Tired of your space?  Need a little pick-me-up?  A fresh way to bring life to a room is to add an unexpected pop of color.  Like these limey dishes in this neutral dining area.

A white room gets a shot of color by way of this vividly-painted chair.

Yes, you can paint the exterior of a porcelain tub – I’ve done it myself!  That tile is like a room full of sunshine.

What a beautiful ribbon of blue paint tumbling down these stairs.  If you are painting stairs, I recommend you use a good oil-based primer and several coats of oil-based high gloss paint.  A non-yellowing polyeurethane wouldn’t hurt, either.

Another way to add color to a stairwell is by painting a bold color on the ascending wall.  That luscious wall (and chair)  color looks like Benjamin Moore’s Merlot.

Ever thought of painting the interior of your kitchen cupboards?  A little avocado green does the trick here.

This turquoise shell chandelier adds a ton of character in this entry.

If this green velvet chair had dark wood legs, it would look dowdy and dated.  The painted legs and coordinating yellow pillow make it really modern and funky!  So where are you going to inject a pop of unexpected color?  Need help and live in middle TN?  Contact me to schedule a color consultation at kristie@stonebrookstaging.com.

Photo Credits:  Traditional Home, Apartment Therapy, Stir (3,4), House Beautiful (5,6,7), Martha Stewart.

Pair pink with brown, gray, or black to ground it.  Pair it with white for a fresh, crisp look. Keep foundation pieces neutral and use pink accessories that can be easily changed out. Use simple patterns, especially geometric ones like checks and stripes.

Stay away from too many fussy details like skirts, flanges, and fringes. If you’re concerned the pink will get out of control, avoid floral fabrics and wallpapers.  But DO feel free to incorporate real flowers!

Think hot pink or berry pink.  Adding some splashes of red keep it from seeming too sweet.  Use a mix of pinks so your room doesn’t look matchy-matchy. Consider lining the inside of a bookcase with a raspberry color.

Use simple and light window treatments in a pink room.  Be really bold and add in some orange, like they did in this room. 

Not convinced to go pink?   You may want to instead use pink sparingly.  A few pillows or a throw inject personality into an otherwise neutral room.  Don’t be afraid to use a little pink.  You’re a grown-up, and it’s OK!!!!

Try a few of my top picks for some fun pinks:

All colors are Benjamin Moore

Pink Corsage 1349

Chinaberry 1351

Secret Rendevous 1341

Pretty in Pink 1334

Supple Pink 2007-50

Gypsy Rose 1327

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Use multiple tones of white and off-white.  This gives more interest and depth, and you won’t go crazy trying to match that one white.

Use texture to warm up a white palette.  Think white stone, white textured blankets, white fur throws, shiny white ceramics, off-white wicker baskets, etc. Play shiny against matte to add sophistication.  Use white high-gloss paint of wood furniture and white matte paint on walls.

Be aware that matte white looks more country, rustic, and informal.  Semi-gloss whites look more formal and traditional.  High-gloss whites look more modern.

If your white feels too bright, tone it down with a little black paint in the mix. Add black accents to make a primarily white room more grounded and sophisticated.

Using a base of off-white or white in a room makes it easy to change out accessories and color for a whole new look seasonally.  This room in my home can change personalities quickly and easily (and often does!)

The easiest scheme for a decorating newbie is white plus one color.  Just make sure you use various shades of that other one color to give it interest.  Look at the beautiful Christmas scene from Country Living.  All white slipcovers with apple and foliage green as the accent.

Here are some of my favorite whites:

All Benjamin Moore Colors

Swiss Coffee OC-45

White Dove OC-17

Seapearl OC-19

Vanilla Milkshake OC-58

White Heron OC-57

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I love the drama of this magazine room.  They served up lots of peacock blue, heavy doses of white to lighten it up, and black accents to make it dramatic.  Love that zebra rug – it adds some levity to a formal room.

Some good complimentary colors would be burnt orange, tobacco brown, avocado or limey green, or another shade of blue, such as turquoise or slate.  This shade of blue doesn’t have to be intense — when paired with a lighter color, it takes its cues from the coast and becomes more tranquil and casual.  Fabrics could be in silk and velvet for formal spaces, batik or embroidered fabrics in more open, lighthearted rooms.

How about a peacock blue sofa?  I love the avocado green pillows with it.  It looks regal, but with a fun and casual twist.

Here’s one I’d love to have!  What a statement this would make in a room with chocolate brown and fuschia.

Liven up an existing space with this 60″ round peacock-inspired rug from Urban Outfitters - it’s only $48.

Or add a dash of this beautiful color in your living room with this gorgeous Marine Blue Ceramic Lamp (#23195) from K&T Lamps in Green Hills (Nashville).  It’s $145, and I’d switch out the lamp shade to something more drum- or barrel-shaped.  If you go to K&T, tell them I sent you

Check out my Color Therapy:  My Forecast for Hot Fall Colors for more color ideas and specific Benjamin Moore colors to try.

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Gold, gunmetal, and copper will be the favorite metals over the next year.  Designers predict a re-emergence of the 70′s Brady Bunch harvest gold, greens, and orange.  I’m not buying that, but I do think avocado green is making a come-back, but paired with teal/peacock blues and fuschia.  All this recession talk is setting us up for the yearning for some opulence in our homes, even it that just means opulent colors.  So think jewel tones, dark and rich.   Like European royal kind of colors.   Or maybe exotic bohemian.  Your choice.

Purple is supposed to be the next big, hot color.  But I predict that a lighter lavender will be more palatable for the masses.  Lavender will be the new blue.  Gray-lavender, tone-on-tone.  All shades of gray will continue to be hot, hot, hot.  Painted furniture will also be hot, but not in whites and pastel colors.   More like those jewel-tones – peacock blue, emerald green, dark gray, mulberry.   That’s what I think.  Let me know what you think!

Here are some Benjamin Moore paint colors you might want to check out.  Check them out on their website’s Virtual Fan Deck and order a few samples.  They offer 2 ounce samples for $4.99 each, so you can try them out before committing to a dramatic color.

Blues:

Blue Nose 1678, Bedford Blue 1679, West Coast, 1671, Mozart Blue 1665, Blue Toile 748, Rendevous Bay 726, Charlotte Slate AC-24, Wilmington Spruce 754, MillSprings Blue  HC137

Purples/Lavenders:

Sleepy Hollow 1454, Vintage Charm 1455, Frozen in Time 1448, Deep Mauve 1265, Mulberry Wine 1251

Dark Rose/Pinks:

Fashion Rose 1356, Drop Dead Gorgeous 1329, Vibrant Blush 2081-30, Raspberry Glaze 2078-20, Royal Fuchsia 2078-30, Pink Corsage 1349, Milano Red 1313, Deco Rose 1328, Sweet Rendevous 1341

Avocado Green:  Medieval Times 530