different colors for different moods

Welcome to All in the Detail... I am so glad you are here!

This All in the Detail may help you understand a little bit about some color choices for your home - from color tints to color trends, and everything in-between. Some trendsetters in the Interior Design industry have devoted their energies to studying the effects of color on moods and the economy.  It has been determined that you can surround yourself in colors that offer you a visual therapist.

Let’s Start with the Boldest Color of Them All – One of the Three Primary Colors on the Color Wheel - RED

Red is bold and intense and the reigning drama queen of colors. It’s the color of passion and power and because of its reputation for stimulating appetites; red is often used in dining rooms.

But Red is so strong that it might just overpower a room.  So, one way to ensure that it doesn’t - pair it with an equally dramatic opposite color to balance the hues in the room.  Try a color choice like chocolate brown to compliment a bold fire engine red….or you can use red sparingly as an accent in a room if you really don’t want all the drama.

But… if you have a strong personality – then your home should reflect it with a strong color palette.  A good note to remember when choosing color palettes for your home:  the deeper the color tone – the stronger the statement.

The Most Popular Color is Another Primary Color on the Color Wheel - BLUE

Over 65% of the people worldwide picked some shade of blue as their favorite color.  Whether it’s navy blue or lavender blue…. BLUE is the clear winner.

The color combination of blue and white goes as far back in history as anyone can remember.  Its roots definitely stem from exported English and Italian porcelain, and today you can scarcely open up a home décor magazine without seeing blue-and-white on all its pages.

To keep the blue color current, try combining deep cobalt blues with pale aqua blues, and, of course, don't forget to add plenty of white to the palette – I recommend to most of my clients that if you are going to have a predominately blue theme in the room be sure to paint your woodwork a semi-gloss white – the high sheen of the white paint will not only compliment the blues, it will keep everything crisp, clean and will really make the blue POP. Another idea is to use painted white furniture in a blue room to add a pleasant, welcoming touch.

Blue and white in a master bedroom can create a quiet retreat from everyday stressful life.  Keep the bedroom simple with a quiet palette… use all white bed linens and paint the walls a calm, cool blue.  With this color choice, be sure to continue the simple calming theme throughout the room – for instance, you could dress your windows with a simple style window covering, like Roman shades. In a bedroom, remember to always keep it simple…. You want to rest there and that means rest everything – including your eyes and your mind.

The Number One Color Trend combination is blue and celadon.

One of the comfort color trends for this year is a mixture of light blues and celadon, which is a pale sea-green color. Designers today are using these two colors to create romantic and inviting rooms. If a room has a romantic feel, your subconscious will be drawn to it.  And if your subconscious is drawn to it… you will feel comfortable in it.  In other words… if you’re drawn to a room…. you’ll feel like you’re at home in it.   

I want to add one last note: my all time favorite color combination 

What do you think about a complementary palette of Whites and Khakis

This is one of my favorite color combinations… in my wardrobe and in the home…. You can always take your cue for your home’s color palette from your wardrobe.  If you look good and feel good wearing those colors, why not surround yourself in them in your home?

I’m going to finish up here with a little secret I give most of my clients.  I can’t stress this enough - It’s always important to stay focused on your color palette when designing a room.  So, the secret? Here it is – when designing a room - match one of the room’s dominate colors to a paint color strip from your local paint store …and then - carry that strip with you everywhere you go as a reference – that way, you can be sure that if everything you pick out for that room matches or compliments the paint strip then everything you pick out for that room will also match or compliment everything else once you place it in the room. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to tie a whole room together with just ONE paint strip as your guide.

*Did you notice the colors chosen were Red, White and Blue?