Category Archives: Color

Learn Color’s important role in design; how to choose it, use it and change it to best highlight your decor spaces..

Is It Time . . . to Color Things Up?

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This was one of MY favorite posts from 2018, so am showing it off again 😀
When I pull out a flip chart of paint cards, sometimes the reactions are alarming.  So many people are intimidated … literally afraid of using color, and to them, thinking about all those choices is frightening.
Going to completely the opposite direction, let’s consider WHITE.  Take a look at this little post from Daily Dream Decor that I found over on Bloglovin.

7 All white spaces you will lust for

There are some great ideas here, but if that were the whole house, someone would have to lock me away in a private little white room!  😀
Rental apartments are notoriously painted in white or very light neutral colors.  That’s an easy way to ease into color.  The way to do that is with accessories.  Below, they’ve used naturals (dark wood & plants) and a trio of golds, oranges, browns and greens in the accessories.  So the “all white” room looks wonderful, not boring.
Decor gets braver in the living room below, where they’ve used color on the permanent pieces, i.e. couch and chair.  White remains predominant on the walls & ceilings, the rug, lampshades and even the plant and framed art.   But NOTE the window sheers are coupled with a slightly deeper neutral, a beige that works into the orange toss pillows.   Finishing touch is the deeper tones of the vase and flowers.  Everything inside also tends to play nicely with the outdoor view.
Dark floors give light neutrals life and ground the room.  Here other accessories in similar shades as the floor, help pull your eyes through the room.  Here again, a fun large plant adds additional color to the room, as well as texture and interest.
The living room below is much braver.  The dark floor color continues up the wall in the fireplace surround. The gorgeous green really livens up the room and is repeated in the area rug.   The third color orange is a great accent to all.  NOTE how wonderfully the art work and metals unite it all to produce a great look.
A totally different affect is seen in this final shot.  The ceiling has been painted in a dark color, and the majority of the floor is light, covered partially with the geometric rug.   Lively colors and textures add interest throughout, with the art, lamp and coffee table tones.  NOTE how the dark plant and white vase take your eye down to the black & white rug, which of course reminds you of that ceiling.  The green pieces add fun, with the turquoise and green glass the wow factor.

Black and white sprinkled through a room help give the eye a break, a resting spot.  This tip works in display too.

Whether you’re a “white wall” person or someone beginning to experiment with color, I hope you’ve enjoyed my post.  I love comments, so let me know what you think.

Until next time.

Cheryl


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It’s Gonna Be a BLUE Christmas

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Hi . . . How are you?

I’m blue.

Well . . . at least my 2018 Christmas look is.

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Three factors determined our holiday decor this year.

  1. Low energy & ambition .
  2. Della
  3. Quick thrift trip

The last half of this year has been a circus of doctors, surgeons, hospitals and appointments, which has put energy levels, ambition and creativity on a constant roller coaster ride.  Things are much improved but still not up to par.

When Hubs began gathering the decoration bins, most sat unopened, as my mood quickly changed from excitement to exhaustion.  A peek at the ornament boxes revealed the blue, white and silver pieces on top, so that became our 2018 color scheme.

Holidays mean Hubs gladly allows me to do all of the decorating, especially the BIG tree.  Below is a look from past years.

The second obstacle this season is Della, our eight month puppy.

While still cute . . . not so small anymore.

She can only lay on top of that chair now.

So no big tree this time! Not yet grown out of her puppy personality (destructiveness).

The blues became official with a quick trip to a favorite thrift store, where ALL CHRISTMAS items happened to be 1/2 off.  Some great pieces, and so many in blue hues.

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So at home, a blue Christmas it is, which works quite well with the new accent color we’re using in our open dining/kitchen area.

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A small tree instead of the tall.

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Little vignettes on the tables . . .

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. . . and the wall

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Cabinet tops join in, with glass, trees, plates and tins.

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Our hutch is the place most fun.  Della can’t reach so it’s a safe one

Two nativity sets are always a go . . .

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. . .  it’s modern in the bedroom . . .

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and traditional on the piano.

With this Christmas of blue, my hopes are that you will enjoy this colorful season, too.  Have a wonderful holiday, stay safe and warm, and we’ll meet the new year together.

Merry Christmas from me and the Hubs 🙂

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Later – Cheryl

Purple . . . for Autumn??

