Saturday, June 4, 2011

Using Color

Using Color


Color can change your mood. Good use of color in your home can make you happy to be at home. Color can correct a room that is off-balance. It can pull everything together and make a room look finished.

A color wheel can help you experiment with color combinations. The twelve-part color wheel is the most useful tool when it comes to decorating.

There are some rules to remember when using color in home decorating:
·       Don’t use too many colors in one room. Use two to four depending on the size of the room.
·       Decide if you are going to emphasize the furnishings or the background.
·       Coordinate the color of a room with adjoining rooms if you can see one from the other.
·       Use neutral colors to camouflage defects, such as architectural or structural problems that you can’t easily change. Use bold colors to enhance interesting architectural details.
·       Use patterns to make a neutral background more interesting.
·       You can get away with more than one pattern in a room if the patterns use the same color scheme.
Now that you know the rules, you will know what rules to break because as we all know, rules were made to be broken.

One last piece of advice on color, use only the colors you like. Don’t use color just for the sake of having color in your home. You have to live in your home so decorate it with things you love.

Until next time, I hope your designs are courageous.

Muppet Sing Alongs: It's Not Easy Being Green [VHS]

3451 9-1/4IN. COLOR WHEEL DIAMETER:9-1/4"Interior Design Color Wheel Helps You Harmonize Your Interior Design Projects.

Color Design Workbook: A Real World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design

Color in Interior Design CL

Color by Betty Edwards: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors


The Color Purple: A New Musical (Piano/Vocal)

Happy Go Lovely - Color - 1951

Musical Landscapes in Color: Conversations with Black American Composers

Musical Fun: Colors and Patterns [With CD] (Carry-A-Tune)

Colorflame Birthday Candles with Colored Flames!

Strum a Song of Angels: Poems About Music (The Musical Colors Rhyming Story Coloring Book Series, 3)

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Consulting a Decorator

Consulting a Decorator


I know I talk a lot about do it yourself (DIY) projects. But what if you are not particularly good at decorating but you love decorating? Just like I love singing but can’t carry a tune in a bucket and I make babies cry when I sing off key I know when to seek help and let more talented people carry on. Or you may be great at decorating but on a particular project you just don’t know where to start or get stuck half way through, that is the time to consult someone with the talent of decorating.

This may or may not be a professional. If you have the money, I recommend hiring a professional decorator or designer. I promise you it will be money well spent. But if you don’t have the money, then I recommend you consult a friend or family member who was sprinkled with decorating fairy dust and has the “GIFT”. If they really love decorating they will be happy to help you just for the camaraderie and maybe a meal. Especially if I am the friend you are asking.

Until Next time, may all your designs be courageous.

The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870-1955
The Home Decorator's Bible
Interior Design Reference Manual: Everything You Need to Know to Pass the NCIDQ Exam
Sister: The Life of Legendary Interior Decorator Mrs. Henry Parish II