Purple: The color that's good for you!

Purple continues to be a popular color choice for the home. It's not the “Prince Purple” from the 80's but deep rich, delicious variation of the grape.

It's good in wine and on our walls …

Give these Benjamin Moore colors a try!

Grapes as we know are an antioxidant. So why shouldn't we bring this hue into our home as a reminder to keep our choices healthy - even our color choices! 

Houzz

I like this color in a dining room but you really have to watch that the color of your table doesn't clash. I would like to see a darker, wood for here. Also, with color that makes this much of a statement, keep your artwork minimal.

credit

COLOR TIP: Not sure which purple to choose for your room? Buy a bed set, pillow or drapery that you like and take the purple directly from there. Doing this will ensure a perfect match  - the fabric chose the color for you!

The Best Benjamin Moore Yellows

I know you're out there. You just LOVE yellow and can't get enough of it. You have yellow shirts, shoes, hats and you probably even have a yellow car. But, do you have yellow in your home? 

Besides having yellow dishes or pillows, do you have yellow anywhere else in your home? On the walls? Probably not because it's one thing to choose the wrong yellow hat - you can always take it off - but if you choose the wrong yellow paint for your home, well, you're going to be stuck with it for a while.

Many times when people say they want yellow in their home, they really don't want lemon yellow but still want a very warm hue that will liven and brighten a room.

Today I'm going to mention a few Benjamin Moore yellows that I've used before on color consultations. It should help you get into the right ballpark of “yellows” to think about. 

I think Barley in the most popular “yellow” I've used. It's my go to hue for when clients say they want a yellow but they don't want it to scream.

Montgomery White is really not a yellow at all but has enough yellow in to to make it more than just a neutral. It also is a great foyer color for the homes in South Charlotte. Remember that lighting plays a HUGE roll in how a yellow hue will look. Keep that in mind.

And in the case where the client says yellow but really means gold, this is a great one to use.

So I hope you can use some of these yellows in your home. If you're still afraid these yellows won't look good in your home, contact me to help you choose the right color - sorry - but you'll have to be in Charlotte!

I Want Color To PoP (Tart)!

I'm sure you've heard people say, “I want a color that pops!” and I'm sure you've said it a thousand times yourself. I know I have. So what exactly happens when color “pops”? Let's talk.

Color that pops is just referring to a visual and not a sound of course. Pop is just when you can see a high contrast between two colors and this can be seen in my Peppermint Patty post on dark brown and white.

Looking at the Pop Tart, the prop of choice today, you can see some neutral tans and a navy. So where's the pop? The pop comes in when you add white. See the high contrast? It's almost like looking at black and white.

So how do you work these contrasting colors in your home? Easy! If you're working with a dark color such as the red seen in this picture, make sure you have a bright white ceiling, white columns, trim or chair rail and there you'll get your “pop” of color.

Pinterest

Pinterest

Now this is a nice example. Here you have a black wall next to white which of course will pop but look at the bright green door? Is that a dark color? No. So here you have it - not only will dark colors pop with white but bright bold colors will also.

Pinterest

Hope you enjoyed a little information on color that pops. If you need help with your popping colors, I'd be happy to help. Donna Frasca, Color Specialist in Charlotte.

How To Work With Bright Color

How do I use bright color?

I was looking at this picture and was wondering how to incorporate these peppers into a color scheme for the home. 

If you have a strong color you love by all means use it but just as accessories to start. I was thinking if it were used as wall color, it may be a bit too much. Here's what I've found in the very colorful Crate & Barrel store:

Like strong color? 

Try it on bedding and sleep on it. You can decide in the morning if you like it.

For a small splash of color, small accessories are perfect for big color choices.

Getting a little more daring with a curtain of color!

Subtle bits of color really soaks up the look!

Look at all this fabulous color I found in about 5 seconds flat! That's the thing I love about Crate & Barrel. You can find amazing color without getting gaudy or tacky. Sometimes it's hard to combine the two.

Now getting back to bright color. We may love the color but sometimes, even for me, the color may be just too bright. So when you find a color you love, where is the best place to put it? Will you tire of it in the bedroom? Can a color this bright be relaxing enough for a bedroom?

I'm not sure if I'd put a hue this bright in a bedroom  - at least not for a main wall color. However, look how nice it is just on the bedding and even in the rug. I suppose if you're a teen girl this would be perfect but for the most part, a more subdued color would be best.

So to recap, if you like a really bold color and you're not sure where to put it, take it in baby steps, one step at a time and in small doses until you feel comfortable with it.

Chocolate Lovers' Series: Peppermint Patty

Black and white. Opposites. Dramatic. Classic. Sharp. Striking. Beautiful and any other word you can describe these two colors that can be seen in the Peppermint Patty.

Actually, it's not exactly black but a very dark brown, almost black which is just as striking. So today, I'm talking high contrast color.

credit

How perfect is this bedding to capture the Peppermint Patty look?

This color scheme is beautiful for bedding but would you put such a dark hue on your wall? Black/brown is trending well as main wall color somewhere I'm sure - I personally prefer to use it in accessories instead of wall color or

… with furniture …

Pinterest

… with fabric …

Schumacher

… with texture …

… and art …

Fine Art America

and of course, great color …

Like these Sherwin Williams colors? Try

Andrion and Incredible White

Chocolate Lovers' Series: Peanut Butter Cups

As this series continues, I'll show you how you can combine beautiful color with brown. Many people don't like brown but if it's combined with the right color and used in an innovative way, brown can be a very likable hue.

Now who doesn't like peanut butter cups? I must confess, I did go through a few of these “props” until I got the perfect shot. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Not only are these peanut butter cups incredibly delicious but look how beautiful these two colors are! 

How would you use this brown in your home? Wall color? Flooring? Accessories? Well yes to all that but today, I'd like to use it to represent furniture and I'll show you how to get the look in your dining room.

I'm not so concerned with the style of this china cabinet because everyone will like something different but rather to pinpoint the exact wood stain to achieve the look. 

This is a deep, orangey brown wood with both high and lowlights in it. If you look at the post on Mint Chocolate Chip, you'll notice that brown is so dark it's almost black.  This piece has more life with the gold undertones and you can do so much with it. 

To bring in the very rich “peanut butter gold”, I would suggest using cork to incorporate this color in your flooring. Here is an example of a cork (this is the one I have in my house) that captures the right amount of gold without overtaking your room with a strong hue.

Like these Sherwin Williams colors? Try

Cajun Red and Gold Coast

Chocolate Lovers' Series: Mint Chocolate Chip

Mint Chocolate Chip is one of my favorite flavors of ice cream and I do believe that its color plays a large roll in the love.

Over the years I'm sure you've seen tons of brown and green combinations right? Well I'm going to tweak that look a bit and show you a more “minty” version of that.

The chocolate brown in this Color Recipe is very dark, almost black. It's a very rich, very strong color so be careful how you incorporate this dark hue into your home. Here's how I'd use it:

A dark brown background will look great in any color scheme. This BR111 solid wood flooring would be the perfect flooring to contrast the minty green. 

If you're hesitant to put a mint green on your wall, try it in a fabric first. This tropical Kravet fabric would look beautiful in drapery, seating or even in some accent pillows. You call always go back and add an accent wall to coordinate the look.

Like these Sherwin Williams colors? Try

Well Bred Brown & Kiwi

Miss a post? Catch up here. It's going to be a long series!

Introduction to Chocolate Lovers Series