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Each week things improve and recently a bit of ambition struck.  I decided to paint my dining room area.  It’s an open space between the living and family rooms.  There are two smaller walls and one large, and so far the large, accent wall and one small area are done.

Hubs was a wonderful assistant and made things easier.  Odd as it may sound, the most difficult part of the project was deciding what color to choose.   In fourteen years, these walls have gone from the builder beige, to a deep taupe, a warm burgundy, a deep blue/green and most recent, a deep, warm brown, seen below.

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Lighting gives photos glare, but you can see the brown.  The print is something my husband and I picked out for that wall when we first moved in to this home.  He is very patient with all of my changing and rearranging, but the one and only time I moved the print to a different room . . . well let’s just say, he nicely requested made it clear he wanted it to stay where it had been.  And I’ve been fine with that.

Adjusting to all the recent changes in our lives, I just needed a new look, something brighter to get me through the coming winter.  New colors were narrowed down to a mustard gold, or a blue tone from the water at the right of the print.  I’m not much of a blue gal, but all the gold samples seemed too harsh and we jokingly referred to them as looking like baby poop 😀 .  And I DID want a big change.

We brought home several samples and are very pleased with the results of our choice.  I don’t think I could have gotten any closer to the purplish blue of the print’s water.  It also works very well with the lamps in the adjoining family room.  Bringing in blues, glass items and adding plants, it was easy to pull the two spaces together.

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And of course, when you change one thing, there are always others that pop up.  The table cover and the chair seat covers were very (normal) Fall colors, with oranges, beiges and deep burgandy.  At the moment, we’re using mismatched chairs and covers.

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While healing, I’ve also been slowly chipping away at reorganizing my studio/office, and rounded up all my fabric samples.  While it isn’t perfect, I did have a large sample of a modern paisley print in many shades of blues, a light off-white and a touch of two shades of green.  It looks bright and fresh, so I covered my chair seats.

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Oh, nice.  I just noticed a touch of dark brown here and there, so that helps unite the woods in the furniture and the print frame.  This time I used the same fabric on both styles of chairs.

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To finish things, there is just enough fabric left to make a table runner.  Until I get to that, I’m using a square scarf that plays well with everything.

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Regarding the work in the office, well it’s at the “it has to get worse before it gets better” stage!  I DO have all the shelves and cabinets in the closet done.  Now it’s a matter of seeing what I can donate, sell or throw.

I had one wall in the office repainted, before I went into hospital.  There’s one big and one small wall left to fill, sand and paint.  I’m REALLY trying to cut back on furniture pieces and all my craft stuff in there.

Luckily for me, I have two neighbors who are 3rd grade teachers and I think they may like quite a few of my supplies.

A quick health update.  I have two more surgeries coming up, and hopefully both can be done by end of year.  I want to think of it as 2018 – the year of the knife, but hoping that 2019 is the year of a new life!

Finally, before closing, I am noticing that several people are sharing my posts on facebook, 22 the last post.  That is all fine AS LONG AS YOU ARE CREDITING ME FOR MY POSTS AND PHOTOS.  I ask that you please leave a comment on my posts that you share.  That will mention your site as well, and give us BOTH exposure, and me, the credit due me.  Thank you for your understanding.

As I’ve noticeably skipped Halloween topics this year. just go to the search window and put in Halloween, Fall, Autumn and like terms to see my many previous posts.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope to post again before Thanksgiving, but if not, enjoy your holidays.  Stay safe and stay positive.

– Cheryl _

 

Say WHAT! It’s October … already?

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Needless to say, it’s been a while.  In the interim, I’ve had some major health and life adjustments.  It took a bit to get right with it, and things are good now, but I can hardly believe it’s Fall, somehow.

So, today, pulling up favorite autumn pics just seemed to be a fun thing to do.   Be warned that I LOVE the color orange, one always associated with this time of year.

(TIP)  While it brings Autumn to mind, orange is a color that can be used in decor nearly year round, except possibly in December.  Today, we’ll have fun with Fall.

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A unique discovery ($4.75) from our local thrift store. I learned this is called Blendo, and comes in several other colors and pieces.

It’s a known fact that I decorate the tops of my kitchen cabinets, and the set above has been displayed there, both in Summer and Fall.

