How We Craft Interiors to Suit Different Partner Preferences

How We Craft Interiors to Suit Different Partner Preferences

One question we get often is how we craft interiors to suit partners with different style preferences. Many times our clients look to us to referee or simply to choose the colors for them. We’re happy to report a solution with a win-win outcome! It’s important for both partners to have a say, since color affects our moods, outlook, and feeling of well-being.

Couple intently staring at computer screen and various countertop samples.

(Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/coworkers-pointing-at-a-laptop-and-tile-samples-4977411/)

 

1. We Support A Culture of Candidness

Sometimes one partner will defer or express a fear of stating a preference, either out of uncertainty or to avoid conflict. When each person is open and honest about what they want, like, and dislike, we can help guide the couple to choosing the right colors they will love to come home to. We encourage each person to let us know what they like, even if they’re not sure if “it will work.” We ask our clients to show us inspiration photos of what they each like, and we’ll let them know if and how we can incorporate their dream looks.

A room showing a style to suit different tastes of a couple(Photo by VAZHNIK from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-tables-and-chairs-7563521/)

2. We Have the Knowledge to Integrate Different Styles Harmoniously

We excel at blending styles and creating harmony and flow from room to room. If a husband likes rich dark hues, while the wife likes light neutrals, we sometimes suggest a color for the husband’s office that ties in with a darker color, for example, found in other parts of the house. Balancing neutrals and darks in the right combination can create spaces both parties will adore.

A couple talking about How We Craft Interiors to Suit Different Partner Preferences(Photo by Diva Plavalaguna: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-giving-cooked-meal-at-home-5711141/)

3. We Advise Couples to Embrace Flexibility and Encourage Compromise

Additionally, couples will need to compromise to come to a win-win solution. Using the overall color scheme in different combinations and percentages, we aim to meet the needs of both. Keep in mind the less critical components of the design lend themselves to the give-and-take necessary to help couples come to agreement.

Couple happily dancing in their new home.(Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-long-sleeve-shirt-and-gray-pants-standing-beside-brown-wooden-table-4554422/)

Over the years, we’ve put our “couples counseling” hat on many times to help couples find solutions that work for both of them. We make the process easy and fun by listening to both people, looking for colors that make them smile, and leaving them feeling relieved and happy.

Need help designing a home that you and your spouse will both love? That’s what we do. Reach out and let’s chat. Get our client guide too.

Color Confidently Yours,

How Colors In Your Home Can Influence Your Mood

How Colors In Your Home Can Influence Your Mood

Does a red room make you feel agitated, while a soft blue or green feels calming? Today, we’ll show you how to use color based on what you want to feel in your home. Science proves certain colors can affect our moods and emotions. Psychology Today has an article suggesting a possible effect on our cognitive skills, as well. So if colors affect our mental health, emotions, and even how well we perform certain tasks, choosing the right paint colors is crucial.

Room with blues and greens with plants for a calming space(Photo by Charlotte May from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cozy-interior-of-living-room-with-wooden-chairs-and-table-5824890/)

Infuse Your Home With Comfort Through Color

The current trend toward earth hues like blues, greens, wood elements, and warm colors suggests that homeowners are looking for the comfort nature provides. Different hues, lightness/darkness, and how much chroma/saturation a color has can affect our perception and response to colors. Infusing more saturated colors with the hues of nature can add life to your entertainment and social spaces.

A kitchen with orange cabinets shows How Colors In Your Home Can Influence Your Mood(Photo by Houzlook.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/orange-wooden-kitchen-cabinets-3418998/)

Saturated oranges and reds stimulate hunger and excitement, which would be good for a dining room or kitchen, but not for a bedroom.

Dining room with muted relaxing colors(Photo by Max Rahubovskiy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/simple-interior-of-comfortable-dining-room-with-table-and-chairs-6180676/)

Bedroom with softer hues to create a calming atmosphere(Photo by Max Rahubovskiy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cozy-bedroom-with-walls-decorated-with-lamps-and-pictures-6180671/)

On the other hand, lighter shades of the same hues, such as pinks and corals, paired with soft lavenders and lighter blues, could simulate the colors of a soothing morning dawn.

