How to bring COLOR into your home and not freak out!


Are you afraid of adding color to your home? Or do you really like color but you find that you don’t know how to bring color into your home and not freak out!

Well, there is a bit of a formula that you can follow to find a balance of colors that work together and bring you delight.

Start at the beginning –

Wall color

  • If you like your walls neutral, definitely plan on adding color in furnishings and accessories. The color that you use as “temporary” (because it can be moved around / removed) should repeat itself in the space at least 3 times but not overwhelm the room.
  • If you prefer color on the walls and neutrals furnishings, I encourage you to repeat this color at least 3 times. This will mute down any intensity of color and begin to make it neutral. Choosing a color that compliments the main wall color closely helps with intensity. This second color can either go on an accent wall or be placed as furniture or cabinetry. This is called “blending”
  • Accent walls are for more than fun. They are used to brighten the space and/ or surprise the eye. I love accent walls and have several in my home (one is a dark orange and one is a dark copper). They tend to turn change in the light and bring interest to the space more than having four of the same colored walls.
  • Resources: A&M Paint in Portsmouth is a great resource for Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams on Islington is also wonderful.

Furniture – furniture companies determine what colors are in and which ones are out. I carry two lines of furniture: G. Romano (you can select your own fabric) and Gus (ships quickly). Both are moderately priced with clean lines. If you are headed north of Kittery, Hurlbutt Designs also sells beautiful lines and if headed south, Red Bird Trading Co. has a wonderful collection as well.

Accessories & Accents – While you are in the Newburyport area, check out Ivy Lane (sweet name) for fun accessories. Since I am inspired by marimekko, I encourage you to stop by their Newbury Street store in Boston. If you are looking for fabric designs that can be customized in your specific colorways or cash & carry come by the shop or shop online. Remember, we can do anything from pillows, lampshades to selling fabric by the yard.

Personally, I really do like color and find it helpful in the winter for my psyche. At the shopHow to bring COLOR into your home and not freak out, all the walls are painted Benjamin Moore “Simply White” because it displays art beautifully and I like it. But at home my colors are relatively neutral with pops of color in each space. Both work, you just have to be intentional about letting the colors play with each other nicely.

 
 
 

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