(TIP)  Sometimes a small change, a pillow or throw, and adding color with accessories like a vase, tin or even a book, can give the feel of the season.  Below, a branch and a gourd were natural (and free/inexpensive) elements used.

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Many of my (TIP) collected and thrifted pieces are in Autumn hues.   So I’ll share some of those here, with you too.  FireKing plates for sparkle, an Obert’ painted plate and a MCM C & S set for color. A spray painted, dried floral piece & a little block of walnut from my Hubs’ shop, were added for height and a bit of bling.

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(TIP) Use what you have when you decorate.   Below, a scarf is a table runner, an old Avon perfume bottle and a small glass ball add shine and interest.  A bouquet of items from the yard is casually arranged in a little orange vase, and a pottery server and bowl add texture and ground the entire vignette.

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This post alone, has shown you my love of Autumn colors, and shiny things LOL.        (TIP) Another easy decor item is plants.  They’re very affordable, add beauty and interest, and are down right good for you to have in your home, AND . . . they’re fun.

Everything in this easy little group was found on thrifting trips, except the plant & it’s vase – the vase was my mom’s.  The Avon bottle, mail box wall hanging, a scarf and the candle holder were very inexpensive things I found ITW (in the wild LOL).

(TIP) When thrift shopping for decorating items, don’t shop for a specific thing, just buy things you like.  Doing that means they will work together with other things you already have.

Remember last time’s post with the plate rack?  Before I sign off, here’s a display for Fall using it.

    

Many thanks for stopping by today, and I really like getting your comments so feel free to leave a note.

The next post will be a little sooner, but until then I hope all is well with you.  It’s often very hard to be/stay positive, but I’m trying and hope you can, too  🙂

Later – Cheryl

 

Colors, Whites and What’s Right for You

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This was one of MY favorite posts from 2018, so am showing it off again 😀
When I pull out a flip chart of paint cards, sometimes the reactions are alarming.  So many people are intimidated … literally afraid of using color, and to them, thinking about all those choices is frightening.
Going to completely the opposite direction, let’s consider WHITE.  Take a look at this little post from Daily Dream Decor that I found over on Bloglovin.

7 All white spaces you will lust for

There are some great ideas here, but if that were the whole house, someone would have to lock me away in a private little white room!  😀
Rental apartments are notoriously painted in white or very light neutral colors.  That’s an easy way to ease into color.  The way to do that is with accessories.  Below, they’ve used naturals (dark wood & plants) and a trio of golds, oranges, browns and greens in the accessories.  So the “all white” room looks wonderful, not boring.
Decor gets braver in the living room below, where they’ve used color on the permanent pieces, i.e. couch and chair.  White remains predominant on the walls & ceilings, the rug, lampshades and even the plant and framed art.   But NOTE the window sheers are coupled with a slightly deeper neutral, a beige that works into the orange toss pillows.   Finishing touch is the deeper tones of the vase and flowers.  Everything inside also tends to play nicely with the outdoor view.
Dark floors give light neutrals life and ground the room.  Here other accessories in similar shades as the floor, help pull your eyes through the room.  Here again, a fun large plant adds additional color to the room, as well as texture and interest.
The living room below is much braver.  The dark floor color continues up the wall in the fireplace surround. The gorgeous green really livens up the room and is repeated in the area rug.   The third color orange is a great accent to all.  NOTE how wonderfully the art work and metals unite it all to produce a great look.
A totally different affect is seen in this final shot.  The ceiling has been painted in a dark color, and the majority of the floor is light, covered partially with the geometric rug.   Lively colors and textures add interest throughout, with the art, lamp and coffee table tones.  NOTE how the dark plant and white vase take your eye down to the black & white rug, which of course reminds you of that ceiling.  The green pieces add fun, with the turquoise and green glass the wow factor.

Black and white sprinkled through a room help give the eye a break, a resting spot.  This tip works in display too.

Whether you’re a “white wall” person or someone beginning to experiment with color, I hope you’ve enjoyed my post.  I love comments, so let me know what you think.

Until next time.

Cheryl


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March Means Greens

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     If you don’t already know  . . .  I’ll tell you now, March is my least favorite month.            I’d prefer to skip it entirely and go straight to . . .  April.

