Ranch Style In Texas: The colors - the pretty aqua front door contrasts sharply with the surrounding inky-blue accent, making the home’s entrance crystal clear. Dark house colors can weather more quickly than lighter colors. Reserving the darkest hue of the palette for a small recessed accent area limits the exposure to the sun’s damaging rays.
Plan the composition beforehand. For this laundry room on Mayne Island in British Columbia, the boards were inspired by reclaimed lumber walls but are new. However, the paint could be considered “reclaimed.” Artist Ian McLeod used what he called “the dregs” of all the paint cans left over from other home projects to give the new boards a reclaimed look. He carefully planned the composition, and his partner, Kerry Johnson, meticulously installed them according to his layout.
Color expert Kate Smith, president of Sensational Color, says she sees kitchens “moving from just the basic gray to all kinds of pale neutrals — even pale greens.” Specifically, Smith is seeing greens show up on cabinetry and walls. There's a shift away from the 'pops-of-color' trend toward a more neutral and holistic palette for the kitchen. “it comes back from clients' desire for a need to feel calm,” Though green can read as a strong color — think lime, Kelly green, grass green — many shades, like the pale one in this photo, or olive, can read as neutrals.
Oct. 2016: At center is YInMn Blue, the pigment discovered in 2009. Around it are other YInMn pigments that have since been developed. Images courtesy of Oregon State University In 2009, the lab led by chemistry professor Mas Subramanian accidentally discovered a new pigment. In an attempt to create a material that could be useful in computers, a student mixed manganese oxide with other chemicals, heated the blend to about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,093 degrees Celsius) and showed Subramanian the resulting bright blue compound. “I was really shocked,” recalls Subramanian, who had been expecting the mixture to turn black. At first, Subramanian thought the blue had resulted from an error in mixing the compound. But when he had the student repeat the experiment and the same blue substance emerged, Subramanian realized he was looking at what could be a new blue pigment. That new inorganic compound — dubbed YInMn Blue for the yttrium, indium and manganese it contains — was in many ways superior to existing blue pigments. It had cooling properties and could deflect the sun’s heat. It was nontoxic and more stable than organic blues found in nature, such as indigo, used to dye jeans. YIn...
This room is a lesson in what lacquer can do to a paint color. Interior designer Meredith Heron warns that a lacquer finish can look significantly different than the color you see on the paint chip. While this paint, Lead Gray by Benjamin Moore, is a charcoal gray on the chip and in other finishes, the lacquer brings out the colors that make up the gray. Because of this, it reads more “yummy blue” than charcoal in this cozy library. Heron used the same color paint for the trim in a semigloss finish and for the walls in an eggshell finish. This provides subtle differences between the three surfaces in color as well as finish.
Deep ocean blue. Interior decorator Cory Connor says to check out the lighting situation thoroughly before going dark in a room. She knew this library received a lot of natural light from the windows, and she added sconces and a chandelier and painted the ceiling white to help prevent Benjamin Moore’s Newburyport Blue from overwhelming the room.
Red-purple. Reddish purple is a lighthearted, easygoing color. This type of purple is unexpected, so if you’re looking for an element of surprise in your home, this is the color for you. Because of its red undertones, this hue is warmer and brighter than many other shades of purple. It also serves as a nice balance to a cool white paint color. Paint colors to try: Extra White and Drama Violet from Sherwin-Williams
GREEN is one of the easiest colors to live with, and it looks organic even in its more vivid tones. When searching for the perfect bright green, think springtime — fresh green grass and newly sprouted leaves. These greens have lively undertones that will look comfortable and warm in your white space.
With the warmth of brown and the coolness of white, beige is quite a docile neutral that borrows cool or warm tones from surrounding colors, so you don’t have to stick to warmer colors to tease out its subtleties. Inky blues, rich amethyst and peacock turquoises are up-to-the-minute colors that add instant luxury.
Gray cedar siding gets a boost with a splash of vibrant blue. This palette is perfect for a place by the beach, but even landlocked homes can pull it off beautifully. It’s all about using neutrals (gray and white here) for the bulk of the color, and limiting the bold blue hue for smaller accents such as the front door and window frames.
Medium blue-gray. If you prefer subdued paint colors but don’t necessarily want anything too light or pastel on the wall, pay attention to the value and chroma of your choices. Value refers to the lightness or darkness of the hue, and chroma is the level of purity of the color. A blue that is medium in value (not too light but not too dark) and low in chroma (toned down with plenty of gray) will have a nice neutral quality without getting too thin and wispy. For a similar look, try Chambray from PPG Pittsburgh Paints.
Blue and yellow go together remarkably well. While they’re not quite complements on the color wheel, they’re near cousins. (Blue’s complement is orange; yellow’s is purple.) Paired together, they create a pleasing energy that’s abuzz with nature tones. Yellow reminds us of the sun, and blue of the sea or sky.
How to use yellows...lovely
Consider using a colored glaze as a wood finish instead of a conventional stain. Unlike paint, a glaze adds a watery hue without obscuring the wood figuring underneath it. This ceiling is finished in a light aqua tint.
