Happy 2017! Hot Colors for the New Year

Greenery

pantone.com

The 2017 Pantone Color of the Year has been announced and it is Greenery! This choice is a bold one with its bright and cheery tone as well as its nod to the environment. This will certainly be seen throughout interior trends this year. It would be best used in small doses with accessories and real or faux plants!

pantone.com

Poised Taupe

sherwinwilliams.com

This Sherwin Williams paint color is their 2017 color of the year! This is a gorgeous mix of grays and browns which creates a balance of cool and warmer tones all in one. This photo shows the paint color used in a kitchen which looks great as a contrast to the cabinets. 

sherwinwilliams.com

Shadow

benjaminmoore.com

Benjamin Moore chose their own color of 2017 and, drum roll please…it is Shadow! This is a deep, rich purple hue that will fill which ever space you put it in with added drama and depth. 2017 is going to be the year of bursting out of the norm and taking risks when it comes to interiors. Shadow is a perfect example of this trend!

benjaminmoore.com

Peek a Blue

behr.com

Finally, while Behr didn't choose one single color as their color of the year, they did choose Peek a Blue as a color in one of their 2017 palettes. This is a bright, happy aqua that will add light and whimsy to your home. This color would be right at home in an office or bathroom, or if your willing to really commit to this fun color, try it in the living room or kitchen!

behr.com

Fashion Guest Blogger: Amber Philpott, WKYT News Anchor

Amber Philpott, anchor for WKYT shares some great advice for what to wear on and off camera.  Enjoy!

I find it comical that I am writing a blog entry on fashion, I often tell people it’s funny that I work in a business where hair, makeup and clothes matter because I seem to not know a lot about any of them.  I have never been a fashionista, one who keeps up with the latest trends and fads.  What I do know is that I like what I see.  In fact this time of year is very hard for me because the weather can still feel like winter, but all of those great summer looks are calling my name as I walk through the mall.  

I think style and personal fashion should not be about trends and fads, rather what makes you comfortable and beautiful.  I am quite conservative in how I shop and what I choose; I am the type of girl who would wear pearls every single day if she could.  Pearls are timeless, classic and can be casual or dressy!

For this entry though I wanted you to have some expert advice from a woman who I rely on to help me look the best I can each and every day on WKYT.  We have an image consultant that helps us determine the right look in terms of clothing, color choice, makeup and even hairstyle.  For someone like myself I truly appreciate the help that she provides me, it means I don’t have to study magazines to figure out what I should look like.

Our consultant is Sherry Ailor with Focus Image Consulting, when I asked her what the hottest trend for spring is this year, she said Yellow!  Here is her advice for all of us out there that are a little fashion clueless!

"Yellow is a great color for every stylish woman and fashion Diva to invite into their wardrobe this spring and summer. Consider a great piece of clothing in a yellow shade or tone that flatters your skin tone, eyes and hair. Or, a yellow accessory such as a great piece of jewelry, a scarf, a belt, shoes or purse would be a great addition too. It is all out there just waiting for the right person to incorporate it into their wardrobe.

Yellow is not only an on trend color for spring it's actually the color of happiness, and optimism, of enlightenment and creativity, sunshine and spring. In almost every culture yellow represents sunshine, happiness, and warmth. This alone is good reason to add a little yellow to your fashionable life."

Sherry also says it’s “Game On,” when it comes to a popular spring trend this year.  She says sports and fitness are not only influencing our health, but now it is becoming part of our wardrobe.  Sherry says this spring you will find sporting designs that are wearable, but also allow you to show off all of the hard work that you have been putting in at the gym everyday!  She says taking care of your body and soul is very important and finding that right outfit for this spring might just help you feel even better about yourself.  

 Happy Shopping!

-Amber

Amber Philpott is an award-winning news anchor with WKYT. She is living her dream as a television news journalist, she proudly brings the news to Central and Eastern Kentucky each night as co-anchor of the 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.  www.wkyt.com

Color Me Christmas

As with clothing and home fashion, colors come in and out of style for Christmas.  My mother- in- law (very traditional by nature) has started to take notice of the changing color schemes for Christmas and is getting a little bolder. She is venturing away from her traditional deep red poinsettias and gold ribbon for her tree and experimenting with lime green mesh.  

Lime green is still holding on as a favorite.  You can pair it with the traditional Christmas red and emerald green to create a fun color story for you tree.  Combining it with pink makes the decor very whimsical.  Silver looks beautiful with this shade of green, as well.  There is something about mixing an electric shade of green with a crisp metallic that feels very wintry yet chic.

Rose, white and gold.  I refer to this grouping as Victorian because of the feeling it evokes when I see these colors together. They look very romantic and feminine when used together.  Throwing in a little blue is a beautiful compliment, as well.

Turquoise and gold is a pairing inspired by the peacock.  When feathers started creeping in to Christmas decor, the richness of turquoise began to take hold.  Accenting with plum gives you a regal look.  The gold serves as a little bling to keep your tree from getting too dark.