This year, I’m trying to kick myself in the rear, and steer clear of the doom & gloom.  March is associated with many things green, so let’s put some of them in a room.

People associate greens with landscapes, and that may be why they feel comfortable using those colors in their home.

A light wallpaper and darker accents are fun here.

A larger concentration is used below.  Notice they’ve chosen a monochromatic scheme.   This is where varied tints and shades of one color are used.  This can be done gradually for the hesitant decorator.  Choose one color you enjoy, and work it throughout your space, using light to medium tones, then darker as you become more confident.

The idea of any saturated decor colors is frightening for many of us, though.  Greens are not the first choice on my walls either.

Our home has a very open floor plan.  Entering the front door, you are immediately in the living room, from which you can also see through the dining room, into the family room, and down a hallway to the private areas.  This room (below) and down the hallway, are done in a light, neutral; a custom color I have used for years in other homes as well.

Neutrals’ accomplishments are many.  Here, it provides a clean look, a feeling of spaciousness and light, and is a wonderful backdrop for large art pieces.  Finally, it visually leads your eye down the hallway, and out to the adjoining rooms.  Your rooms should “play nice with each” 😀 , and continuing colors helps unite them, giving your spaces a comfortable flow.

Longtime readers and followers know that I’m NOT afraid of bolder colors and deep tones, but I have a definite plan with all colors as they play throughout my home.

If you are a neutral person, or just not ready for prime time, take baby steps and do a little experimenting, using accessories for your color and interests.

Greens are such fun to work with, and as noted, are the colors of nature which often puts people at ease.  The easiest green in decor is PLANTS.  Easy as 1-2-3 … colorful, affordable and moveable.  (And easy to replace if you have a brown thumb 😦  ).

Set a plant most anywhere and add a few favorite pieces with it.  Here, we’re using the MAGIC #3 Rule of Display; 3 different objects, 3 different textures, 3 different weights and heights.  Three items are always a great way to start any display, then it’s easy to go from there!

The above plant (variegated hoya) provides it’s own three, with light and dark, and white sprinkled leaves.  This plant can also produce cream colored leaves.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE.  I’ve had this versatile baker’s rack in three homes.  Here it helps me group big plants in one space, for light and easy watering.  But small plants work too.

These two are African Violets.  They need light but not bright sun.  More importantly, they need to be kept damp … NOT dripping but, damp.

And below is a simple (but super) philodendron.  It takes quite a bit of abuse.  Throw a little water on it, once or twice a week, give it a little light and room to grow.  Mine is supported with a little metal stand (thrift store find), but a simple wood stake or branch will work too.

 

Nature items i.e. wood pieces, stones and collected items, work especially well with greens – but just about any other color too.  Pick up several color cards at your favorite paint supply store.  Then shop your home for decor items, fabrics (even scarves from your closet).  Put all together and just live with them for awhile.  It’s a great way to start and then take it from there . . . when you’re ready.

 

I owed you all a long post, as it’s been quite a while since we connected.  I always enjoy your thoughts, questions and comments . . . BUT BE SURE to mark the box below the post, to receive follow-up comments.

Later – Cheryl

Happy HOUZZ Patterns & Textures

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Everyone knows how I love MY house.  Today, I’m sharing another one I enjoy … HOUZZ.

Here is a board from my Houzz site.  I was perusing all my colorful collections over there and thought I’d post a favorite on this gorgeous Sunday.

Always stressing to you, the importance of using patterns and textures when decorating your spaces, I thought you’d like looking at these lovelies.

Just sit back and click the little arrows on the bottom right, to soak it all in.

If you need/want more inspiration … take a look at this past post.

The Blues

 

And have a wonderful Sunday afternoon.  Hope your weather today is as beautiful as ours.

Later – Cheryl

 

 

DINING ROOMS In Tight Spaces

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night-23

Source: DINING ROOMS In Tight Spaces

We all have to eat . . . and maybe we can all have a dining room too.  Check out this fun article from Rowe Spurling Paint.  Love their site.

Have a great weekend, and remember . . . staying positive helps you stay productive too!

Later -Cheryl @ Artzzle

Have to Admit It … Fall is Here

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Okay, okay … I’m finally willing to say … it’s Fall.

The days are shorter and even the nights are changing, with temperatures dropping down after dark.  Weather has been wonderful though, allowing time to finish up outdoor “summer chores” that still sat undone.

