CHOOSING PAINT COLOR FOR A BEACH HOUSE

ABOUT THE BEACH LOOK

A beach house needs to be comfortable and easy care, impervious to sand and salt water, with soft and calm colors.  The view outside needs to take precedence over the view inside. That means distressed wood, stone, weathered paint finishes, easy care slipcovers, painted fresh white woodwork, and the muted colors of sand, sea, driftwood, sea glass, and shells.  Toss in the cry of gulls, sound of surf and ocean breeze and a porch or patio to take it all in - and you have HEAVEN.

IN PURSUIT OF BEIGE



AVOIDING THE 'FLESHY' LOOK

Atmosphere ID

We've all experienced it.  That shade of beige we are sure is perfect for the house.  Bring the paint swatch home - or in some cases, slap it on the wall - and suddenly it's not beige at all.  It's some odd

shade of pinky, orangey - yes 'fleshy' color that is COMPLETELY wrong.

THE TROUBLE WITH PAINT COLORS....

THE ART OF CHOOSING COLOR

Southern Chateau

Today, I'm addressing a challenge a lot of us have. 

Whether we are using a fabric swatch, a photograph, or standing in front of hundreds of little colored squares

there is one thing we all face when decorating, or redecorating our homes.... 

TROUBLE PICKING PAINT

DRIFTWOOD

GRAY AND BEIGE ARE FRIENDS

Skagway, Alaska
Driftwood store front

I took this photo while cruising the beautiful waters of Alaska.  I could blog on and on about the colors of the water, the mountains, the glaciers, the sky....and I probably will, one day.  Alaska - incredible scenery and fun little towns like Ketchikan and Skagway, where I couldn't resist this little building completely covered in lovely, soft gray driftwood.... charming, isn't it?

GOOD GREIGE CHOICES

SUMMER.... WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?

This Summer season has flown by so quickly

and I've barely mentioned gardens at all

(probably because I have been trying to ignore the awful state my own garden is in)

But I do have the pictures I took of the garden at Ward and Child, a rather wonderful home decor and
garden shop I try to stop by when I visit

Salt Lake City, where my mother lives.

and I really loved this unique and musical water feature there

MANLY COLOR ADVICE

A MASCULINE PAINT THEME...

Juneau, Alaska.  Look at all those lovely shades of blue and gray. 
Just returned from the cruise, and the colors were heavenly.  And very - manly.

WHAT ARE MASCULINE COLORS?

COMPLEMENTARY COLORS

COLOR - FEATURE IT, HIDE IT OR ACCENT IT...

Color wheel 101 teaches us that the colors directly opposite of each other on the color wheel are complementary.  I didn't spell that wrong - they don't compliment each other, they complement or complete each other.  In color talk, that means they make each other look their best, they bring out the best in each other - like a good marriage.  If you want to bring out a particular element in your home - a specific wood tone, the sofa, grandma's quilt, or a painting for example - find its dominant color and complement it - find the opposite color.  The photo above is a perfect example - the gold/yellow and peach tones of the roses pop against the purple tones of the lilacs.  Yellow and Purple are opposites on the color wheel.  

ITS IN THE DETAILS

CREATING CHARACTER

via

I have a fantasy of owning an old farmhouse...

or a chateau in Provence...

or a cottage by the sea...

as long as it was built before 1940

before the millwork and mouldings began to disappear

and the ceilings and walls became non-descript

and the windows lost their charm

and the front of a house became... a garage

COLOR CHALLENGED

PERSONAL COLOR PALETTES



Source

Are you a green person or a blue person? 
 Do you like neutrals or whites? 
Do reds make you happy? 
Do you love pink?

Color is personal -  It is individual
A look in your closet will reveal colors
 you know you look your best in
and colors that make you feel good.

Why should decorating your home be any different?

WARM GREY

SO MANY GREYS

I read that this particular hue is spelled G-R-A-Y in America and G-R-E-Y in the UK.    Looking at this manor house, I can see so many shades of gray in the stonework - warm griege, light gray, medium, charcoal and even a little bluish or greenish tint now and then - they all look perfectly beautiful together.

TODAY'S INSPIRATION: WALL ARRANGEMENTS

INSPIRED BY WALLS

A good wall arrangement goes beyond a pretty design

a good arrangement reflects the homeowner's personality

brings in their life, loves, and interests

CHARCOAL GRAY MASTER SUITE

LISA'S BEAUTIFUL BEDROOM SUITE

I am way behind on posting on the projects I currently have in the works, but here are some photos to catch you up on Lisa's Master Suite....

I posted about it first here:

http://yournestdesign.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-process-current-projects.html

We chose a palette of charcoal gray, white, pale gray and beige with deep dark woods - a very soothing, serene color scheme.

OPEN FLOOR PLANS

COOL NORTHWEST LIGHT

Hi Claudine,  I recently bought a house with some interesting light variations, which I thought would be fun to repaint. I didn't notice that there is no mill work between the living, dining, kitchen, and foyer rooms, so color from one area has no barrier from the adjacent area.

PAINTED KITCHENS

I LOVE PAINTED KITCHENS

Greige Design

They don't have to be white, necessarily,
although the white ones make me happy

but there are other options, too...

like lovely dove gray

I wouldn't complain about this color - not even a little bit

CHOOSING A COLOR PALETTE

MEOWWW 

I've always loved the color palette of a Siamese Cat.  Creamy beiges,

deep browns, dark charcoal, and those calm blue eyes.

There is a reason they are so beautiful.  Nature knows the perfect

color palette!

THE PERFECT NEUTRALS

COLOR FOR THE BAMBINO

Sometimes the best way to choose color for a child or a baby's room is to start with the bedding.
You can't always guarantee that you will find fabric to match your paint color - but you can almost plan on finding paint to match your fabric.  Most home improvement stores carry color matching tech.  Just remember you never want to choose an exact color from a fabric for your walls - it will be too strong - always select a grayed or dirtied down version of your color.  It will be more livable and more sophisticated in the long run.

A SIMPLE PALETTE

CHOOSING COLORS FOR YOUR HOME

It isn't rocket science to choose colors for your walls, but it can sure feel like it.  It is a lot easier if you keep it simple.   If you choose a simple palette and carry it throughout your entire house, your home will feel pulled together and the design will flow from room to room instead of feeling 'chopped up'.  

STALKING COLOR

PERFECT GREENS

Tuscany   someday...
courtesy of Mother Nature

I love green.  Mostly I like to look out at it - in nature - but it's nice in the home too.  Certain shades are calming, but it can be vibrant, or fresh, or muted, or deep.  The current trend is to mix them together in a room.  Muted greens with citrus.  Sage with deep forest.  Olive with emerald.  
Mother nature does, and we all know she is the consummate decorator.

REMOVING THE MYSTERY

NON-MYSTERIOUS COLOR

Cactus and Tropicals

As you know by now, I have been spending a lot of time in the Great Salt Lake Valley.  My sisters and I visited this wonderful nursery, Cactus and Tropicals, looking for a Mother's Day gift while I was there.  It is essentially a very large tropical greenhouse (like a tent) and although it does have an outside area with bedding plants, most of this nursery is devoted to tropicals and cacti and indoor houseplants.

FINDING PERFECT COLOR

SOMETIMES THE PERFECT COLOR ISN'T FOUND IN A PAINT STORE

sometimes its the perfect neutral palette found in the downy feathers of a tiny chickadee

via

or the soft green of vintage glass

CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOR

ITS A QUESTION OF COLOR.....

LEGENDARY GRAY - DUNN EDWARDS
Your Nest Design

Remember to balance your grays with lots of white, warm woods, a touch of black and some reflection - chrome, silver, mirror.  Gray makes other colors look great, but gray on its own can be a little depressing.  Give it a little lift and it will do the same for you.

PAINT COLOR

NEW COLOR FOR A FAMILY ROOM

For a while, dark walls were all the rage.  Furniture looked amazing against them, as did artwork.

They were dramatic and fun.  A whole room could be dramatic - or just one wall. 

 I noticed lately, that there are less and less 'accent' walls, 

and that dark walls are giving way to lighter, fresher colors.

Sometimes how we feel is reflected in the smallest of ways.  Like paint color.  

Things have been a little tough - economy has been down - we want change, 

we want something new and fresh and we want our burdens to be lighter

Could that be why things are lightening up around the house?

REFRESH

TIME FOR CHANGE!

HGTV

It may just be that a brand new year is here, but I have a tremendous itch to feather my nest
a little.  Everywhere I look I see things I want to change - for instance the interior paint I've been living with for about 10 years. (This is where my sweetie looks up and rolls his eyes).

I find that making a list helps me focus my priorities. It's more just the act of making a list - putting thought to paper - sometimes I don't even look at it again until months later.  (Sometimes that's because when I look at it I hyperventilate a little) - who knew a list could get so looooong.

MORE ANSWERS TO PAINT COLOR QUESTIONS....

QUESTIONS ABOUT COLOR

Hooked on Houses
Pink bedroom

Can I just say 'thank you' to my readers and followers?  Your comments and questions keep me on my toes and make me feel like I'm contributing a little bit!  I hope I am helping you