Violet is a color not often seen on upholstered pieces, but in a den that serves as an office and a guest room, the color is both sophisticated and soothing alongside warm taupe mill-work.
Pick one main background color. Mixing too many colors together in a palette without a main color theme might make your room look busy and disorienting.
Hand-Painted Nesting Tables, Set of 3
Try these reddish-brown paint colors: Fireside from Behr or Warm Mahogany from PPG Pittsburgh Paints
Rich reddish brown. To me, this is the color of cozy. It’s deep and dark and has just enough spicy red in it to warm it nicely.
Try these gold paint colors: Governor’s Gold from Benjamin Moore or Honey Tone from Behr
Soft gold. If you’re looking for a light neutral that will give you a cozy vibe, skip the white and go for a light gold. This soft yellow-orange hybrid adds warmth without the
Play with texture. Mix different colors with different textures, as this transitional kitchen does. It combines a midnight blue painted finish on its upper cabinets with a grainy wood veneer on its lower cabinets. Exploring textures like wood and metal along with color can give you a kitchen design that breaks the mold.
I love the green glow this room gets from the fresh hue on the ceiling. We tend to associate green with nature, youthful vibrancy and good health. This green in particular feels clean and pristine — perfect for a guest bedroom.
Be patient. Maximalism isn’t really a look you can put together overnight (unless you’re a set designer with a storage unit full of goodies). The most striking and successful maximalist homes tend to evolve over years, with items picked up from a variety of sources — boutique and online buys mixed with collections, travel mementos, inherited pieces and vintage treasures. After all, it’s the stories and memories attached to each piece that make a home.
Clash patterns. Patterns are everywhere in a maximalist home, not limited to a few accent pieces. So if you’re crazy for, say, graphic chevrons, classic English florals and Moorish patterns, go right ahead and throw them all into the mix. The word overkill doesn’t exist for maximalists, and this homeowner in Edinburgh certainly hasn’t held back.
Chocolate also works quite well on dramatically textured surfaces like velvet or tufting, which keep it looking modern and elegant. Mix it with a little warm gray for contrast
The same paint has been applied to the wall and wall cabinetry. As a result, the joinery blends into the wall and delivers a more minimalist result.
Go for bright stripes. Note that in this jewel box of a bathroom, they used one consistent shade of blue and then mixed in sage, moss and acid green stripes.
Pair a bold hue with a softer one. Bright lime green accents give this room plenty of bold color, while the blues take a more muted backseat.
Back splash behind sink & short counters to either side livens up the entire kitchen
High commitment: jewel-tone velvet sofa. Peacock velvet on a chesterfield sofa is a rich, luxurious look — and it must be mentioned that velvet feels amazing to curl up on. It can also feel pretty heavy during a hot summer, so keep in mind your climate and personal preferences before committing.
bold banquette. There’s no doubt this blue ikat breakfast nook bench is bold, but because it’s in the kitchen, where most of the other features (counters, cabinetry) are likely to stay the same, committing to color is a relatively low-risk proposition
Choose black if: You want a dramatic look that’s classic and sophisticated You want to contrast wood floors or cabinets Your neutral scheme needs some edge to bring it to life Your beautiful views demand to be framed like portraits
Gloss Treating trim with a slight gloss finish is a great way to subtly highlight beautiful moldings while maintaining a clean palette for effortless-looking designer appeal. I often use a consistent paint color for walls, ceiling and trim, using a matte finish for walls and a satin finish for trim, so a hint of light bounces off the trim’s curves to subconsciously draw the eye.
Wood trim is often stained to match the flooring, but it can vary in tone a bit and still coordinate beautifully, as woods naturally mix and match. Just don’t mix more than three wood tones if you want to stay out of rustic territory.
Choose wood if: It’s already there. Most trim is MDF or the like, so celebrate real wood if you have it! You want to add an element of warm wood but don’t want wood floors Your space needs a little extra texture You love a rustic look or need a masculine counterpoint to feminine details
Neutral trim works especially well with a colored ceiling, so consider using the same color overhead in a room where you want a more intimate feel, such as a sitting room or dining space.
Choose white if: You want to highlight the subtle undertone of neutral walls You want to break up bold walls with a breath of fresh air You have simple moldings you don’t want to highlight You want to leave all the attention on dramatic furnishings You aren’t sure which other color to pick. It’s hard to go wrong with white trim!
When paired with colorful walls and accents, white trim becomes a bold, fresh focal point, as well as a frame to highlight each room beyond, without clashing with the different colors of each space.
White trim is great for toning down a strong color by stealing surface area away from the walls. This lilac shade is actually very bold, but it doesn’t feel like it swallows the room paired with deep crown molding and window trim in all white.
Using orange at home. A warm and spicy orange makes a beautiful backdrop to a bookcase or salon-style art wall. Rich shades of orange can warm up an all-neutral scheme — try draping a luxurious burnt orange cashmere throw over a leather sofa, or line up a row of glossy orange vases on the mantel for a quick fall update
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