Ripe Color

Color inspiration doesn't have to look beautiful it just has to have great color or at least color you like. For instance, look at this ripe banana. Is it a gorgeous photograph? No, not really but hey, photography is not my forte but color certainly is. Here's what you can do with “Ripe Banana”.

From the not so ripe part of the banana which is a bit on the green side to the very ripe, rich brown you see for the media room, this potassium filled color scheme is enough hue for your entire home! That is a wide range of colors!

Since choosing color for homes with open floor plans is my specialty as Color Specialist, I almost always use the lightest color for the foyer, halls, ceilings or trim.

I love to use warm colors in the kitchen such as golds, yellows or very warm greens. Since we all spend so much time in the kitchen, it's just a nice choice to have a color that will be gentle to the homeowner first thing in the morning.

In most cases, the living room is right next to the kitchen so make sure these two hues “play well” with each other.

You can get a bit more dramatic in the dining room so go darker! Keep in mind that many dining rooms have white or cream crown molding, white ceiling and maybe perhaps a white chair rail so dark and dramatic in this room is good - it you like that look.

Last but not least - the media room or man cave. I say, the darker the better here! Make it movie theater dark with dramatic hues.

The red that I highlighted here is actually from the apple. In this case, you can use this red as an accent color with ANY of these ripe colors. Do you know how many color combinations you can make here? Dozens upon dozens!!! How fun is this?

Choosing color for your home this way is perfect for the home that has an open floor plan. When you have one theme or inspiration piece, it ensures that ALL the colors will look great together no matter what combination you use.

Some designers will use various subject matters for inspiration such this design board. Here you see various objects from glasses to horses to sharks. Although the colors that Color Solutions International has pulled for this board are beautiful, one can possibly get confused if they were to choose color this way for their home. Keep in mind, CSI is in the fashion industry and color selection is different from fashion to home so the colors you wear may not be the colors you want in your home.

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Having said that, if you are choosing color for your home, consider using ONE theme such as a ripe banana or your favorite meal,  dessert or even a cocktail. If you are still reluctant to choose color this way, please contact me at DecoratingbyDonna@mac.com and I'd love to choose the perfect Color Recipe for you!

Color Trends for 2012 • Back to Basics

It's color I can live with. 

How about you?

Fine Dining, Fine Color

The finest wines, the best cuts of meat and the freshest seafood. Who wouldn't love that? Just about everyone I know enjoys the fine dining experience.

What is it that we love about fine dining? The flavor? The ambiance? The aroma?

The answer is yes to all those questions but there's one more detail that we probably don't realize when we dine - the colors. We eat with our eyes. If it doesn't look good, chances are we won't eat it. 

When I look at these delicious presentations, I not only see a fabulous meal but I see color schemes. Rich color, dark wood stains, accent colors to bring out architectural  features of a home, multi dimensional drapery to tie in the look and  a color palette that will tie in the clients likes and the features of the home.

Delicious food means delicious color. Wouldn't you like to see “Apple Crisp” in your kitchen? Or perhaps a “Ruth Chris Filet” in your living room?

Incorporate rich, unique color schemes into your home  - even the bathroom. These Rob Beecham bathrooms are cozy, rich and rooms you just want to spend hours in. Why? Because the towels are soft? No. Because the art is fantastic? Not so much. Why than? Because of the design and of course, the color.

You may or may not realize it but the color of a room has a huge impact on how we are going to feel in a particular room. Look at these bathrooms. The color scheme is cozy, spicy and luxurious.

This warm palette is comforting with it's yellow undertones and relaxing. Would you want to relax in this tub if the room was bright orange with yellow towels and bright blue window treatments? Not for long that's for sure.

So it's imperative to choose the RIGHT colors for your home. It's what turns a house into a home. With the millions of colors that are available to us how will you know which ones are right for you? 

I'm Donna Frasca, a Color Specialist in South Charlotte. I specialize in color schemes that are highly customized to suit you and your home. Contact me to help you choose the finest color for your home.

Jiggly Red Color

Jello is so much fun to eat - in any form! Next time you indulge in this wiggly treat, notice the levels of color that you can see in it. From lights to darks and everything in between! Let's see how you can juggle this jiggly color scheme in your home.

Now think where you'd like to put these hot hues. In your kitchen? Bedroom? Dining Room? You can really put this color scheme anywhere but there are few factors to consider before hand.

If you put reds in the kitchen, will you be happy with starting your day with these hot hues? If so, it could be one very dramatic kitchen. You can incorporate red in your wall color, backsplash, cabinets, accessories or just window treatments but don't forget to add some of those neutrals to tone things down a bit and you'll have one gorgeous kitchen! You decide how much red you're comfortable with.

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Want red in the bedroom?

