Monday, November 28, 2011

Not Your Ordinary White

White walls can be perfect in the right room.  Although as a color consultant, I usually suggest lighter hues of color when clients are shying away from color on the walls.  But whites can be just as stunning!   With a zillion shades of white, selecting the right one can be tricky.  Shades of white can run from warm to cool and come in a variety of undertones.  Here are a few rooms that feature beautiful shades of white.



Frappe AF-85




BM Smokey Taupe #983




BM White Dove OC-17


BM Collingwood #859



BM Marilyn's Dress #2125-60



 Farrow & Ball White Tie


Coming soon...the best whites to use for trim!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is here!  And there is a lot to do to organize the BIG day......between grocery shopping, house cleaning, cooking, etc., I am wondering if there is time to pull something together in the way of decorations???  It has to be quick and easy and require very little artistic talent.  So I was pondering some DIY decorating ideas and came across these:


Pumpkins, gourds, clementines, etc. in silver bowls & urns? 

 Branches in a vase? 



 Pine cones hanging from silk ribbon?


(Images compliments of Country Living Magazine)



I love these pre-lit willow branches.  Click on the link above to purchase online. 
Maybe I'll order these for Christmas.


BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Soothing Shades of Gray

Have you heard?  Gray tones are in!!  Of course you've heard, gray is everywhere these days.  I've been saying "gray is the new beige" for a while now.   I love gray, both light and dark tones.  But what I find most interesting is that clients either love the color or they absolutely hate it!  It's very black and white when it comes to gray.   For those who are embracing the trend,  gray tones are popping up in dining rooms, kitchens & bedrooms.  I think the right tone of gray can be very soothing and calming.  Check out the rooms below... which is your favorite?











Here is a nicely saturated yet soothing gray from Benjamin Moore. Look how nice it looks in the following two bedrooms.

Benjamin Moore Storm # AF-700

Traditional Home

Traditional Home 


Coming soon....my favorite shades of gray!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Early Christmas!

I was in Starbucks today getting my usual fix (I really go there for the free wifi so I can check my emails on my itouch, but that's a whole other story), and Christmas songs were playing!!!!  Now I know we already had an October snowstorm here in New York, but I am not ready to hear holiday jingles before Thanksgiving!  Speaking of Christmas, I was working with a client, helping select paint colors for her new kitchen and ironically we ended up with this combination:

Kitchen Cabinetry:
 BM White Christmas #872



Kitchen Wall Color:
BM Sleigh Bells # 1480


White Christmas and Sleigh Bells.... I'm sure it will be stunning!  I'll try to have the client send us a picture of the finished product.  

Oh well, just needed to vent.  Am I the only one annoyed by early holiday music??  :)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Julia's Room

When my daughter started high school she wanted to update her room.  I had her select a wall color first.  A very easy going client; she knew exactly what she wanted.  It was previously a calming shade of pink, but she wanted an edgier feel, a bold color to match her vibrant personality!   Within minutes she chose Benjamin Moore Fashion Rose, a highly saturated pinky-purple tone.  With that on the walls everything else had to be white or mom would lose her mind, and she knows better than most that mom's mind is fragile!   

Here was her inspiration board

Before the makeover


Wall color- BM Fashion Rose 1356


Here is the room now:
 







As you can tell we didn't spend a lot of money.  Turns out my wallet is as fragile as my mind these days!  Here is what she got:

Bed- Ikea @ $89.00
White Duvet and shams- Ikea @ $39.99
Pillows- HomeGoods @ $24.00
Desk- Pottery Barn @ $299.00
Dresser- Old Oak Dresser, we painted white
Lamp- Target @ $14.99
Misc. Accessories - Target & HomeGoods


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Laundry Rooms

Remember a few weeks ago I was complaining about my office (wishing it was smaller)?  Well now I am complaining about my laundry room!   It occupies a double closet on my second floor, and the only nice thing I can say about it is that it's on the second floor.  I am crazy about the laundry rooms featured below.  I'm sure I'd have a whole different perspective on "doing laundry" if my laundry room looked this nice!







At Home in Arkansas via Decor Pad

 This is the size of my current laundry room, but mine is far from nice.  Love the backsplash!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

2012 Color of the Year

Just a few weeks ago I did a post on Benjamin Moore's 2011 Color of the Year.  At the time of the post I believe they had already announced the 2012 Color of the Year.  This is so typical of me, always late-to-the-party!  So it is befitting of me to let you know that Benjamin Moore's 2012 Color of the Year is ..............................drum roll please.............



BM- Wythe Blue HC-143


Love the Wythe Blue striped floors!


As you know,  I've blogged about Tobi Fairley in previous posts,  I just love her designs!  So take a moment to check out the link above.  It will take you right to her blog where you can discover many other treasures.