EASY WAYS TO ADD COLOR TO YOUR NEUTRAL DECOR

Both The Hubs and I love a certain old pottery called 'flow blue'.  It was originally a mistake, back in the day when it was made.  The blue dye 'flowed' where it shouldn't when the plates, bowls, platters, pitchers and other tableware were fired/glazed.  The British manufacturers deemed it inferior and sent it to the colonies - but instead of garnering criticism, it became very popular... instead of a 'mistake' it was thereafter done on purpose as the demand for it grew.  I loved the deep blues of this antique dinnerware long before I learned the story - but the story served to make me love it even more.  

I also root for the underdog...

I have a good bit of this in my house, and so I add pops of color to my otherwise neutral decor by displaying the platters and plates and pitchers here and there.

Ceramics, pottery, and other like accessories can add pops of color in a small way, or you can opt for a more direct pop with paint.

While a whole room of deep blue might be a little heavy, anchoring a focal wall with color can bring some personality to a neutral room.  I love how in this neutral room, the blue wall adds a focal point and anchors the family photos - all black and white and framed the same size and the same way for uniformity. 

Fabric is a more permanent way to add color - in the ottoman above and the sofas below - 

definite color is added with furniture.  

When adding color, you can also think past walls and fabric to woodwork.
Think of the mantle or bookcases

or your kitchen cabinetry

A fresh coat of paint often updates tired pieces of furniture

Rugs can add color nearly anywhere

In this room, turquoise is repeated in fabrics, accessories and artwork to wake up a neutral room

Nothing wakes up a room quite like nature.  Fresh flowers, plants, botanicals... they add life.

I love to be surprised by color in an unexpected place.

If you want to color to your home, but are a little unsure how to achieve it...

  START SMALL 

 with an accent or two...

 BRING TOUCHES IN 

WITH  FABRICS

OR A RUG

OR A COLORFUL ACCENT PIECE

ADD A FEW ACCESSORIES...

JUST  REMEMBER TO KEEP THE COLOR CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT ANY OF THE ROOMS THAT ARE OPEN TO EACH OTHER.

 Good luck!

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 QUESTION FROM A READER:

Claudine,

I have just discovered your blog and I have spent the last few weekends going through your previous posts..love it!!  I need your help with selecting a paint color for my living room and dining room which are open to each other. Both are fairly open to the kitchen (can see both from kitchen with double width entries to both). With the help of another color consultant several years ago I selected BM mellowed Ivory for the kitchen walls, BM River Gorge Gray for my cabinets and BM timid white trim. 

Benjamin Moore - MELLOWED IVORY

Benjamin Moore - RIVER GORGE GRAY

She had advised that I paint the dining room area (3 walls) BM Timothy Straw and the Living Room Mellowed Ivory as well. 

Benjamin Moore TIMOTHY STRAW

The color were based upon the upholstery fabric in the living room. 

I like the cabinet color and pleased with the mellowed ivory for the most part (certain light it can be bit much) but I don't think I would care for it in the living room. I will probably purchase new furniture within the next few years so don't want to base my selection on the furniture (images attached ) but don't want it to look off either. Current floors will be replaced - will probably go with a walnut stain wood. Is there a neutral in the gray tones that would work? If not, open to any other suggestions. Note that we get quite a bit of morning/afternoon light. I appreciate any advise you can provide. Thanks, Cindy

Hi Cindy,

I think a nice neutral gray is exactly right for your color scheme.  Try a few of these colors out in your home and see what looks best.  I think you will really like the cooler tones with the upholstery you currently have.  And they are neutral - so will probably look as nice with furniture of the future as with the furniture you currently have.

Northern Cliffs (Benjamin Moore)

Seattle Mist (Benjamin Moore)

Silver Mist BM

BM Beach Glass

BM Smoke

Good Luck!

WELCOMING CHRISTMAS

With Christmas a heartbeat away, I finished my Christmas decorating jobs.
Sort of.
[If I'm completely honest, I tend to keep adding bits here and there to my own decorations]

Decorating for my clients is one of my favorite things to do.

BETTY'S HOUSE

Betty is fun and adventurous - we change things up a little every year.  It usually starts with the ribbon...  Once we find a ribbon that speaks to her, we are off and running with ideas for the accompanying details.

This year the ribbon was a deep plum and gold brocade.  We added to it a filigree gold ribbon and a plum burlap ribbon.

We added succulents to emphasize Betty's love of gardening...

little live succulents on a bed of greens inside darling gilded birdcages

and faux succulent accents with the brocade ribbon and sparkling branches

On the staircase newel post, we repeated the ribbon and succulent accents

When you enter Betty's home, you don't walk into a living room...

She needed a formal dining room more than she did a formal living room and so has placed her dining room table and chairs in the spot usually occupied by living room furniture

We usually do something festive for the table - which is positioned right next to the Christmas tree...

This year the centerpiece was all greens and succulents

In the family room, the mantle is the focal point.

