When to pick your paint colors

So, you're about to move into your new house and you want to get the painters in before you move in. You don't have much furniture you want to keep. You're going for a new look and making a long term investment in your home with furnishings and decor you want to last. 

How do you pick the colors?

Click HERE to find out, on my new(ish) blog.

Color, A Powerful Element of Design

The most noticeable of all the elements of design is color. 

Jamie Drake - House Beautiful

That's Design 101.

Some of you might wish to debate that, but I checked back in my textbooks. 

Yep,

it's color.

Because one of the first things your eye recognizes when you look at something, whether it's a piece of art, signage, fashion, an interior, anything visual....is color.

 Mark Rothko poster - postershop.co.uk

jamology.com

Hillary Thomas and Jeff Lincoln - House Beautiful

Want to make a statement?

Stand out from the crowd?

jamology.com

Use some color.

Jonathan Berger - House Beautiful

My marketing/website designer and I have been in many discussions about the look of my new site.  He's a fan of various colors.  I can see his point.....especially after my bit of research.  However, I want my work's images to be the first thing someone notices on my site, not the copy, or the sidebar. 

Sooooooo, am I right???

We'll see.  I'm not sure who's going to win this one yet. 

He's really sure of himself!

Color - Jewel Tone Richness

I went to see Riverdance last night, again.  This is their final national tour and I loved it so much some 12 years ago when I saw it I knew I wanted to see it again when it came to the Houston Hobby Center. This time I was really inspired by the rich jewel tone colors in all the costumes and backdrop. 

Padraic Moyles - He was a-ma-zing by the way!

Since then, I've had these colors on my mind and found some great interior images to share.  These are not your mama's jewel tones!  These spaces are alive and so up to date with dark color and moody richness.

Remodelista blog

thenester.com

Elle Decor

Iain Halliday - Elle Decor

Maison Francaise via lotus and fig blog

Colette van den Thillart - Canadian House and Home via Mix and Chic blog

Elle Decor

I'm leaning the peacock blue direction these days.

Rich color is  always  personal and  never  boring.

Plates On The Wall

Boxwood Terrace blog

I LOVE plates, china, pottery, dishes, etc., of all kinds.  I have a fabulous collection of creamware, blue and white teacups and saucers from various countries in Europe, and when I vacationed in Italy, I purchased hand painted ceramics from Deruta and just about every other town we visited. I can think of no better way to show off a collection than by hanging it on a wall. 

Cathy Kincaid - House Beautiful

T. Keller Donovan - House Beautiful

Tobi Fairley - Traditional Home

Mary McDonald - Veranda

Kelly Wearstler - Viceroy Hotel

Heather Dewberry and Will Huff - Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles

Cynthia Steffe - Country Living

casasugar.com

Apartment Therapy

Stephan Falcke - Elle Decor

I know, these are baskets, but it's the same concept.  LOVE!

Newell Turner - House Beautiful

Better Homes and Gardens

marthastewart.com

Dan Carithers - Traditional Home

Decor de Provence blog

My Sweet Savannah blog

Jill Johnson - Coastal Living

Charles Faudree via katiedid blog

Any style, any room, any plate. 
It works!

I'm trying to convince a client to hang some of her collection in her dining room. Hope this helps!

Loving a little more EMERALD

I was in Dallas this weekend for my mother's 85th birthday and the Dallas Home and Gift market. (Happy Birthday, Mother! :) My sister and I took my mother to the Stoneleigh Hotel for her birthday lunch, a real Dallas landmark, renovated just two years ago. The lobby has lovely emerald green accents in the draperies and pillows.

This is not your Mother's "jewel" tone color scheme, mind you. The modern emerald green is a graphic punch of color in a neutral environment....white, gray, black.

When I got home, I'd just received my Traditional Home magazine in the mail and there was a beautiful white and black kitchen with these bright emerald green pendants.




Then I checked my Facebook page and had seen this gorgeous fabric on Ceylon et Cie's post. Michelle Nussbaumer commented that she recently had dinner with Elle Decor's editor-in-chief, Michael Boodro, in Paris who said that emerald was a big color trend in Paris right now.

Hopefully we'll have more beautiful emerald fabrics and wallpapers to choose from in the near future!

If you would like help creating a color scheme that reflects your style and personality, contact Aston Design Studio for a consultation.

If you have a design related question or need some advice on any aspect of interior design, e-mail me HERE. I might feature your question in a special Q and A blog post!