Color Trends Have Really Changed

Yes, Colors have changed. Here are some basic color challenges:Okay. You have worked very hard to redecorate your room(s). You’ve Painted, Installed new Window Coverings, and redistributed the furniture… “the whole nine yards”. Then you step back and look into the room and BLAH! Not bad Blah but the room just doesn’t seem finished. It seems to be missing something. Chances are you have missed an often overlooked element of home decor. COLOR! It is my experience that most Do It Yourself (DIY) home decorators put a lot of time and effort into their base colors and forget that it is the ACCENT colors that are going to make or break your decor. Just like your wardrobe, the key word is accessories.

One simple solution that is finally gaining acceptance is an accent wall. Just one wall in the room that is painted with a complimentary yet contrasting color will definitely add an element of awe. Don’t be afraid of color. So many of my clients are afraid to add “to much Drama” with their color choices to the detriment of their whole decor. Blah…Blah…Blah.Color is meant to add depth, Volume, Perspective, and just plain old WOW!Another accent trick that is coming back to trend is the Area Rug. A well chosen rug can add that extra spark you are looking for and rugs come in all shapes, sizes and Colors so you can easily add the WOW factor into your decor. I myself like to use deep colors of green and burgundy to add depth to an ‘Earth tone’ color palette.

By the way, many design experts suggest that you start with your Rug or Flooring color before you begin to design the room(s). Colors I Love to Hate:Gray & Blue Colors can be lovely but here’s the hitch… In my experience light blue and light gray don’t get any more dirty than Beige or even white, they just seem to show stains more than other colors and are harder to keep looking clean. This is really evident in Rugs or Carpeting. If you put white carpet in one area and ‘baby blue’ in another area you will find yourself spending more of your valuable time trying to keep the blue carpet looking clean. The amazing thing is that the blue carpet is no more dirty or stained than the white carpet; yet every imperfection just seems to scream out at you. Please do not take my opinion the wrong way, Blue and Gray have their place in interior design but I prefer to reserve these colors for ACCENT COLOR and not the base color palette.

You may also notice another blue & gray phenomenon that you had not anticipated when you chose those base colors for decorating; You can become trapped into only using certain colors for your accents. Certain shades of blue or gray will only allow you to design with other like colors (Gray, Blue, Silver, chrome, glass, light wood tones… do you see where this approach can drive a home decorator crazy? There are truly so many options in home design and the task is daunting enough without trapping ourself into only using certain colors out of the vast array that exists today so use your imagination and don’t be afraid of the BOLD colors of blue and gray (deeper and muted tones) will still allow you the latitude to design with style and maintain with less effort.