Black and silver make great accents to any color scheme.  Ornaments or decorative stems in black add a backdrop for the bolder colors to stand out.  Silver can do a variety of things.  The color can bring a sense of winter when used with other metallics, blue, or citrus colors (like the lime green I mentioned).  It can also be used as an accent to beautify more traditional shades- red, rose, or emerald green.

Another mix of colors that has remained popular are the bright jewel tones.  I used electric blue, hot pink and purple on a black Christmas tree this year and it was gorgeous!  Those colors jumped right off the tree!
Over the past few years I've found it interesting that there isn't just one "hot" color or color combination but several.  This year is no exception! Be like my mother-in-law, lose your inhibitions about Christmas and go for a new color scheme.

Is it too Fall???

A large number of people, including myself are using warm earth tones in their home. I would venture to say that gold, in one shade or another, is replacing the taupe we saw throughout the early 2000s. The transition started with the Tuscan movement we had about 5 years ago. Everyone was in love with the plaster walls, wine inspired art and deep colors. Now some of the colors remain the same but the vibe is less Tuscan and more relaxed. People desire to make their home a warm, inviting place that they want to spend time in. 

One client, who has these warm tones in her home, asked me if her home was too "Fall". I looked around a few moments and assured her that it was not. Yes, some of the colors mimicked those of the leaves on the trees outside, but she had a good mix of non- Fall colors to balance out the space.  Shortly after this discussion I was reading Better Homes & Gardens magazine and ran across a blurb that addressed my client's concern.  I couldn't agree more with what I read! If you have apace that is predominantly red, gold, orange or warm brown you can balance it out with accents of blues and greens. These colors are still very natural and earthy but they "cool" down the color scheme. Since blue is not a color you see on the foliage during Fall , it helps you avoid being "too Fall."

Black & White

It's black. It's white.  As I am typing, I am humming Michael Jackson's hit  (As mentioned in previous posts, everything to me related to a song).  I'm sure that you are glad this is a text post and not a video!

Enough about music, I really want to talk about the trend of using black & white in home decor.  These colors have been strong in the fashion world for the past couple seasons and now are making a big splash into the home scene.  Everything from checkerboard tile floors to mod bedding to luxurious throw pillows. 

Some people are jumping into the trend and re-doing entire rooms to reflect their love for black & white.  If you aren't so sure, start off slow.  Introduce black and white in small ways.  Ceramic accessories in these solid colors lend an air of sophistication to a bookcase.  Are you afraid of being void of color? Choose a gorgeous wall color like turquoise, use all black and white patterned fabrics in the space and top it all off with a punch of yellow in the throw pillows and accessories.  Be careful not to overdo the yellow, or it will lose it's impact.

Don't forget about Christmas decorating with these colors!  White has always been a favorite for the feel of fresh fallen snow that it provides.  Pairing black and a dash of silver with it takes the decor to a Chanel level.  Very chic, classy and beautiful.

Make Way for Gray

I will admit that in the past when I thought of gray a lot of drab, dreary and prison-like images came to mind.  Most ladies tend to freak out when someone utters that color name because we dread the day when it will take up residence on our hair follicles.  But I have been converted to become a big fan of this color (for decorating, not on my hair).  Shades of gray are popping up in rooms all over and people are loving it.  No longer is the shade only a cool and institutional color.  It has warmth, it can neutralize, and it can offer gorgeous contrast to other colors.  Everyone can find a gray that suits their style- from silvery shades to deep charcoal tones.  If you want to see what this color can do, check out some of my favorite gray paints from Sherwin Williams:

Cityscape 7067

Dovetail 7018

Mineral Deposit 7652

Pavestone 7642

There are thousands more beyond what I listed, but these are some of my personal favorites that will compliment almost any design plan. If painting the walls are not an option, consider adding throw pillows in a deep slate.  Or how about a gunmetal gray side chair with a colorful throw draped off the back??  You can really go wild with this color.

So go ahead....I dare you to go gray!

In the Navy

If you haven't noticed, navy is making a big splash these days.  Navy, black and brown are always colors that are used by designers to ground a space.  None of these ever go out of style, but there is always one shade that is a little more popular than the others.  This year it is definitely navy!  Everywhere I look- from Ballard Design catalogs to House Beautiful magazine spreads to product in local shops- navy is front and center.  What I love about the color is it offers a softer contrast to other colors.  

When paired with white it is a crisp look, but not harsh to the eyes. 

There are beautiful fabrics that utilize navy.

Lampshades are adorned with the color.

 

Area rugs are showcasing the shade.  

 Join the NAVY!

Switzerland is not Beige

I’m not really going to talk about the country of Switzerland here.  But I do want to chat about what Switzerland is….neutral.  This is a buzzword in home décor and is often a misused word.  Everybody says, “the house should be neutral if you want it to sell”; “neutral colors are so soothing”; etc.  Neutral is a great thing, but somewhere along the way, neutral wrongly started to equal beige.  My goal today is to help you understand that neutral is a whole lot more than beige! 

