Category: Color

Color forecasters have released their choices for the new year. Pantone went with Emerald, but it’s also touting Tender Shoots (a bright leafy green), Grayed Jade (a soft tonal green), Dusk Blue (a sea blue) and Monaco Blue (a deep, darker blue). Benjamin Moore has put softer, more neutral hues on the table, such as the watery colours Tranquility, Van Courtland Blue and Stratton Blue. Sherwin-Williams is promoting a mixture of deep tonal hues, including Pool House and Mountain Stream, and some very vibrant colours, like Eye Catching, Electric Lime and Calypso.

From the mood to try something new? Consider some ways to integrate these and similar colours into your house this season.

Jennifer Ott Design

Here is a sampling of cool colours forecast to be big in 2013:

1. A vibrant greenish yellow, Eye Catching, from Sherwin-Williams
2. The springtime-fresh Tender Shoots, from Pantone
3. A watery greenish blue, Stratton Blue, from Benjamin Moore
4. A royal imperial woman, Frank Blue, from Sherwin-Williams

Amy Lau Design

1. Greenish Yellow

This can be an intense hue on your own walls, but if you use different shades of it using white or some other light neutral thrown, the effect is tempered.

Texas Construction Company

Look at putting this unexpected color on your floor. If you elect for a vibrant floor color, try to keep all else in the room neutral.

LKID

Ceilings and wall markets are also good places for injecting colour.

Rich Mathers Construction, Inc..

If the greenish yellows featured thus far are too intense for you, try a softer shade of it, such as the colour of this gorgeous backsplash tile.

Jennifer Ott Design

Suggested Greenish Yellow Paint Picks

I like the contrast of those colours against a cool, dark walnut hardwood flooring.

From left to right: Citron, from Behr; New Willow, from Valspar; Citrus Spice, from Pittsburgh Paints and Sunswept, from Mythic Paint.

2. Spring Green

This shade will help get you through winter’s darkest and dreariest days. These joyful green tiles add just the right splash of colour to an otherwise minimalist white and light gray toilet.

HMH Architecture + Interiors

A softer leafy green tile adorns the wall in this lovely bathroom.

Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc..

Don’t be afraid to mix various shades of green. They look fantastic paired with basic white.

Spring-green walls offer you a terrific background to the coral-pink-accented textiles within this pretty bedroom.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Another wise use of colour on the ceiling. This green is softer and therefore works as a neutral.

Jennifer Ott Design

Suggested Spring Green Paint Picks

Nothing says “spring” like fresh green sunglasses. These will look fantastic against a medium- to dark-toned wood or bamboo floor.

From left to right: Burst of Lime, from Kelly-Moore; Chesapeake, from Pratt & Lambert; Electric Lime, from Sherwin-Williams and Spring Green, from Glidden.

Polhemus Savery DaSilva

3. Watery Blue-Green

Give your bathroom a spa-like makeover by pairing this tropical colour with white.

Remick Associates Architects + Master Builders

The combination of turquoise, pale gray and white are soft and calming in another tranquil, spa-like toilet.

LEANARCH Inc..

A small dash of bold aqua creates a fun retro vibe. If you lean toward bold, intense colours and have adequate painting abilities, you can change this swath out if another colour captures your fancy.

Digs Design Company

Fun color need not be limited to modern and contemporary spaces. Different tropical blues and greens provide this more traditional room a fresh and updated look.

Enclosures Architects

Be creative when it comes to injecting colour into your home. A lot of people overlook the stringer or risers or other parts of a stairs, but it’s a great spot for a dab of your favorite bold color. You’ll catch glimpses of this often but are not likely to get overwhelmed by the colour, as you don’t spend extended amounts of time in that specific space.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

For those who favor softer, more pastel-like colours, light blue-greens are a tasteful choice and work well with light wood tones, such as within this soothing bedroom.

Jennifer Ott Design

Suggested Watery Blue-Green Paint Picks

Blue-greens are popular for some time today. Whether you prefer your shades bluer, greener, darker or lighter, you can’t fail with this colour family for 2013. I like how they work against a background of dark gray concrete or tile.

From left to right: Calypso, from Sherwin Williams; Waterfall, from Benjamin Moore; Aged Jade, from Kelly-Moore and Simply Seafoam, from Valspar.

Ethos Interiors

4. True Blue

I would argue that this pure blue never actually goes out of fashion. And, like with a pair of classic denim jeans, then you may successfully pair it together with any other colour. But I am seeing this colour used more and more in unexpected ways in and on homes — for example, as an accent colour with this exterior wall.

