have been in the 90s for the past couple of weeks and 102 is expected this weekend! For everyone out there who’s feeling the heat, here are a few blue spaces to help cool you off:
…And if you’d like to win a couple of gorgeous pillows, including this really cool turquoise-blue Mallory Pillow, from Blissliving Home, CLICK HERE! Contest ends tomorrow!
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