After checking Pantone’s Colors of the Year – Ultimate Grey and Illuminating yellow, I started reading what is in for kitchens and you guessed it – grey! So do what is always best and choose what you like to live with! Many of my clients prefer a warm-based white to grey and we have used those throughout the past 15 years that greys have been popular. At least with two colors this year, the yellow tones can warm up the grey base. This leads right into the gold tones that are popular for bath and kitchen hardware and lighting fixtures. Spec homes, apartments and flips all use the most neutral colors so there are fewer objections. This can be a good starting point for any project but many want to add their own color preferences to personalize. If you like to change for seasons or holidays, a neutral palette whether white, grey or cream can make integration of other colors seamless. Your art and accessories may also determine the best color combinations for you. With the past year in mind, having interior options to change it up has been great!
How To Add a Contrast Wall
We’ve all been in the white wall phase for a few years now and it’s time to add some contrast! The new photos on my Paint and Wall Finishes board on Pinterest will give you inspiration to add a dark wall -charcoal, navy, purple? You may need a second opinion (like a great interior designer!) as not every area will be enhanced by this addition, but in the right place it adds the wow! Add it to unify space in the hall with the great pop of color at the end. Powder rooms are often conducive to a dark contrast. Bedrooms become cozy incubators. And there is always the man-cave / office with an alternative to dark wood. Take a look at your spaces and go from boring to brilliant!
The Joy of Yellow in Design
I have had a yellow room in my home during most of my adult years! This year every shade of yellow is big in women’s fashion. Which means we will see more and more of it in home furnishings. See some examples on my Paint and Wall Finishes board on Pinterest. A color often used to chase the gray of the Pacific northwest, it is a favorite of bright and sunny people no matter where they live! We have over 300 hundred days of sunshine in the Southwest but adding more inside just adds to the upbeat mood. It can be subtle: a light tint for a warmer off-white base color, a perfect backdrop for your blue and white dishes in the kitchen or dining area, a warm and inviting powder room or bedroom. With all of the gray tones currently in use, yellow is a perfect color to add. An accent pillow, a bowl of lemons by the bar or flowers on the table… the pop of color creates visual impact. It is also beautiful with white moldings. A classic! Always worth consideration!
Choosing Yellow
Love a yellow interior room? Or maybe yellow is the perfect exterior color? This array of Sherwin-Williams colors with an actual piece of stone on top from a French chateau illustrates the variety of beautiful hues to choose from. Who can resist the color of sunshine? Yellow is a perfect complement with the current gray hues and, of course, a classic with every shade of blue (the big color at the High Point market). Tip: Designers have color tools that they can use to select current colors and new options. They can get large color samples from manufacturers so painting sample walls is usually unnecessary. Check your paint samples in the actual room at night and during the day. Bask in the glow!!
PS – Monet’s dining area at Giverny was a luminous yellow!
Color Advice
So is everyone painting their interiors white? Your home is about your comfort so if you are in a small or dark space then white is great. But we have expansive homes and high ceilings in the spacious Southwest and warmer whites into darker neutrals give these areas a more inviting ambiance. White was the color of the year in 2017 but now we’re into other vibrant colors for 2018. The Sherwin-Williams’ color for the year is Oceanside and the Pantone selection is Ultra Violet.
When your favorite color is popular, stock up on sheets and towels. They are available when the color is in and may not be otherwise.
Most of my clients like a warm, comfortable space so white white is too institutional. Paint is the least expensive way to freshen up and lighten up.
If you have a favorite painting, use the most dominant color in the painting to expand the art and space.
Charcoal can be a dramatic change in either a small powder room (Do the ceiling as well.) or as an accent.
Check visual options at the LuxeSpecs.com and on my Pinterest boards:
Paint and Wall Finishes
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