Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A Punch of Color

I really love how color can add so much to a room. I’m hoping that over the next year, we’ll be able to bring more color to our house here and there. The house was painted in neutral tones when we bought it. Apparently, the previous owners had wallpaper EVERYWHERE, including the entry foyer ceiling, so their realtor urged them to go neutral or have it sit on the market forever. I thank them for stripping the nonsense before we ever stepped foot through the door.

Anyhoo, it wasn’t until I saw recent photos from the baby shower I hosted that I saw just how neutral everything is. Blah. So, here’s hoping that down the road we can add color - either through paint or fabric and accessories - as a line item to our budget. In the meantime, I’ll share some colorful rooms that I adore. Enjoy!

This living room is so cheerful - very preppy, Lilly Pulitzer - but not overdone. Fabulous window treatments!

I love this shade of blue paired with orange. Here it's featured in a young girl's bedroom, but it can be used in so many different spaces.

While navy and white may not be considered bold choices - more classic in design - you can never go wrong with this combo. And I LOVE the seersucker-appearance of the coverlet.

Look what touches of black and red have done for this living room. And how great is that red door?

While this bedroom features a dark, bold chocolate on the walls, it's balanced with softer-colored linens, therefore giving the room a relaxing feel.

And, because I love combining shades of green with black and white, I close this post with the kitchen of Kate and Andy Spade. What a great space. Sigh.

If you could redecorate a room in your house, which room would it be and what color scheme would you use?
Images from Southern Living, Martha Stewart Living and The Selby

23 comments:

Janell @ House of Fifty said...

Color in interiors just make them come alive! Enjoy adding color to yours! Janell

Home Is Where the Hart Is said...

Obviously, my favorite room would belong to Kate Spade! I love that kitchen! I also love the first room...the bright one that looks a lil Lilly-esque. Love it!!! Our house needs help too. Sigh.

Danielle said...

I LOVE that first room. It's so airy and inviting. I would just want to stay in that room all day!

Tote said...

I love the living room, great color! At this point in our lives, we need to do all rooms! We have started small, laundry room and office.

Tiffany from HOLIDAY said...

Jen, it's as if I wrote this post. We've been in our house for under a year now and I've been trying to figure out how to inject color into my vanilla meets tofu world. I laid the foundation in neutral tones so that I could jazz it up w/ fabric - seemed like the smart way to go. Only, I haven't figured out exactly how to jazz it up yet.

Funny enough, the second pic w/ orange & blue was my inspiration tear-out when I didn't know if I was going to have a boy or a girl. I love it either way. I wound up going the soft creamy route for Stella but I still adore the crispness of that room. I'm also trying to do the blue/white thing in the guest room AND last but not least, Kate & Andy's kitchen is total inspiration for me as well. Love the black & white floors and I've studied the black trim on the roman shades - wondering if I could do this myself using inexpensive shades from Lowe's? Well, their entire apt is one I could step into and live happily! Have you seen their home in the Hamptons? If you ever get bored, log onto Plum TV's website and find thier Style Innovators section - there is one on them and they show you their house. I'm totally in love w/ the gray & white stripes in their kitchen there!

We are clearly long lost BFFs!

mFw said...

I adore that first room!!! My living room at home sort of looks like that but in a more antique way!

highheeledlife said...

We have been living in renovations for the past couple of years ... and we (I) are definitely leaning towards the more soft colours .. blues, pale pinks, sage, beige, .. it will be interesting when its all done and what colours will finally go on the walls etc.

These were awesome images .. loved the kitchen..xo HHL

Jennifer said...

i wish I could be bold with color..my walls all all neutral...my daughter has done a rust/red, choc brown, & a bright blue...maybe I will try some color too?
Good luck whatever...love to look at the pretty rooms you posted...
Have fun! Jennifer

Ella said...

White walls are maybe boring but I am a fan of it and bring the colors with fabrics, pillows and other stuffs because I like the changes with different seasons.

The Southland Life said...

I love that first image :)

Town and Country House said...

All of these are great! I've sort of chosen a "color story" that I've used to make the rooms flow together and that allow me to switch out furniture and accessories easily to freshen things up, but I have always loved a Dorothy Draper Greenbrier kind of look. If I had a sunroom, I would definitely do some green and white and pink and yellow and lattice and painted brick and I could go on and on. In real life, our play room is slowly morphing into a teen hang-out, and I'm working on making it not seem too much like a man cave.

nomo wino daph said...

Ohhhh loving these...I adore thecurtains in the top image.

Hope your night is blessed.xo

paula said...

I seem to be falling more in love with color lately. these are gorgeous!

teresa-bug said...

I tend to play things so safe in my own home, but wish I didn't. Love that first room!

Beth Dunn said...

I love yellow and dark reds together, that is my thing. xoxo
SC

Unknown said...

Good morning from Tokyo!

Gosh if I could go back home to Charlotte there would be so much I'd want to do! But as we're in Tokyo and living in a rental, I'm working on injecting punches of beautiful spring colors into the living room and the children's rooms. Bamboo greens, magnolia creams, soft touches of blue and white china...oh you've gotten me so worked up into a creative frenzy!

I hope you're doing well!

My best to you and yours...

Warmly,

Elizabeth

Natasha in Oz said...

I love colour too. I have lots of pinks and blues at our place and even hubby likes it! Have a fun time researching and finding your goodies!

Best wishes,
Natasha.

About Last Weekend said...

Love all your pics. Kate Spade one is my favourite, the black and white floors with the touch of light blue is sooo cool.

About Last Weekend said...

Love all your pics. Kate Spade one is my favourite, the black and white floors with the touch of light blue is sooo cool.

Nelle Somerville said...

Love seeing so much color in this post. I'm dying to do something to our bedroom. It has an Audacity of Beige syndrom. (Tiffany, I feel you.) I love the idea of decorating a room based on what you wear. Kate Spade's black/white/green pallet would be so awesome and I wear pops of kelly green often. I feel like I have too many antiques (not terrible problem to have) but the wood seems to be taking over. I can't paint my Granddaddy's chest of drawers but I'm stuck with no idea what to do. So I moved all of our colorful artwork to the bedroom and that has cheered it up a bit. :)

North of 25A said...

I am a color person too. Love your choices, particularly the first photo. I could desperately use two chairs in the same style and color as of yellow sofa. Right now I am in a blue/yellow period, but have more often gone with greens. I love pink, but I have to say some of the decorating pinks that I have seen lately just seem silly.
Best,
Colleen

Tessa said...

kate spade's kitchen - i adore everything about it and her entire apartment, for that matter. great inpiration pics. all of them!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love your Lilly Pulitzer living area, great combos of color, so fresh and young, it looks like a very classy candy room, I feel like dancing...

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