Some of the BEST neutral paint tones are blues and greens.  This year’s most popular shade of paint happens to be a smoky lavender hue and it is NEUTRAL!

These definitions of neutral describe best my point: 1. matching well with many or most other colors or shades, 2. inoffensive.  House Beautiful published a great go-to list for neutrals in last year’s edition of 500+ Favorite Paint Colors, here’s a sampling of that list:

C2 Paint Sorcerer

Benjamin Moore Mesquite

Benjamin Moore Horizon

Sherwin Williams Determined Orange

Benjamin Moore Glass Slipper

Benjamin Moore Wenge

Pratt & Lambert Deep Jungle

Benjamin Moore Peace and Happiness

Some of these are a little bolder than others but they still neutralize a space and work well with a slew of others colors.  Happy neutralizing!

Spring Colors & Their Meanings

Yellow
Joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer

Blue
Peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence

Green
Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring

Pink

Timid, romantic, feminine, affection, gentleness, intimacy, universal color of love

When I read about these colors, images of daffodils, soft grass, hydrangeas & tulips flood my mind.  I think of the babbling brook that has come to life because the freezing temperatures are over.  When these changes begin happening outside, we usually start making changes inside our homes as well: a fresh coat of paint, new throw pillows or maybe even a remodel of the kitchen that stifled your creativity all winter.  Whatever your project, color it YOU!

Colors for 2011

I am loving this year's color forecast from Sherwin Williams.  there is a little something for everyone- understated tones, bright & bold, exotic shades and fresh hues.  Some of my personal favorites are:

Bracing Blue (6242)

Peppercorn (7674)

Parakeet (6711)

Armagnac (6454)

  
Whole Wheat (6121)

Looking forward to using a number of these shades in the coming year!  Happy painting!

Mood Enhancing Color Choices

Here was a parting thought intern Lucy left with us.  Happy reading!

Most of us do not realize how the color of our bedroom or living room can affect our everyday lives. The color of a room can influence our mood and our thoughts. I found these interesting mood- enhancing colors:

Calming colors: beige, pale apricot, and greyed-down violet.

Cozy colors: deep blue-green, pale sage, espresso brown, and deep rosy red.

 

Uplifting colors: lavender, yellowy green, and robin’s egg blue.

Sexy colors: deep red, hot pink, chocolate brown, and gunmetal grey.

Christmas...in August???

As a decorator I have some special privileges, like seeing all the HOT Christmas colors and ideas 5 months in advance.  And let me tell you, I’m excited!  The main color schemes are pretty similar to last year- rich earth tones (bronze, copper, silver), deep jewel tones (turquoise, sapphire), classic colors (black, white, red) and bold colors that I refer to as the 80s revisited (bright pink, purple, electric blue).  If you are a glitz lover, then hold onto your hat because this year is all about glitter , sparkle and shine, giving you an all access pass to go overboard in your holiday decorating.

If these trends aren’t your cup of tea, no worries, take your personal Christmas style and own it.  You can never go wrong with a vintage themed Christmas decorations (think Victorian lace) or rustic and all natural decor complete with fresh pine, family heirloom ornaments and popcorn garland.

Don’t forget that Polka Dots & Rosebuds offers holiday decorating for homes and businesses alike.  Let us help you refresh or replace your tired decor.  Make your appointments early because December will be here before you know it!

Oh, and before I forget….Here’s your personal SAVE THE DATE:

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Holiday Preview Party (for those shoppers who want to get a jumpstart and save a little cash)

Tuesday, November 2^nd

BIG Savings on all custom painted gift orders (ornaments, glassware, canvases, etc)

Mark your calendar and tell all your friends, neighbors and coworkers because they won’t want to miss this!  More details and individual invites to follow.

Snazzy Color Combos (Part 2)...

Paint isn't the only way to infuse color.  Color can be brought in using wallpaper, fabrics- for furniture and window treatments, accessories, rugs, art and more. Sometimes the more unexpected, the better! Keep in mind that trendy colors pair nicely with other colors that may not be on the list.  Remember not to go overboard with a color- incorporate variety into your pallette.  Here are some great photo examples (from Southern Living magazine) of how these HOT colors can be paired together to create a fabulous space:

Yellow & Fuschia

Yellow & Sage Green:

Coral & Yellow:

Turquoise paired with other complimentary & powerful colors:

Turquoise, Sage Green & Yellow:

Coral & Yellow:

Deep Red & Turquoise:

Deep Red, Yellow & Fuschia:

Sage Green, deep red & yellow

Turquoise, Aqua, Fuschia & Yellow:

Sage Green & Aqua:

    

Yellow, Mink & Silver:

                                                    Yellow & Silver: