Category Archives: Color palettes

Pastels in Home Decor

pastel interiors
At the mention of pastels I think of those gorgeous candies, the nonpareil mint. The cool mint green, the blue-ish pink and the baby blue. I can imagine biting into the hard, sweet candy shell with the hint of mint below and the rich chocolate center. As an interior color consultant I just don’t think about pastels in home decor. But pastel interiors have become a trend, certainly around Spring time. They seem to be everywhere and they are more often than not, poorly executed. When people create a pastel room palette they often employ too many pastels and the space becomes a mishmash of baby colors.… Continue reading...

Two Toned Painted Walls

two tone wallsNikolas Koenig
Two toned painted walls add color to a room without adding chaos. When the walls are divided horizontally, a graphic element is added to the design of the space. Painting walls with two colors creates a dynamism where the final affect is much more than the sum of the parts. When a client is open to it I’m happy to suggest this approach when I’m interior paint color consulting. We’re accustomed to seeing two colors with wainscoting, of course. Wainscoting is a traditional room treatment which adds millwork to the lower portion of the walls. Wainscoting is often painted white while the sheetrock above is painted another color.… Continue reading...

The Warm Tones of Metallics at Home

metallic wall glazeRalph Lauren Metallic Paint
There’s been a growing trend towards the use of warm toned metallics in home decor. Brass and copper are everywhere from lighting to case goods, hardware to kitchen cabinets. This first post for 2016 is about color of course, but only tangentially about wall color. Of course chrome and nickel finishes have been the standard for so long. Both have serviced many decorating styles ably. But the warmth of brass and copper is really coming to the fore. These warm toned metallics counter the more clinical influence of cool grays and white, adding richness, depth and color. Forget about their elemental composition and just consider their color ~ gold and pink.… Continue reading...

9 Design Trends for 2016

color consultant
“Best of” lists are common this time of year. We see roundups of the best television shows, movies, Facebook posts and photos of 2015.  With the recent announcement of the new Color of the Year by Pantone and the major paint companies, sights are set on the new year in design. But next year’s trends are formulated by this year’s choices. Who better than a paint color consultant to focus a keen eye on what was, to point us towards what will be. Here’s a list of the top color and home design trends of 2015 which promise to evolve in 2016.… Continue reading...

6 Beautiful Whites that Cover all the Bases

Amy Krane Color
White is like any paint color. There is no one best. It’s all about context and your design goals.  Best depends on best for what. There are thousands of white paint colors available. White is considered the ultimate neutral. White paint colors have relatively little hue so some think that makes them easy to choose. They’re not. Neutral whites without pronounced undertones are few and not necessarily the best choice for every application. What do you want your white to do, brighten and lighten? Its success is based on how much natural light is in the room. White walls in an area with no natural light can look dingy if not chosen well.… Continue reading...

Autumn Colors for your Home

brown bedroomAmy Krane Color
If you have a hankering to do some permanent redecorating this time of year, consider some toastier autumn colors for your walls. As a color expert I suggest brown, plum, mustard, taupe and burnt orange to conjure up feelings of coziness, perfect for the colder months. We all know switching out a summer wardrobe for a winter one is as easy as taking our sweaters out of storage and packing the sandals away. The white pants get a final cleaning then move to the rear of the closet and our deep dark tones come to the forefront. It’s a little more complicated with home decor but that doesn’t mean you can’t accessorize differently for the colder months.… Continue reading...

Barn Red : A Survey of Red Barns

barn redPhoto: Amy Krane
I spend a lot time driving around Columbia County NY where I live, admiring the red barns. There are so many beautiful ones, both vintage and new. Many people choose a classic barn red for their home as well. Like all colors, the light greatly affects the appearance of the red. The same red will look completely different on a sunny versus cloudy day, front, back or side lit, facing north or south. There are numerous fables about the origin of the red used on barns in the U.S. One story relates that iron oxide or rust was added to linseed oil and painted on the wood siding to protect the structure from fungus and mold.… Continue reading...