C.B.I.D. HOME DECOR and DESIGN: WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD SHOPS GONE? AND A COLOR QUESTION

Out and about - the good and the bad...

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I thought these lantern light fixtures were clever at Avila's El Ranchito in Corona Del Mar, CA

the food was even better...

But I was so disappointed to find one of my favorite shops.... gone...

Mourning the loss of Rolling Greens in Costa Mesa

gone the way of so many California businesses... bye bye - really going to miss that shop

I wonder if their Los Angeles store is still open???

There are very few home decorating fabric shops still in business...

Is it the same in other parts of the country?

So, shopping for fabric in Los Angeles has become a regular outing

the fabric district has some wonderful bargains..

Back at home - both bad and good....

at home the fountain is musical

the roses are blooming

and gardening is calling...

I will just ignore the chaos of construction inside today...

Coming up Summertime!

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QUESTION FROM A READER...

Hi there!

I've recently decided to update my house interior by giving it a fresh coat of paint. The problem is, I'm having trouble choosing a neutral color that will look nice throughout the entire house. Most taupe and beige colors look too yellow for my taste. And I steer away from grey because my exterior is a shade of gray. I'm honestly not sure what I'm left with after that. I have firmly decided on BM's White Dove for the kitchen cabinets though.

All Ideas are welcome!! Thanks. -Sheri

Sheri,
I'm with you 100% on the White Dove. Great for kitchen cabinets as it is not a stark white, and doesn't look yellowed...
By gray I'm assuming you mean regular gray, concrete, bunny rabbit, stormy sky sort of gray...

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That is definitely not the only shade of gray...
In fact there is a complete spectrum of gray out there - every color (or nearly every color) has a gray - take a look at Sherwin Williams Essentials collection. Each delicious hue in this collection is a gray.

Sherwin Williams

Benjamin Moore has a collection of neutrals with gray bases as well.

CBID Design

Look closely at these grays... do you see a color you could live with?

If things are looking a little yellow in your home, it could be your lighting. Each home is unique in that respect. I would try some of the lighter tones of gray with a beige, green or blue undertone. (Samples up on the wall, always!) Just make sure it is a color you love - you will be living with it for a while - Bear in mind it is a wall color, a neutral, and not meant to dictate the color scheme of your home. Most colors will combine nicely with these colors - here are a couple of examples.