Color in the Kitchen

December 29, 2013

Whether you are a person that love lots of color, wears a lot of color, or simply embraces the use of color, than consider color in the kitchen as a place to display that love.

 

Painted Kitchen Cabinets
It is very popular of late to have painted cabinets in the kitchen. Even more popular is to paint the upper cabinets a different color than the lower ones. Also painting a kitchen island another color is very prevalent.  Doing this breaks up the ” one color ” kitchen and gives the room a little more character.

 

Painted Upper Cabinets different from Lower Cabinets

 

 

Colored tile in the backslash is another method of introducing color. It can be removed and replaced, of course, but once again it is a commitment.

 

 

Color in the Backsplash - Interior Walls Designs Blog

 

 

Color in a Kitchen Backsplash

 

 

Blue Backsplash in Kitchen

 

 

If you are dedicated to having color in your kitchen, there is nothing more amazing than an oven, range or stove top in a color. The ovens from BlueStar Appliances have 190 colors from which to choose. What a great statement, but pick wisely…you will probably have that appliance for a while!

 

 

Colored Appliances - BlueStar

 Appliances by BlueStar Cooking

 

Adding Colored Appliances - BlueStar Cooking

 

 

Cabinetry is a great way to add color. Not so easy to change out if you grow tired of it. Once again it is a definite commitment but its results have great visual impact!

 

Painted Cabinets - Green - Blog by Interior Walls Designs

 

 

Mustard Colored Kitchen Cabinets

 

 

 

If you are like me and have color commitment issues, which I feel most people do, than maybe just a hint of color in a room makes more sense… red kitchen chairs can go a long way!

 

 

Kitchen Chairs in Red

 

Red Kitchen Chairs

 images by pinterest

Filed Under: Color, Kitchen Tagged With:

2014 Pantone Color of the Year – Radiant Orchid

December 21, 2013

If you want to know what’s hot and what the color trends are for 2014, then look at the Color of the Year presented each December by Pantone. Pantone is a coloring matching system that has been around since the 60’s. Pantone’s start began in the printing and graphics design world. Still prominent in this sector today, it is also known world-wide in other industries such as home, fashion, plastics, textiles and digital technology.

 

What is the Pantone Color of the Year

 

The 2014 Pantone Color of the Year is Radiant Orchid.. This color has the undertones of fuchsia, purple and pink as you see in the flower.

 

Interior Walls Design - Blog - Pantone Color 2014

Pantone Color Radiant Orchid 2014   Color of the Year 2014 - Interior Walls Design Blog

 

Expect to see this color in numerous categories including apparel, art, home and fashion accessories.

 

Pantone 2014 Color - Max Mara

image by Max Mara

Marc Jacobs Handbag - Pantone Color of the Year 2014

 handbag by Marc by Marc Jacobs

Agate Coasters- Pantone Color of the Year 2014

 

This color can be used in limited amounts and still have an impact. Most people have a definite take on this color…ranging from the typical ” love it ” or ” loath it ” spectrum. It is a powerful color in its own right, but when used wisely, it can be brilliant!

 

Pantone 2014 - Interior Walls Design Blog

 

 

Radiant Orchid - Color of the Year 2014

 

Interior Walls Design BLog - Color of the Year 2014

 

This over-dyed rug is stunning in this color. Over-dyeing is a technique traditionally used on vintage hand-woven rugs.  It is a process of bleaching, dyeing and washing the rugs. The end result is a unique color…sometimes a more saturated version of the color. The dyeing process allows the pattern of the rug to still show through.

 

Over-dyed Rug

interiors by Jonathan Adler 

 

This color pairs well with muted tones. Many times shades of grey or another muted tone can relieve the intensity of this color. The muted purple and blue shades are nice compliments in this dining area.

 

 

Radiant Orchid - Dining Room - Blog by Interior Walls Designs

 image by Elle Decor

Pantone 2014 Color - Radiant Orchid - Interior Walls Designs BLog

In 2010 the Pantone Hotel in Brussels, Belgium opened and designed the interior and exterior elements around its wide range of Pantone colors.  As seen in lobby, it is whimsical and dynamic in color.

Pantone Hotel in Brussels

Boutique Hotel - Pantone Hotel Brussels

Pantone Hotel

other images via pinterest

Filed Under: Color Tagged With: ,

Black Painted Walls – Do you dare?

December 9, 2013

So you think you want to add some drama in your home. How do you go about it? There are many ways but adding some color is probably the number one way to give any room some life.

Most people are scared of color or I should say, they don’t understand color. It is by far the most talked about item I discuss with all my clients.

 

Black Accent Wall in Hallway - Interior Walls Design Blog

 

Black Bedroom Walls
There are many questions to think about when painting any room…how much light does the room get? How much reflective quality will the walls have when completed? Will the color enhance the space or detract from the space?

