Color Pairings: Salmon, Orchid, and Chartreuse

Found this beautiful bouquet at my H Street Farmer's Market this past weekend. 

[caption id="attachment_862" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Photography by Michelle @ Design Palate"][/caption]

Such great color combination infusing vibrant salmon (pinkish-orange hue) with medium orchid (purple-pink) and light chartreuse (yellow-green)! Here are a few interior inspirations that bring them all together....

[caption id="attachment_863" align="aligncenter" width="302" caption="From Jane Hall's Picassa Gallery"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_866" align="aligncenter" width="474" caption="From decor pad"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_864" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="From decor4all.com"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_868" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="From Sara Gilbrane Sullivan's Travel for Design"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_869" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="By Katie Ridder from Elle Decor"][/caption]

Color Pairings: Yellow and Grey

Lovely new color combo find....I never thought of combining yellow and grey before. Seems like a strange combination, but apparently it's been a hot and ongoing trend. It is subtle exuberance and a combination that appeals to different styles.

[caption id="attachment_560" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Romo Kimura Wallpaper - Yellow and Grey"][/caption]

Like this wallpaper above...to me evokes a bit of romance, chicness. I might just use this for my blank staircase wall!

[caption id="attachment_561" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="From Decor Pad"][/caption]
Vintage chic. A sharper yellow along with dark and metallic grey blends older furnishing styles with more contemporary styles.

[caption id="attachment_562" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Southern Living"][/caption]
Perfect for a loft -- a little country modern with the sharp yellow barn door set against the grey bathroom wall. I can imagine this in a loft-style apartment.

[caption id="attachment_567" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Homes and Gardens"][/caption]
Urban subtlety.

[caption id="attachment_569" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="From Remodeling My Space"][/caption]
Add a little black with the yellow/grey combo to give a kitchen a modern feel.

[caption id="attachment_571" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photo by Grey Crawford"][/caption]
Or add white and hints of red for a country kitchen feel.

[caption id="attachment_574" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Velvet and Linen"][/caption]

And this... this one is just beautiful.

Color Pairings: Spring Green

Thinking green today.  Wonder why?  Happy St. Patty's Day!  So you should be wearing green or else you might get pinched! Did you know that St. Patrick was originally associated with the color blue? But then he started using the three-leaf shamrock as a way to teach to the Holy Trinity (i.e., Father, Son, Holy Spirit) to the pre-Catholic Irish. After that, it was spring green for St. Pat. So today at Design Palate, we are celebrating green. Religious or not, for those with a passion for design and St. Patrick's Day -- these green decor inspirations are for you!

Create a cozy corner nook with heavy lighter olive green drapes offsetting lime green walls. Soften the palette with a jute rug and pink flowers:

[caption id="attachment_488" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="From Better Homes and Gardens"][/caption]

For a little glam, mix gold and green. Use visual texture to create interest:

[caption id="attachment_493" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From the Desk of Annie"][/caption]

For a comfortable feel, a light sea green against white:

[caption id="attachment_497" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="From Country Living"][/caption]

Perfect for the coast....complementary to ocean blue -- light browns, reds, and greens:

[caption id="attachment_496" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="From Completely Coastal"][/caption]

Bring the outside in, mix in wood with green:

[caption id="attachment_499" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="From DecorGreen"][/caption]

Cottage chic--pinks and greens:

[caption id="attachment_511" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="From Blissfully Domestic"][/caption]

And finally, for a modern touch--blend citrus green with black/grey hues:

[caption id="attachment_506" align="aligncenter" width="325" caption="From Good Housekeeping"][/caption]

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?

Color Pairings: White on White (The Gender-Neutral Version)

The other day I posted a Color Coordinates column about chic and romantic white interiors.  The room inspirations were ones to swoon over.  After reading the column, a friend of mine from college commented, "lovely" (which made me happy) and that she would do a whole house of white on white if she were single.  It made me wonder, why not now that she is married?  She indicated that she tried to decorate a room of white, and her husband did not find it to be "in any way gender neutral."  Sometimes, it is difficult for us women to curb our enthusiasm for feminine decor.  But there must be some way to meld our wants with our men's needs--interior decor-wise anyway.  Can we find white room inspirations that reflect gender neutrality?  So this morning, I went on a hunt for some that seemed neutral in more ways than one.  See  below and let me know what you think!

[caption id="attachment_97" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Furniture Fashion"][/caption]

Go minimalist glam. It has touches of both masculine and feminine decor. Defined shapes like the linear lines that frame the room gives it a structured, masculine feel. But the room is balanced by the glammed-up, more feminine chandelier. I may add a textured, organically shaped white rug under the table and chairs just to round out the feminine-side of the decor.

[caption id="attachment_98" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Coastal Living"][/caption]

Omit ornate shapes. Ornate shapes tend to be associated with more feminine decor. This room has very clean lines that make it neither masculine nor feminine. Add a hint of color with some fresh flowers like a bluish hydrangea to soften the lines...but keep away from pinks, reds, or any kind of blush shade.

[caption id="attachment_103" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Apartment Therapy"][/caption]

To break the white monotony, while maintaining that predominantly white room look, mix in a little silver, grey, or slate. Translucent also works. I love both of these rooms, but what I mean to show you is the living room image on the right. To me, the left dining room image has too feminine shaped chairs.

[caption id="attachment_107" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="From Urban Sardines"][/caption]

Here's another take on the grey/white pairing. I'd paint the wood headboard white with silver undertones to achieve the white on white feel to the decor. Adding a textured slate or grey coverlet will bring some softness to the room.

[caption id="attachment_99" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Mail Online"][/caption]

Punch it up with high gloss white. If you're going to go modern gender-neutral, I'd say gloss it up like this kitchen and add a feminine fixture like the chandelier shown in the image above.

[caption id="attachment_105" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="By Stephen Mays via Kelly G Design"][/caption]

And if you just can't resist leaning more slightly feminine, like this bedroom...then....

[caption id="attachment_100" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="By Stephen Cohen via Kelly G Design"][/caption]

Be sure to have a TV that can be hidden!

Color Pairings: White on White (With a Dash of Chic and a Splash of Romance)

Amidst DC's snowmageddon, there were moments of serenity and quiet.

This picture taken just outside the front of my home inspired the search for these chic and romantic white interiors....(with some ideas for designing with white)!

[caption id="attachment_84" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="From Country Living"][/caption]

Tone it up. Use varying shades of white, from bright porcelain to deeper white shades with hints of truffle, gold, or bronze to create depth.

[caption id="attachment_85" align="aligncenter" width="390" caption="From City Sage"][/caption]

Add warmth with wood.

[caption id="attachment_87" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="From Dress Design Decor"][/caption]

Soften with subtle pink and gold hues.

[caption id="attachment_88" align="aligncenter" width="344" caption="From Reed Davis Photography"][/caption]

Play with visual and actual textures.

Color Collage

I thought this was a great collage of colors. Personally, I love bright colors. Lately, I'm obsessed with anything turquoise or teal. Hubby, on the other hand, prefers neutral tones. Luckily, we have a two-floor, two bedroom home where we can each have some space to reflect our color tastes. How about you? What's on your color palette?