Treoma Design

Here is another gorgeous blue-clad stairway. If you go with a massive swath of colour, try dividing it up using one lighter and one darker shade of this, as shown in this example.

Polhemus Savery DaSilva

I really like how blue is used suddenly within this space — about the window and door rails and stiles — and also the way that it’s picked up someplace in the room through the furniture.

S&K Interiors

This blue couch is eye-catching on its own, but it also functions as a wonderful contrast to the gorgeous brick wall outside.

The Wiseman Group Interior Design, Inc

Another surprising use of blue, this time an intense royal blue. What a cool space for entertaining a bunch in a hot climate.

Jennifer Ott Design

Suggested True Blue Paint Picks

You can go with a pristine blue or twist down it with shades that have more white or gray. I like pairing true blues with light gray concrete or tile.

From left to right: Castle Moat, from Behr; Pitch Blue, from Farrow & Ball; Ship’s Harbor, from Pittsburgh Paints and Lazy Sunday, from Benjamin Moore.

Kropat Interior Design

Pulling It All Together

This children’s room integrates lots of 2013’s hip hues nicely. This is a superb way to work with bold colour– the hues are on the cool end of the colour spectrum, so that they play well together, and if you get tired of this look down the road, you can do it over using a new coat of paint and new bed linens.

Tell us : What cool colours have you used in your home? Share a photo below.

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Lately, I’ve had crimson on the brain. Perhaps it’s because I reside in Alabama, home of the newly crowned Crimson Tide soccer champs (I can barely step out my front door without being confronted by a crimson flag, hat or T-shirt). But I’ve always loved this saturated hue, which can be one of the prettiest and most versatile reds at the spectrum. Its subtle blue undertones calm it down and give it a hint of gravitas, and it is rather easy to work to a palette. Check out the ways that crimson operates in these 10 great spaces.

I can’t think of a warmer welcome than this crimson front door. The cheerful color complements the front porch’s conservative cottage style perfectly and sets the tone for what’s inside.

Tobi Fairley Interior Design

This space is an inspiring study in detail. The powerful red of this lantern-style pendant and sconces repeats at the ottoman print and pedestal dining table trim.

Vanessa De Vargas

With its vibrant color, sculptural lines and note of whimsy, this birdcage light fixture absolutely leaves the space.

Chris Jovanelly Interior Design

A group of crimson tiles weaves its way around this bathroom such as a ribbon.

PSCBath

Aquamar White Serie

Accent walls are catchy. Red accent partitions are trickier. Here’s one done : This makes a statement without dominating the space. The white tub looks all the more luminous against the wealthy swath of crimson.

Snaidero USA

Lacquered crimson cabinets make a hot, glamorous background for this slick kitchen.

Madson Design

Crimson and earthy greens work beautifully together. If you maintain the tones somewhat dirty, the look will not shout”Christmas”.

Glenvale Kitchens

The Aga cooker is the focus of this kitchen — it attracts the eye like a magnet.

Crimson Design Group

Big color works well in tiny packages. These crimson roses bring a palette of deep browns to life — amazing as a cherry blossom.

Dear Daisy Cottage

Crimson paint unifies this selection of sculptures that are sculptural.

Next: Splashes of Red
Will a Red Bathroom Make You Blush?
Main Colors Bring a Room to Life
Red: Not Only for Fire Engines

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We ers are extremely opinionated. And it seems like no additional topic brings our views into the surface as far as color. Photos on the two ends of this spectrum — with a lot of neutrals or a great deal of color — always appear to find an instant, powerful response. But why?

At a recent survey on , 44% of ers said they enjoyed neutrals, 15 percent said they enjoyed lots of bold color and 41 percent said that they enjoyed both. As the survey shows, many people do say they enjoy the two neutrals and color, but most people still have strong feelings about the subject.

“Neutrals consistently feel secure to individuals, as indeed they are,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Shade does not act,” adds James Martin, president of Color People. “You can not ever rely on it to do what you want.” The split personality of these two color camps certainly has something to do with colour tastes, but is this a hot-button topic?

Canon & Dean

A Passion for Color

Among the rest of the controversial topics on , why do so one continually rise to the surface? “Shade is so intrinsic to our lives,” states Leslie Harrington, executive director of The Color Association of the United States. “Every waking — and sometimes sleeping — minute, you’re interacting with color.” The fact that the majority of people have an intimate relationship with color makes it an easy topic to have an impression on — especially when the choices (neutrals and bold colors) are polar opposites.

1800Lighting

Color also tends to instantly stick out in today’s designs. Many insides today have a transitional design which could be difficult to peg or may appeal to many distinct tastes. Shade is completely distinct and warrants an impression right off the bat. “You can not always recognize a fashion as readily as you can identify the color,” says interior designer Jeff Culbertson.

