Pantone Color of the Year 2016 Rose Quartz and Serenity

The announcement of Rose Quartz and Serenity as Pantone Color of the Year 2016 proves beautiful and colorful things come in pairs.

This is the first time in the history of Pantone Color of the Year selections that two different colors have been selected.

color-of-the-year

The words rose and serenity evoke delightful impressions.

I immediately connected the Color of the Year 2016 selections with the sentiments of the holiday season.

Romance.

Peace.

Calm.

Tranquility.

Kindness.

Gentleness.

A color coincidence perhaps, but doesn’t it make for a lovely association?

nature-skyvia

With a delicate balance of tranquil tone and soft hint of periwinkle perfection, Pantone Serenity becomes the perfect Peace on Earth holiday color palette.

bright-light

“Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.”  

-Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman

Pantone Color of the Year 2016 Rose Quartz and Serenity Hue you calling gorgeous?

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The hue and tone promoted in Rose Quartz  is soft yet strong.  It will easily complement or take the lead in just about any choice of color palette.

soft-palette-Christmas

rose-quartz-Christmas

Traditional holiday colors ring true as the classics, but transitional color combinations beautifully deck the holiday halls.

This post pays holiday homage to Rose Quartz and Serenity and the holiday scenes, ornaments and decorations inspired by the hues and tones of the Pantone Color of the Year 2016.

Rose-Quartz-SerenityPantone ~  We Heart It ~   Inside Fabric ~   The Cottage Market

rose-quartz-Christmas-wreathDomestic Fashionista

Inspiration is everywhere, and it is most colorful at this time of year!

Love your style!

Combining Classic Elegance With Modern Chic: The Color Palette Jackpot

Last week I featured the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year.  Let’s keep the color palette conversation going, shall we?

Many decorating moons ago, the color wheel of decorating fortune landed on the color palette jackpot.

Jackpot of inspiration, that is.

color-wheel

The decorating jackpot was, in fact, a realization which forever changed my way of thinking and decorating.

Combining classic elegance with modern chic in the places and spaces of the houses Dave the Builder and I were flipping met with the delight of the real estate buying public.

That is one test, if passed, that will validate the design and decorating choices you are making.

fall-colors-pillow

Transitional or traditional with a modern twist offers the best of both decorating style worlds.

I quickly discovered transitional colors play well with traditional styles and the traditional fall color palette.

Don’t get me wrong, I am totally on design board with the classic warm tones and colors generally associated with the fall color palette, but at the same time I don’t strictly adhere to the if it isn’t broke don’t fix it rule of thumb.

color-blocked-accent-chairs

Thumbing through fan decks, color chips and shelter magazines for color inspiration connected the dots between color as an accent and color as the focal point.

I believe we can all agree color anchors, emphasizes, enlivens and transforms a space.

For those times when a space calls for a powerhouse pop of color, may I present a collection of transitional colors or your decorating consideration.

fall-vivid-colorsTraditional Home  ~ Paint Colors Upon Request

Common, expected and (dare I say it) traditional choices can be a “safe” decorating choice, but at the same time a boring choice. I recently saw the image below and attached quote from Isaac Mizrahi on House Beautiful’s Facebook page.

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Mizrahi if by tasteful he means boring.

“I’m all about exuberance. We only have one short life to live, and we shouldn’t waste it being tasteful.”

Isaac Mizrahi

House-Beautiful-Isaac-Mizrahi-Quote

Try implementing an uncommon color choice into an otherwise common color situation.

Take a chance, folks.

Trying new things is what puts the fresh and fun in decorating.

fall-interior-paint-colors-antiquesOne Kings Lane ~ Paint Colors Upon Request

Let’s look at a around our house favorite, decorating with antiques.  When it comes to decorating with period antique pieces and the selection of complementing or even contrasting decorative accessories, my advice is to think outside of the crayon color box.  Neutral, schmeutral- pop the color to it.

antique-furniture-color-paletteOne Kings Lane

Vivid, strong and brilliant transitional colors emphasize and heighten the rich color pigments found in rosewood, mahogany, oak and walnut woods.

fall-tones Farrow & Ball Blazer ~ Behr Exotic Honey ~ Kitchen: Better Homes and Gardens

Color is and always will be an integral component to tying the total look of the space together.

I call it hitting the color palette jackpot.

Love your style!