Red in the bedroom is a VERY romantic choice. I think it's where I'd prefer to see this very hot hue. From bedding, pillows, wall color, lamps or wallpaper - you can really have fun in this room, with red.

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Want red in the dining room?

The dining room is probably the only room in the house where I WOULDN'T put red. It's just so dated already. For years now it seems clients think they want red in the dining room - until I show them a completely different color that's so much better!

But if you really want red in the dining room, here's a way to mix it up with a neutral and a deep, dark, cherry red. Delicious!

❝Whoa! Red! Red! I want red

That's what I said! That's what I said

Gimme red, red,'cause I want red

Some like it hot, I like it red.❞

Better Midler from the song RED

Banana Cream Pie

Who doesn’t like a creamy dessert? If you like banana, this is the dessert for you! Not crazy about this potassium rich dessert? You can still enjoy it but without all those calories.

This soft and subtle Color Recipe would really look good in just about any room. From the kitchen to a formal dining room (couldn’t you just see this with beautiful black accents?)

How to get this look? 

There’s no monkeying around with this recipe. Let’s put this delicious color in the dining room. Here' the color suggestions for “Banana Cream Pie”.

Paint Brand: Benjamin Moore

Lemonade 2024-60

Beacon Hill Damask HC-2

Spring Dust 2150-40

COLOR TIP: This color scheme would be perfect for a room that didn't get much natural light. It may be too much hue for those southern exposures.

I would love to see this gorgeous Schumacher fabric on the chairs.

Turkey Dinner for Your Walls

Pepperoni pizza, black cherry pound cake, Parmesan baked salmon, artichoke hearts – hungry?  Don’t pick up a fork just yet because; food has now become an inspiration for designer paint schemes in your home.

We all like food and I think most of us like color. Now there’s a way to combine food and color to completely transform your home. It’s called – Color Recipes. Roasted turkey and stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce. Sound like dinner? Think again. You’re not only looking at a delicious dinner but at a very beautiful color scheme that will look great in any room.

A recipe by definition, as we know it, is “cooking instructions or directions.” A Recipe for Success is basically a means or way of achieving a formula for instant success. By combining both definitions, Color Recipes becomes a way to create a color formula for an instant color scheme.

As a Color Specialist and the owner of Decorating by Donna, I’m constantly scanning through magazines looking for new color schemes. While thumbing through various home décor magazines, I noticed how beautiful the photography was in the advertisements.  Ads for soups, pasta dishes, salads, desserts, - just about anything you see in photographs, has amazing colors. Advertisers are trying to sell a product, so they have to make the photographs look their best – and they do! So good in fact, I took my paint fan deck and started pulling out the colors that were already seen in the photograph and voila! a perfect paint scheme just got “cooked” up. “It’s come to the point that whatever I look at - turns into a potential designer paint scheme for someone’s home. My office is full of magazines with color recipes just waiting to be cooked up for the homes here in Charlotte. It’s really a delicious way to work,” says Donna.

With this fun way of choosing a color scheme for your home, it’s not only affordable but it’s something the entire family can do together. How cool would it be to have a “turkey dinner” on your living room walls or a “hamburger with cheese” in the family room? Better yet, how about a “banana split” in the kids room and let them pick out the colors?

The ideal time to choose a color recipe is before you move into your home. It’s easier to paint in an empty house rather then one that is full of furniture and home accessories that will need to be moved around. For the homeowner that has been in the home for a while and just wants to update, in-home consultations are a great option. Here you will be able to choose a new color recipe that will incorporate your existing décor.

Donnas’ thoughts about color, “I can’t get over how many new homes have been built in South Charlotte. I see all these new houses with blank walls just waiting to get painted. And I want people to know that they can afford to beautify their home even when they are on a fixed budget. All you need is paint – but it has to be in the right colors.”

It's 5:00 somewhere!

Martini's anyone?

One of my favorite cocktails … the Martini. I like them shaken or stirred, up or on the rocks. This classic cocktail also comes with a classic Color Recipe. The colors are a bit masculine and somewhat stately, earthy and even a little pretentious. Which ever way you look at these colors, they will be sure to relax you at the end of the day.

Where would I use the Martini Color Recipe?

I think these colors would look great in the bonus room turned “man cave”. Now this type of man cave is a bit different from the typical cave as we know it. 

There are two types of man caves. The first which is the most elaborate is the “I spared no exspence” man cave which has ALL the bells and whistles you can think of. Then there is the second type of man cave which is “I got whatever room was left over in the house and I'm calling it the cave” room. Both caves deserve the best color possible!

This is not a glamorous man cave by any means but it can be with these colors - ok and maybe with some new window treatments and a really nice entertainment center. But either way, serve it up classy with the “Martini Color Recipe” and enjoy!