VICKI'S HOUSE
Vicki's home has that urban farmhouse look and feel.  Her home is all cool grays, white, beige and taupe with mustard accents.  The traditional red and green Christmas theme she had in her prior home just didn't look right in this home.  

So, we changed it up with metals - 

silver mostly, with gold, bronze ... and some frost and crystals

MY LIVING AND DINING ROOM

Welcome.  My friend Shawna, the amazing photographer from Bleudog Photography

snapped some photos for me - and she makes everything look beautiful!

I was able to get my decorating done early by planning a girlfriend luncheon early in the month!  The plan is to repeat that each year, because nothing motivates you to get your decorating done like friends coming for a party.  Right?

The front door wreath and swag were super simple...

I have a plain wreath with some pine cones and berries I picked up at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago and a plain artificial pine swag from Michaels.  I simply stuffed them with a few evergreen and berry picks this year and added plaid ribbon.  

So simple - I think making the bows and attaching the picks took about 10-15 minutes.  

I had to move this chair to the entry to make room for the Christmas tree...

and a few Christmas picks and bow are all this urn needed to dress it for the holidays.

Actually, I was inspired by this deer head plaque I found at HomeGoods this year.
[I'm using him as my tree topper.]
I love the woodland look and feel, but it was the plaid on the plaque that caught my eye.

  Plaid is everywhere this year - have you noticed?

I was lucky to find some amazing plaid ribbon and added antlers to the mix.  

The boxwood wreath on the mirror is here almost year round, but adding the red plaid bow dressed it up for Christmas.

I couldn't find a place to hang the glass star candle lantern (another Home Goods find)

so I stuffed it with battery powered wire lights and put it on a silver tray on the coffee table.

For the rest of the Christmas decoration in the living and dining room, I tried to create a natural looking arrangement with faux greens, silk paper whites and frosted faux succulents.

My living and dining rooms are one combined area.  So from my front door, you can see my dining room table and buffet.  I needed something eye catching for this focal point... and decided my Santa collection would provide a red pop of color for this spot and really say "Christmas".

On the middle shelf in the cupboard are the Iceland Christmas troll figures my sisters brought back to me from their trip to Iceland - land of our great grandfather.

I try to find a unique Santa each year to add to my collection.

I gave the large mirror on the landing a treatment of plaid ribbon on garland stuffed with picks.

You can see I am really taken with the whole antler/faux taxidermy thing right now.

This little deer head is metal - from Home Goods, again...

But this dear head is an antique - hand carved wood - and he stays here above my hallway

We found him in Utah at the most amazing antique store, Anthony's, in Salt Lake.

I love the carving on the plaque.  

If you are ever in Salt Lake, you should visit the store.  It is more of a museum actually.  Their collection is incredible. Housed in an historical building, the art alone is worth the visit - not to mention all of the amazing antiquities.  It is one of our stopping points whenever we are in Utah.

Since I have many more pictures of the kitchen and family room than I can reasonably include in this posting, especially since I want to answer a few questions, I will stop here and continue the decorations tour on the next post.

Happy Holidays - and happy holiday decorating!

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QUESTIONS FROM READERS:

Hey girl .......I have a home based design business in Austin Texas. For some reason I am having a problem with changing color in my entry.   I have including 2 pics of a sample of a darker bronze.  Sooooo tired of the blue....its been there 24 years!  Thanks and I enjoy your blog!

Please be brutally honest, I have white trim throughout the house and all other walls are light beige grey.  Thanks in advance!   Martie



Hi Martie,
I love Texas, but haven't yet made it to Austin!  Maybe next trip!  
Love all the white trim highlighting some of those great architectural details.  I think the bronze as a choice will be quite dramatic.  It will definitely be darker and warmer.
If this were my entry, I would paint it in a hue with a gray undertone.  Adding that gray undertone to a beige, bronze or tan cools it down a little and makes it feel more spacious.
I'm afraid a warm undertone will make it feel a little smaller, or close.  Here are a few colors with a gray undertone to consider:

Amazing Gray (Sherwin Williams) is a lighter color, but in an enclosed area like an entry looks more like this.

Stone Harbor (Benjamin Moore)

Vintage Pewter (Benjamin Moore)

Brandon Beige (Benjamin Moore)

Fusion (Benjamin Moore)

Graystone (Benjamin Moore)

Best of luck,
Claudine



Hello Claudine, I hope you can help me.  I have chosen this Cumin Hand Scraped hardwood by Superior for my home.  However, I’m having a challenge finding a wall paint color that will go with it.  I hope to run the hardwood and the paint color throughout my home which faces south and is somewhat of an open concept. 

 Below, I found a picture on the internet of a wall color that sort of appealed to me, but it didn’t give the name of the color.  

What would be your thoughts / suggestions?  Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.  Carol Ann.

Carol Ann, this wall color may be very close to Benjamin Moore GRANT BEIGE.

 You could also try

Benjamin Moore BLEEKER BEIGE

Benjamin Moore MANCHESTER TAN

Benjamin Moore EDGECOMB GRAY

I think any of these will be a good look with your flooring.
Good luck!


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