I go through phases where I obsess over certain colors, and the color of the month for me is sea green – I’m totally crushing on it.  I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to paint my own walls or cabinets in this shade even though these spaces pull if off well.  Perhaps I’ll stick to fabrics and accessories, or even indulge in glass tile in a bathroom, but this hue is definitely on my mind.  

Better Homes & Gardens

Design Seeds

sources unknown

M. Christine Duncan

martha martha

Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens

Sea what I mean?  What’s your latest color crush?

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Every now and then I get an email from a reader that makes for a great post, so rather than a quick email response, I like to answer them here from time to time.  Like this recent question from Jaime:

“Hey Kate!  We’ve been living in our first house for almost a year with mostly leftover furniture from our college days and everything is sooo beige and brown, including our sofa and walls.  I’m really tired of it being so boring, and I’m craving color, but nothing too crazy.  I like neutrals, they feel safe to me, but I’m wondering how to bring some color to our home.  I’m a little afraid of picking something and then hating it.  I’m really not sure where to start.  Could you help, maybe offer a few tips?”  ~ Jaime

Hey Jaime, great question!  I know there are so many people out there who love the idea of color, but tend to play it safe with neutrals.  Having a neutral base in shades of gray, taupe, cream, white, or brown will stand the test of time, and also allow you to experiment with color in different ways.   

First, when thinking about color, my best advice to you is to ask yourself how you want to feel  when you enter your home.  Color is so closely tied to emotion.  Do you want to feel energized, stimulated, and inspired?  Then you’ll likely be looking for bold vibrant colors.  Do you want to be soothed and nurtured?  You are probably more drawn to muted tranquil tones.  Asking yourself how you want to feel is an important first question when looking for ways to bring color into your home.

Ideal Home

Next, find your inspiration.   Your source for choosing color can come from absolutely anything, whether it’s a fabric, a favorite flower, collectible, piece of art, a favorite article of clothing or scarf, or even something more intangible like a favorite vacation destination.  Perhaps you love the colors of the sea, or the vibrant hues of a sunset?  The opalescent tones in an abalone shell?  The intensity of a magenta orchid?  The deep red skin of a ripe heirloom tomato?  Nature is always a great source of inspiration.  Choose something in your home that you love, or look to nature.  Find something that makes you feel good when you look at it, that’s your best cue. 

Once you’ve decided how you want to feel, and what specific things inspire you, then it’s easy to choose a favorite color or colors, and you build from there.  Now that you’ve picked your inspiration color or colors, here are a few ways to incorporate them into your home.

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Lately, I’ve been crushing on the colors in seaglass – those watery, ethereal blues and greens that bring to mind the colors of the many oceans, and the relaxation that seems to accompany spaces decorated in these shades.   

I love to collect seaglass, and these days I find myself drawn to all sorts of decorative glass objects in these vivid greens and blues – they just mix so beautifully together and always look fresh. 

Here’s a few of my favorite designer spaces combining all the beautiful colors found in seaglass . . .     

 Traditional Home

Manny Rodriguez Photography

via House of Turquoise

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It’s raining again  today, grrrr, and I can’t take it anymore !  I crave sunshine, I need warmth, I’m dying to put my winter clothes away permanently for the next six months.  Why won’t this weather cooperate hmmmm ????

In contrast with these gloomy April showers, today I’m craving orange, especially tangerine, persimmon, and burnt orange mixed with all shades of blue from indigo to teal.  The combination in so fresh, so invigorating, so cheerful, so inviting.

And oh so complementary !

Here are some of my favorite spaces featuring blue and orange:

Southern Living

Massucco Warner Miller

Palmer Weiss

 Real Simple

Southern Living

House Beautiful

Homes and Gardens

  via Colour Me Happy

Massucco Warner Miller

Southern Living

Coastal Living

This looks like black not blue, but still works so well

Sunset

Celerie Kemble

via Home Interiors Zone

via Young House Love

Home Magazine/Elle Decor

Doesn’t orange and blue work so well with crisp white ?  I’m so inspired by this classic color combination, I must add some more orange to the (in progress) blue and white boy’s room.  

Want to add some pops of orange and blue to your living space ? 

Here’s a few fun fabrics !

Waverly Sea Scallop Coral Reef; Annie Selke Scramble Bluemarine; Thibaut South Beach Orange; Chippendale Fretwork;  Rebecca Fern;  Waverly Lattice Lagoon.

How about some modern accessories? 

Deco turquoise lamp; orange croc coasters; teal vase; bottle vases; labyrinth pillow;  butterfly pillow; turquoise throw;  small orange trunk; floral teal pillow; swag chandelier; martini side table. 

What about you ?

Do you love the classic mixture of orange with blue ? 

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There’s something about nature in bloom in April that gets everyone thinking and talking about color.  I confess, with spring in the air and summer on the horizon, I’m looking around my house for ways to inject pops of color here and there as well. 

So as you know from yesterday’s musings about thrift store hunting, like many of you, I have an addiction to fixing up furniture.  The other day I stumbled across a company called Somerset Bay that uses color on their pieces in the most incredible way and I was completely inspired.   Brace yourself, because these colors will have you wanting to run to the paint store to refinish one of your own in a similar fresh spring shade.       

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