Color Pairings: Blue-oom into Spring

Happy March!  The birds are chirping, and it's constantly raining -- all signs that spring is near!  And I sure am ready for it.  This spring, I'm really drawn to blue hues.  Maybe it's in anticipation of blue skies after a momentary rain shower. Who knows. I do love blue, generally. It goes with most everything, to me, and can evoke different emotions depending on your hue of choice. Here are a few examples:

Blue and Grey

For a soothing, calm look and feel.

[caption id="attachment_372" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="From House Hunting"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_373" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Robyn Karp Interiors"][/caption]

Blue and Brown

Can be natural and warm when a lighter blue shade is paired with brown hues with golden tones, like tan.

[caption id="attachment_375" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="From Decor Pad"][/caption]

Or contemporary urban when muted blue is paired with deep, rich brown.

[caption id="attachment_376" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="From Manolo Home"][/caption]

Blue and Green

For a bit of vibrance, mix pastel green with denim blue.

[caption id="attachment_378" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="From Shine Design"][/caption]

Or go all the way into bright turquoise and neon green!

[caption id="attachment_381" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Blog The View"][/caption]

Blue and Red

For a little Asian flair, a good alternative to gold and red or black and red is blue and red. Cobalt blue and persian red, that is.

[caption id="attachment_383" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="From Better Homes and Gardens"][/caption]

Or for a more traditional feel, mix in plum red and light slate blue.

[caption id="attachment_384" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="From Better Homes and Gardens"][/caption]

Blue and Orange

Just a hint of orange can add a little funk into your style.

[caption id="attachment_386" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Design Manifest"][/caption]

And a little bohemian chicness, too!

[caption id="attachment_387" align="aligncenter" width="356" caption="From Decor Pad"][/caption]

There's also blue and peach; blue and yellow; blue and pink; blue and maroon.... I could go on and on like Pvt. Benjamin Buford 'Bubba' Blue in Forest Gump listing out all the different shrimp dishes he'd make. But I'd rather hear other blue pairings from you! What's your favorite?

Design Notebook

For my inaugural post, I thought I'd share with you my Design Notebook.

I don't know about you, but whenever I'm traveling for work (or pleasure) I love catching up on my design gossip.  I wanna know all about the hottest trends (which today is all about being green, no not Kermit green, but green as in energy efficient) and makeover magic and DIY tips.  I love peeking into gorgeous designers' homes and crushing on their victorian sofa, barnyard kitchen, or bohemian bedrooms (yes, I have a wide range of tastes).  Among my fave go-to-mags are: Country Living, do it YOURSELF, Elle Decor, Better Homes & Gardens, Domino, Blueprint, and Cottage Living.  I'm sad to say that the last three are now resting in peace.  I heart Domino especially.  It was the only design mag I actually subscribed to.

Anyway, I would stop by Hudson News before boarding the plane and lug my design mags to my destination and ultimately back home.  I used to drive Hubby crazy with the pile of design mags I would have laying around the house.  He would say, "time to recycle!  Gotta get rid of these magazines like we do our newspapers."  And I would fret and frown, dreading the time I'd have to go through them again and try to save the ones that had a design concept I absolutely adored.  I just couldn't bear putting them in THAT BLUE CAN.  I mean, what if we ever needed to re-do our kitchen or our bedroom or our home office or our yard??  I would need to do research and put together a design concept, etc. etc.  I needed my magazines!

Well, one afternoon, after a long, trying work day I decided to stop by Barnes & Noble on my way home (books make me happy).  I perused through the aisles, sifting through books and eventually ended up in the design section where I saw Domino's latest (and only) Book of Decorating.  I thought that I deserved it after the day I had at work, and it now sits proudly on my shelf.  Just a few months later, Domino was gone.  That's when I realized that my fave go-to-guides for "living with style" won't be around forever, so there had to be a way for me to keep my favorites around -- at least design idea faves.  So I created a little Design Notebook.  Whenever I see a concept that I would love SOMEDAY to replicate in my own home, I cut it out and paste it into my Design Notebook.  It's another activity that I find cathartic.  So, if you see a design idea that you like, don't let it pass you by.  Take out those scissors or just rip it out and paste it into something pretty.  You never know when that hubby of yours will say "time to recycle" or when your fave magazine will run out of business.  I share with you now my Design Notebook and some of my favorite design concepts.

My Design Notebook

Color Schemes in Our Home

I was once really into Orange -- on occasion, I still am.

Don't you just want to cuddle up with a blanket (or loved one) have a glass of Merlot and read a book in this room?

I want a claw-footed tub in my bedroom! I once went to a spa (indulged myself while on a business trip) that looked like a quaint bedroom like this.  It had a bathtub in it, and of course, I took a nice milk bath....so relaxing after a long flight (I'm in the east coast; my destination was all the way across the country).

I also take note of future flea market events to attend!

And someday, have a place like this to watch the sunset with my hubby.