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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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Choosing A Color: Turquoise
Turquoise is a very popular color and it’s one of the most soothing hues you can use in your home.
You may recall seeing this design in my last post {by John David Edison}:
The color combination of turquoise, fuchsia and chartreuse is one of my faves. These colors look amazing together, but they are also stunning when used alone. So, I decided to focus on each of these hues in upcoming posts beginning with turquoise.
Turquoise represents the color of the sea so it makes us feel very refreshed. This color is a mix of blue, a calming hue, and green, a color of balance and harmony. Although it’s a very relaxing color, homeowners are not just choosing turquoise for the bedroom.
{apartment therapy}
Turquoise is a popular color for the kitchen, home office, and living room. I had a client who used turquoise as the main paint color for her condo. Not surprising, considering many of us are constantly on the go and ‘plugged in’ to technology. This is a great color for unwinding and relieving stress.
{flickr}
Lighter tints of turquoise are usually referred to as aqua. Mid-tones are sometimes called azure or robin’s egg blue. And deeper shades are considered teal. When deciding how light or dark to go, think about the mood you want to create and factor in your room’s lighting and overall style.
{caperace}
CLICK HERE to see more paint color and decorating ideas using turquoise.
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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 schemes. 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!
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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.
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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.
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Christmas Decorating: My Dressing Table
At Christmas time, 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
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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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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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Girls Spa Party
I’m so excited about this really fun and colorful Spa At Home Party that I designed for two {BFF} tween girls….
It began in my master bathroom…
…and the fun ended 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.
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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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