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.