 

Black Lacquer Walls

image via Architectural Digest

Black Walls in Office

People always ask, ” Does the paint go up light or darker than the paint chip”? The paint chip should be the color of the wall…they should match each other, otherwise they mixed the paint color wrong. The question is, does the paint APPEAR darker or lighter once it is up? The answer, in my opinion, is that typically the room will appear darker because there is so much more of it now … meaning you are no longer looking at a tiny paint swatch, you are looking at an entire room of this color.

The color that your friend used in their house may not appear the same in your home. Why?…different lighting, natural and artificial, and different surroundings and furnishings.  Buy a quart and test it on every wall for it can look totally different on one wall or surface than the next.

And I will repeat myself…buy a quart and TEST IT.

The easy way to do this is to buy a piece of white poster board and paint two coats on the poster board. Then walk around your space and see how it looks on each wall and from room to room.

 

One Accent Wall Painted Black

 

Bedroom Walls Painted Black

Black walls can look great with a lighter color scheme. Even lighter woods and accessories can bring these dark walls to life.

Consider maybe painting one wall in a room. Who would think a baby’s room needs any black, but I actually like it in this application.

 

Nursery Wall Painted Black

 

 

Even the smallest of rooms can have drama on the wall if you mix the right pieces with it. These white wall shelves are the perfect complement to this small nook.

 

Walls Painted Black

 

 

Black Accent Walls - Interior Walls Designs Blog

 

 

Black Dining Room Walls - Interior Walls Designs Blog

 

 

The black subway tile in this kitchen is a perfect complement to the off-white painted cabinetry, ceiling and mouldings. The contrast of these two colors is so striking and works well in this space… I love this kitchen!

 

 

Black Subway Tile - Interio Walls Designs Blog
It appears that this accent wall may have had a texture applied. Or a painting technique call Venetian Plaster may have been used. Either way, this is a good use of black!

 

Black Painted Wall - Interior Walls Designs - blog

 images via pinterest

 

 

Filed Under: Color, Wall Treatments Tagged With:

Why Not White?

March 24, 2013

I love nothing more than a white room, or a room done in all shades of white. It is crisp and clean and welcoming to me.

It is often asked if white is the absence or presence of all color. If you are talking about white in terms of pigment, it is the absence of color. If you are referring to white in the aspect of light, then white it is the presence of all colors.

Why Not White - Interior Walls Designs

I have found that I really have a fixation for white in many aspects of my life…and maybe more than I probably should.  I love my eggshell white walls and white tile in the bath. I find it hard to deviate from this color. Maybe because in the 80’s I had eggplant purple walls and a teal sofa and tired of it oh so quickly.

Why Not White? Interior Walls Designs

My sheet and towels have to be white. And yes, I have all white dinnerware. I love white orchards and peonies flowers. My countertops and tile selections are usually white. There is nothing more classic than a white subway tile with white grout.

Why Not White?

Why Not White - Interior Walls Designs

images via pinterest

Interior Walls Designs - Why Not White?

Designer Neal Beckstedt

I love mixing different shades of white in the same room. These shades need to play off one another in order for it to not read flat or boring.

If you have ever gone to the paint store to figure out what color white to paint your trim or walls, you will know that there are a thousand shades of white. It is a hard color to choose and will definitely require buying a quart or two for test swatches.

Why not White

 image via pinterest

 

Filed Under: Color Tagged With:

Runway Fashion Meets Home Furnishings – Black and White

March 17, 2013

Following the looks on the fashion runways can give you a glimpse into the current trends and styles for that upcoming season. Held in New York City twice a year, Fashion Week for Spring 2013 is showing an abundance of the clothing and accessories in black and white.

 

Black and White at Fashion Week 2013

Some trends on the runway are timeless, and that includes this season’s plethora of black and white. Often times these trends coincide with what is happening in the home fashion industry. Fashion on the runway tends to change every spring and fall and have more trendy items.

 

Black and White meets Runway Fashion

image via pinterest

Interior Walls Designs - Black and White

designers Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs via realbeauty

Home furnishings, on the other hand, tend to have introductions of items that are available year after year. Each furniture market, new home accessories along with fabrics and colors trends are typically updated or added to existing lines.

 

Interior Walls- Black and White in Home Furnishings

images via pinterest

 

Designer Narcisco Rodriguez – Kate Spade & Rafe New York handbags available at Bloomingdales

 

Black and white, in my opinion, is easy to live with and can easily be updated in the home by adding pops of color. Tile or marble in these contrasting colors has been around for centuries and continues to be a classic and timeless design for the home.

 

Runway Fashion Meets Home Furnishings

 

Runway Fashion Meets Home Furnishings

Black and White - tile - Interior Walls Designs

Filed Under: Color Tagged With: ,