Kitchen, Breakfast Area, And Butler’s Pantry Page Weekend Update

The Places In The Home Kitchen, Breakfast Area, and Butler’s Pantry page weekend update is not to be confused with Saturday Night Live Weekend Update,  but it definitely took all of Saturday, and Saturday night, and it was definitely live.  With our household number temporarily reduced by two over the last three weeks,  I was able to clear out the cobwebs, so to speak, dig in, style up, photograph and post the results of  the new and improved Places In The Home Kitchen, Breakfast Area, and Butler’s Pantry page weekend update.

After much decorative debate our bella cucina has made the color transition from Sherwin-Williams Anjou Pear to Sherwin-Williams Curio Gray.

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Any decorative decision made in haste runs the risk of the dreaded and expensive do-over, or worse yet, the dreaded make do.  Decorating mistakes and missteps happen. Goodness knows I could write a book on the ones I have made. Trial and error has its place in the color my world scheme of things, and painting offers one of the most inexpensive uh-oh, this isn’t going to work outs there is.  Anjou Pear began to rot sooner than later and the neutral but distinct color of Curio Gray proved to be a classic fit.

Curio-Gray-Sherwin-Williams

The biggest part of the kitchen remodeling project (if your interested find that post here) and material choices- cabinets, granite countertop installation, flooring- still float my boat and will remain in play for awhile.  I’ve debated over replacing the breakfast area chandelier and double fluorescents but the form, function and illumination of the fixtures wins out.

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New, edited and vintage accessories in gold, white and cream breathed new life into the look.  Dave the Builder picked up this crock from Ace Hardware.   I bought the medium sized vintage rolling pin from a local shop and the larger one I found on Etsy.  The treasure hunt for vintage cutting boards began and ended in my own kitchen.  I totally forgot I had most of these.  It was a like Christmas day when I found them.

kitchen-utensils-storage-options1

One marathon eBay search later and this perfectly imperfect white porcelain pitcher was coming my way.   I don’t mind digging in for the search, but after 3-4 hours of eBaying, Etsying, and online Goodwilling I was ironstoned, porcelained and crocked to a crisp!   With camera and coffee in hand it was onward and upward to the next phase- the pictorial proof of our Kitchen, Breakfast Area, and Butler’s Pantry page weekend update.

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Without further ado, I cordially invite you to view the new, improved and updated Kitchen, Breakfast Area, and Butler’s Pantry page.

Love your style!

St. Patrick’s Day Spotlight On The Color Green

Top of the morning to you on this beautiful and most appropriate day to shine the St. Patrick’s Day spotlight on the color green.

May good luck and great design and decor inspire you today and everyday!

Agates and GeodesNatural Beauty

I am excited for the debut of the green Ball American Heritage Collection jars.

With spring decor inspiration flowing, these most definitely will be on the gotta have it list.

Fresh and green takes on a whole new meaning.

green-ball-american-pint-jarsGreen Ball American Heritage Collection Pint Jars available at FOOD52

The decorative power a well placed antique piece has over a space never fails to amaze me.

scarlett-greenArchitectural Digest

green-bedroom

Traditional Bedroom by Chicago Interior Designers & Decorators Tom Stringer Design Partners

Shades of Shamrock~

shamrock paint colors

Glamour is served and served well in this Kelly Wearstler designed kitchen in the home of Cameron Diaz.

Lacquered in a custom green paint, the look perfectly proves the point that not all kitchens are meant for white cabinets.

Cameron-Diaz-kitchenWilliam Abranowicz for Elle Decor 

Interiors that incorporate the color green as the main palette choice or as a well appointed accent color will invariably catch the eye.

Reason?

The color green associates a natural beauty with a tangible balance.

It’s a color that easily flows from space to space, shade to shade with the base elements of classic design and decor.

Color Combination Pink and Brown

Shades, tones, hues and variants come beautifully to the page and palette by means of perhaps one of the most striking and elegant color combinations, pink and brown.

Little Greene Paint - China Clay Deep

Little Greene Paint & Paper

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Milieu Magazine cover

Milieu Magazine

Mahogany and walnut antique pieces tend to catch my eye first over other woods due to their ability to take color.

https://www.houzz.com/pro/periodhomes/period-homes-inc

Houzz

living-room-Embellishments-Design-Studio

Embellishments Design Studio

The ribbon and grain of these woods highlight the rich browns, hints of ebony and crimson reds characteristically based in both the pink and brown color families.

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pink-brown-entry

House Beautiful

There is no wrong direction to go in with the color combination of pink and brown, and that’s exactly the point.

Brick.

Berry.

chocolate-brown-pink-settee

Pinterest

Chocolate.

Fuchsia.

coffee-table-accessories-Domino-photography-by-Amy-Neunsinger

Domino-Photography by Amy Neunsinger

Cherry.

Mushroom.

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 Amanda Nisbet Design

Coral.

Blush.

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70s Pink and Brown Scarf

Perhaps quite the walk away from a traditional palette, however still in the color combination neighborhood of pink and brown.

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custom-cabinetry-A Layered Life

A Layered Life

That’s the beauty of and attraction to visually engaging color combinations that complement, contrast, and/or coordinate well with home decor options.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/max-garcia/6722874869/

Flickr

Eye-catching color combinations neither restrict or confine, but grant decorative leeway in the rich, deep, bright, bold, understated, whimsical, classic or new traditional scheme of things.

 wright building company

 Wright Building Company

The broad range of pinks and browns opens the world of color up to hues, tones, and schemes prime for personal decorating style interpretation.

pink-brown-end-of-bed-bench

Demonstrated below is four gorgeous examples of this school of thought from Benjamin Moore.

pink-brown-color-palette

Pop of glorious Glamour Pink.

Anything but middle of the road Middlebury Brown.

Classic Coral Pink.

Timeless Tudor Brown.

anne hepfer designs

Anne Hepfer Designs – DecorPad

Pink and brown in soft shades and hues perfect a nursery or tween girls bedroom with an air of age appropriate sophistication.

pink-brown-bedroom

El Mueble

Bunny-Williams-dining-room-sitting-area

Architectural Digest

From a soft hint or faint whisper of, a berry bold statement, or a redefined interpretation of the classics, the color combination of pink and brown plays well to the room.

The Power of Color

Life often revolves around the color wheel, demonstrating the power of color.

The influence of color touches lives far beyond pattern, palette, and walls.

the-power-of-color

In the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, I find I am more and more amazed at the power of color.

It’s no coincidence that color is closely associated with traditional rights of passage and milestones in our lives.

The pink or blue of a baby nursery,

The religious significance of white baptism robes and christening gowns.

Graduation caps and gowns in school colors.

White and ivory wedding dresses.

Black tie affairs.

Golden and silver anniversaries.

You get the idea.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

Emilie Parker, Josephine “Joey” Gay, Grace McDonnell, and Victoria Soto share obvious and tragic circumstances, but choosing to define their memories by those circumstances is not fair to the lives they lead.

I am so struck by one particular detail, a shared commonality lovingly revealed and colorfully expressed.

We’ve learned how color defined their individuality and its impact in each of their lives, memorials, and funerals.

Josephine loved all things purple, Emilie the color pink, Grace claimed both as her favorites, and Victoria adored the color green.

purple-bedroom-with-bed-crownflodeau

Josephine “Joey” Gay’s family knows well Joey’s affinity for the color purple, straight from the spirited hearts of Baltimore Ravens fans.

purple-and-white-bedroomNew England Home

Purple balloons throughout their neighborhood paid tribute to Joey.

May the peace and warmth associated with the color purple comfort her family.

Addison Gallery

Big sister Emilie Parker  nurtured way far beyond her young years.

Comfort came to those who remembered her caring qualities by a simple and colorful request- to wear the color pink, Emilie’s favorite, in a united show of love and remembrance of the little girl who loved pink.

Elle Decor

Grace McDonnell’s mother talks of Grace’s love of peace signs and the colors pink and purple.

Her mother shared with Anderson Cooper how the family took part in a very colorful, deeply personal, comforting, and fitting tribute to Grace.

Grace colored the world with her artwork so full of vivid colors, wise subjects, and touching sentiments.

Color was not absent from her world, and her parents made sure it would never be via Sharpies and color filled tributes.

1stdibs

Victoria Soto simply adored the color green and pink flamingos.

That revelation crosses my mind when I source, select, and admire the color green.

Green has a calming quality and is said to represent safety.

From what we now know, Victoria Soto died offering to the best of her ability the qualities of her favorite color.

Pinterest

Isn’t it beautiful how color is a sweet and strangely comforting testament to the creativity, imagination, and strength of Grace, Victoria, Josephine, and Emilie.

Color gives hope through the green and white ribbons that stand strong with Sandy Hook and the citizens of Newtown, Connecticut.

Unity echoes through music, small voices, and somewhere over the rainbow colors in support of the families and in remembrance of Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel Davino, Olivia Engel, Ana M. Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Dawn Hochsprung, Madeleine F. Hsu, Catherine V. Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Anne Marie Murphy, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Benjamin Wheeler, and Allison N. Wyatt.