4 hot color trends to play with

Ashley Campbell Interior Design

Social Influences

But our view is not completely our own. “We’re kind of taught that understated is tasteful and overstated is not,” states Martin. “I think a great deal of people genuinely like color but have questions about how it’s going to be perceived.”

Mark Woodman, president of the Color Marketing Group, agrees. “What people appear to fear the most is other people’s negative opinions,” he states.

Sheila Rich Interiors

Negative but misinformed experiences with colors — bold or neutral — may have an effect as well. For those who tend to stick to neutrals, including a big pop of color somewhere random probably won’t feel appropriate. “You may believe you just made a shade mistake,” says Harrington. “However, you didn’t. Live with it and add more color.”

Vanni Archive/Architectural Photography

Neutralizing Neutrals

There’s a reason most men and women prefer neutrals inside their houses: They are usually easier to live with. Neutrals “are the perennials of color — not subject to trends as far as brighter colors, classic and dependable,” says Eiseman.

The dependable side of neutrals makes it a safe alternative for big-budget items like couches and much more durable material options — particularly for those who can not make up their heads. Color tends to be a big commitment that wants a great deal of confidence, so neutrals work well for men and women that want to modify their accent colors regularly. “Color is not for everyone,” says interior designer Ellinor Ellefson.

4 New Neutrals for the New Year

Marie Burgos Design

Controversial Colors

“Sometimes people are afraid of color since they can not visualize it,” says interior designer Marlene Wangenheim. Envisioning a bold purple onto your walls could be difficult when your home is all white and gray. So often those who do chose color already have quite a bit of experience with it. Color tends to get better with use and expertise. “The more color you’ve got, the more color you can use with it,” states Martin. “With monochromatic rooms, you will discover there is only a very slim margin for error when selecting a color or even neutrals to go with it. With color, you become free.”

Rikki Snyder

Considering color but feeling anxious? Start small. “Area size occasionally has an effect on committing to a strong color,” says Harrington. “We tend to shy away from large regions of color, even if it’s easy to change or not as expensive to do.” Try using color in a little area which you don’t use that often — like a powder room or even the inside of a cupboard. “This is a jumping-off stage for braver efforts in different rooms,” says Woodman. Or find a color you prefer and tone down its intensity by requesting the local paint shop to add a grey, suggests Wangenheim. This will make it both a color and a neutral.

“Can it be feasible for color to go awry? Certainly,” says Woodman. “I like to believe, however, that there is no wrong color, just color used wrong.”

Next: What to do if you live with a colorphobe | Vote: Color vs. Neutrals

More help from the resource library:
guides to using neutrals
guides to using bold colors

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Red can seem amazing. Personally, I tend to shy away in the color, choosing pink gloss over red lipstick and plum over scarlet in my own wardrobe. But I can see its appeal. You simply need a small pop of red to make an impression. A bit red goes a long way in decorating, also. So I had been curious to see what happens if you elect for a red frame around your artwork or mirrors. Here’s what I found:

Rosenberry Rooms

The glowing red frame of the chalkboard stands outside and feels right at home in this country-style entryway.

Nicole Lanteri Design

Since this background is such a bold, busy routine, the red frame is just one of the few components that gives your eye a place to pause.

This reddish frame is vacant of artwork — there’s merely a mat indoors, framing the background behind it.

Flüff Designs & Decor

Because the red frames are not the only red in this bedroom, then your eye bounces around. The frames seem purposeful as red accent color and draw your eyes up above the headboard. The headboard feels more silent under the red frames.

Dear Daisy Cottage

These mirrors share similar elaborate red frames. The color makes these mirrors seem particularly glam. I would really like to see this arrangement on a light grey wall.

This gallery wall displays a mix of many distinct frames, with one red frame at the center. The reddish adds an element of surprise to the arrangement.

Paige Merchant Designs

Inside this kiddo’s room, I certainly see the red frames prior to the artwork inside. (Not sure if that’s good or bad?) I like how the bold red frames draw out your eye.

Amy Cuker, MBA, LEED AP

The small reddish frames above the crib complement the adjacent accent wall.

littlebluedeer.com

The elaborate red frame only increases the drama in this area. I like how this red frame feels a little moody.

Hint: An easy way to tone down red is to put it against a dark background. Here, the area is quite dark with walnut black walls and floors.

Surge – ATX

The two rows of reddish frames in this dining room pull your eyes to look up (and see cool chandelier).

There’s lots of white and red in this area. The pieces of red, including the red frames, seem modern against such a white background.

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