COLOR & DESIGN HELP:
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IDEAS FOR MOLDING & TRIM:
IDEAS FOR YOUR BEDROOM:
Color Scheme: Shades of Coffee
Do you start your day with a cup of coffee? I do! But even if you don’t, it’s hard to resist the warm, cozy color of all things coffee.
Whether it’s the lighter shades of mocha and latte or the darker tones of espresso and cappuccino, coffee colors are trending these days. And they look and feel even better this time of year when the weather starts to turn cooler and the landscape appears more brown.
{buffington homes via houzz}
I guess you could say that these earth tones are just different shades of beige but that sounds so un-cool. After all, beige is boring. Coffee colors are — wait for it — stirring.
Not too long ago, brown was the hottest neutral on the planet before it was upstaged by gray. Brown is still around, and one current trend is to pair it with vibrant colors as shown in this dining room by Tobi Fairley:
But more often I’m seeing brown combined with different variations of itself. That is the ‘shades of coffee’ color scheme. I like it because it’s classic, very easy on the eyes and it’s very easy to bring other colors into the mix.
{traditional home}
{bedroom photo above from bhg.com}
Coffee colors are very easy to incorporate into your home because you don’t have to rely on paint. Go for a leather sofa or chairs, stained wood furniture and cabinets and woven window shades.
You can also install a dark wood flooring, stained planked ceiling or play up that exposed brick wall.
{buffington homes}
{jim howard}
{bauhaus via houzz}
{decoholic}
…And even though yellow seems to be a color that wouldn’t pair well with mocha or latte, the bedroom shown above proves that this color scheme can work really well. So, if you’re ready to brew up a shade of coffee in your room, I hope you now have fresh ideas to get started.
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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: Yellow And Brown
This photo recently appeared on the cover of The Washington Post.
This amazing 300 acre sunflower field is located just north of Baltimore on Clear Meadow Farm. It’s quite an image, and it inspired this post on Yellow and Brown spaces.
A Yellow and Brown color scheme has a definite, casual, retro vibe {think harvest-yellow appliances and dark brown paneling of the ’60′s and ’70′s}. However, this color scheme can also be very elegant.
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Color Sheme: Purple and Brown
As the Fall 2010 colors begin to emerge, the autumn-inspired palette of purple and brown is definitely a trend to watch. As you know, purple is my fave and I’m also glad to see that brown is still hot.
{trenddirector.net – Fall 2010 color trends}
I’m also loving the different variations: lavender, taupe, plum, chocolate, periwinkle, espresso, violet, mocha…
{jcpenney-studio helix collection}
{houzz.com - designer Brian Patrick Flynn}
I’ve also been known to do a little lilac paired with khaki and chocolate, myself:
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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!
{all photos from The Washington Post}
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Autumn Ideas
I’m so loving all of the fall colors right now. Every year it amazes me how quickly the leaves go from green to crimson, russet, yellow, amber, orange and brown…
…beautiful, inspiring colors that make for really cool {or should I say, ‘warm’} decorations. Above is an autumn tablescape I designed a couple of years ago, and I still like the way it looks now. It must be because nature’s colors are timeless, and seasonal goodies — such as pumpkins, gourds and pine cones — never go out of style. Here are some other fun ideas for autumn:
photos credits: sunset; bhg; decorators home
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My Home Office
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 scheme {with the specific 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!
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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…
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Brown Is Staying Around
Some color forecasters have put chocolate brown on the endangered species list…
…but it still remains a wildly popular wall color for 2009. Using brown is a great way to cozy up a room. The richness you get from using a deep, delicious chocolate-brown just can’t be matched. We love brown and — at least for now — it’s staying around!
photos from: decorpad.com; cottageliving.com; southernliving.com; housebeautiful.com; coastalliving.com; bilhuber.com
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Garden Inspired Spaces
If I could turn my backyard garden into a room…
It would look like this:
Nature is our biggest source of inspiration. Its purposeful and plentiful color is a gift from God. We live in a colorful world, but do we really see the colors? When you truly notice how colors are combined outdoors, you’ll feel confident bringing more colors indoors. Compare the two photos above: In the garden, violet phlox translates into plush violet chairs; deep brown mulch becomes the main hue for walls and flooring; new growth of a pine tree is reflected in yellow-green draperies and pillows. And check out the room’s wall mural — flowers, plants and birds — perfection.
This dining room also picks up some of the garden’s colors: red of the Japanese maple, gray tones of the stonework, and mulch brown.
The wall color in this space reflects the soft green found in many of my garden plants.
Another splash of violet in this dining room, along with a touch of mint green which is the color of the vase in my garden.
This kitchen also features that mint green. The darker shades represent the color of my “see-no-evil” frog….or maybe I should call him the “see-no-color” frog:
Perhaps this little guy can remind us to actually see the colors of nature — whether it’s your garden, a beautiful sunset, or the produce at your grocery store. Be inspired!
room photos from homesandgardens.com
You may also enjoy this post: Lots of Yellow and a Bit O’ Blue
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