After playing on polyvore this week, Fall finally kicked into gear for me.  It was prob’ly all that gorgeous orange!  Ya know how I love my oranges and browns.

So … today, we “Autumn-ed up” the place a little.

The orange vase was already in the table look, but with Summer’s tail end florals.

An easy switch here, simply using some of my spectacular seedums, a few colorful shrub branches and some rose hips from the garden.

Another quick change, was replacing the middle plate on this wall rack, from summer green to autumn burnt orange.

The hand painted plates, top and bottom, will work right up to Christmas, so they stay.

A bright lamp and one of my glass birds keeps company with more of the artisan pottery set, featured in the table arrangement … and on the coffee table.

Hubs’ favorite wildlife print has moved from over the fireplace, and now resides in the living room, along with an Edna Wolfe water color.

The blues, sands and browns in the painting, play nicely with the room’s orange, brown and aqua accents.

A large strand of silk Autumn leaves, was divided and included in several vignettes throughout the open living spaces, uniting the entire area with a continued look and theme.

Some of the leaves, a different scarf beneath and some earthy pieces now sit atop the piano.  The fun, scalloped table cloth is a mainstay, featured with most every arrangement there.

Remember when we switched rooms around a while back?

Artzzle DECISIONS Feature

Below is the newest look for the fireplace grouping, now in what was once the dining area.

The painting is one of mine … an acrylic, with subject and colors that keep the current look going.

TIP:  Remember Mixing = Maximum Interest.

My group here, has a few larger pieces at varied heights; woods and metallic are combined with glass and pottery items in finishes that – to me – complement each other.

More silk leaves were brought in, and a bit more of turquoise and orange are smuggled in, with the mini vases and fresh flowers (the only blooms left in the garden).

Mom’s copper cannisters were moved from countertop to cabinet top, for some sparkle up there.

Of course, I couldn’t exclude the hutch.  Ooh look at the “O” here!

Featured on a bottom half shelf is part of a cute pottery set I found at DISCOVERY THRIFT.  It was love at first site, but I only wanted the creamer and sugar bowl.  Wendy made me a terrific deal on the entire group; eight covered soup bowls, teapot, creamer and sugar … NEW in the box … $12.00.  Had to take it!

TIP:  Using only glass and china items in a hutch isn’t necessary, and may not be the best way to display.

When all is shiny and bright (especially with the mirror backing), everything just melds together and you don’t see the individual, unique pieces.  Mixing and separating a few groupings, keeps the eye interested and moving to see what’s next.

Some favorite books, a metal, pinecone paperweight and the beautiful walnut mallet Hubs made, occupy the other half of that bottom hutch shelf.  Oh and those cute, vintage bookends.

The front door WREATH was changed out a bit.  Some of the silk maple leaves were added … but the sparkly butterfly stayed.  I couldn’t part with it yet.

Recently, I purchased two indoor/outdoor rugs from BALLARD DESIGNS during one of their great sales.  One is for the entry area right by our front door and the other, a runner for our bathroom (I refuse to use those shaggy toilet rugs!)

As we have no actual foyer, I cover the builder’s vinyl with a nice rug (here, my Ballard Sale rug) and have a small scale chair nearby (ready for taking off those boots).  For Fall, I’ve used a mid-century side chair and used orange & white chalk on my message board

Before closing, a final update.  The two end-tables in the family room got identical little arrangements.  I always keep these small, to allow for frequent use in the seating group.

That was my day.  So, what awesome autumn decorating have you been up to?

Remember, stress less and start more.  And lately, I’m trying hard to stay positive, as it helps me be productive.  Maybe it’ll work for you too 🙂   Have a great weekend.

Later – Cheryl

Dreamy Schemes

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Dreamy Schemes

Dreamy Schemes by artzzle-com

Playing with Polyvore today.  These are three schemes I thought would work for our master bedroom project . . . still very much in limbo!

What are your thoughts?  The spread isn’t my exact one but color is close.

We’ll talk again soon!

Later – Cheryl

P.S.  I chose these items strictly as examples, because of their colors, textures and designs.  Prices are of extreme range on Polyvore so expensive pieces would naturally be replaced by similar items within your budget.  Think of this as an illustrated lesson, not a catalog 😀