Wednesday, June 25, 2014

What hue are you?

Remember when you were a kid and you got one of those big boxes of crayons, like the box of 64, and there were so many shades of the same color? For a girl like me, that was true bliss! Give them a little scribble on your paper and voila! you've got a new shade of purple!

And don't even get me started on the names of the colors!!  Blue is no longer just blue...you've got everything from Cornflower, to Aquamarine and Blizzard Blue...what about Indigo and Cerulean? Well isn't that true about paint color these days? It feels like there are about a million shades of the same color.

Its seems like so many of my clients are looking to incorporate some sort of blue into their design. Maybe it's because we are near the coast, or maybe it's because there are so many shades that can appeal to both men and women without feeling too feminine or too masculine. I'm not sure, but whatever the reason, I am loving the latest color combinations!

So how do you keep it fresh and current? I don't tend to try to stay on trend, but I do keep one eye on it! Understanding your clients preferences and how the colors make them feel sometimes outweighs the need to be "trendy"  I also like to get a feel for what's behind the colors my clients choose. Are they looking for a coast feel or a more of a morning in the redwoods? Knowing this helps to create a lasting mood.

I do think it's fun to pair your colors with a little bit of "unexpectedness"! Right now I am seeing, a lot of turquoise in the fabrics, wall coverings and accessories I am finding. It's been paired with everything from red  to black and even orange! Add a neutral like grey and you've got a stunning new look.


I recently used +Sherwin Williams Indigo (SW 6531) for a seaside cottage in Maine. It was love at first sight! 

I paired it with +Sherwin Williams   Scanda (6529), Passive (7064) and Ellie Gray (7650) to create a stunning backdrop for my orange and teal accent pieces! 


To mix things up a bit in another seaside cottage, I used +Sherwin Williams Kind Green (6457). This time I paired it with +Benjamin Moore Paints Soft Glow on an accent wall in one of the bedrooms.



To round out the color palette in this cottage I used +Benjamin Moore Paints Hush. It's still a coastal color palette, but a little different than sticking with just the blues and tans you often see.

I love to think outside the box and dare my clients to paint their ceiling something other than white. It's sort of like the fifth wall in your room, but often it's not even considered when selecting paint. Take a look at this dining room in an 1850's Farmhouse in New Hampshire.


Here it really highlight some of the details in this room that otherwise would have been overlooked. So don't just look at the 4 walls that surround you, look up too!

As always, I highly recommend purchasing samples and trying them out on your walls in your home. What looks great in the store may look totally different in the light of your home.

 
 
Until next week!
 
Renee


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