Mixing Neutrals With Pops of Color

Are you ready for more color?  We understand it feels safer to keep main rooms more neutral. If you’re looking to bring in more “pizzazz,” kitchens, powder rooms, laundry rooms, and home offices are fun places to add color. Especially when separate from the main rooms, these spaces act as islands that can support a unique color. We have helped many homeowners work through their fears of adding color by incorporating warm neutrals, textures, plants, and earth hues to balance the amount of sensitivity for each client.

Kitchen with colorful cabinets(Photo by Keegan Checks: https://www.pexels.com/photo/contemporary-kitchen-design-with-blue-cabinets-10117737/)

Sometimes painting a color on the walls of your kitchen feels intimidating. Consider adding a pop of color on your cabinets instead!

Bathroom with dark green walls to simulate naturePhoto by Andrew Neel: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-ceramic-sink-with-stainless-steel-faucet-5860600/)

The options to bring color into a bathroom are nearly limitless. These are fun spaces to experiment with a bold paint color or even use wallpaper. Use a colored or patterned tile on the walls and/or floors. Try out different bath mats, rugs, curtains, or towels. Even the vanity cabinets could be a fun color.

Dining room with muted blue green walls and saturated yellow chairs(Photo by Max Rahubovskiy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/table-with-flowers-in-kitchen-6492386/)

Intimidated By Bold? Aim For Less Saturated and Subtle Colors

Knowing what you like and dislike is key to choosing the right “feel” for each room. When working with a Certified Color Expert and Strategist, you will be guided to colors that work in your home. We consider your needs and how the colors in your home can influence your mood. For example, in bedrooms where the goals are sleep and relaxation, we show you which colors provide a calming feel. For bathrooms, we have the perfect colors for a spa effect. Soothing blues, greens, and softer hues are perfect for these rooms.

Spa-like bathroom with blue walls and soft white wainscoting(Photo by Max Rahubovskiy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/interior-of-a-comfort-room-with-wood-panels-8143713/)

Before we come out to your home for the in-person consultation, we conduct a pre-appointment phone interview to determine your color sensitivity, likes and dislikes, color and style preferences preferences, and dreams and inspirations. With this information in hand, we’ll help you take the fear out of choosing the right colors the first time. Together, we’ll create a color scheme you love (read how you can prepare for your consultation here).

If you’re ready to create a color-filled space perfectly suited to your desired emotions, reach out to us. We can’t wait to hear about your project.

Color Confidently Yours,

How to Update the Gray Trend with the New Color Trend

earth colors

Greens in nature

WITH 2022 HALF OVER, many of our clients are asking us how to update the gray trend with the new color trend. The answer involves incorporating earth colors! Yes, the gray trend is ending – finally. The current trend toward earth tones is very different than the browns, beiges, golds, olives, and  maroons of the 80s. Colors for 2022 are warmer, earth-toned schemes of updated beiges, blues, greens, browns, warm grays, whites, and greiges. We’re even seeing more pinks and peaches, like the early morning sky of a new day. “If you’re afraid to bring more color into your home, you need not worry,” – says Lili Englehart of Color Confident Home. “Using neutrals on your walls as a backdrop is not going out of style.”

Though we are getting lots of requests for color on walls, clients who want to change up accessories often, or per season, gravitate toward neutral backdrops on their walls so they have the freedom of variety. Others feel calmed by using neutrals all around. The key to creating depth and a designed look with all neutrals is to use pattern and texture. So whether you want to add color to your home or choose from the myriad of neutrals and their hues, we can help. We take the fear out of choosing colors that are right for you and your home with 3 Easy Steps to colors you’ll love!

The New Color Trend
Evergreen Fog

Sherwin-Williams 2022 Color of the Year

Design trends typically have a lifespan of about seven to ten years. Fads, such as the current black and white craze, go out of style even quicker. Besides the normal lifespan of color and design trends, the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the new color trend. Just as the pandemic has shaped every other aspect of life, its effects have also reached home design. With everyone working and studying at home 24/7, being surrounded by gray became depressing quickly. As Joa Studholme, the color curator for Farrow & Ball, recently said in a New York Times article, “There’s nothing about gray that evokes wellness….There is a tendency to crave warm tones in challenging times.” She goes on, “It’s all about being warm and earthy and choosing deeply saturated color. It’s about trying something that gives you a great big hug.” Notice the similarities in 2022 Colors of the Year – the choices reflect this need for color. For instance, Farrow & Ball’s Tanner’s Brown, Scotch Blue, Green Smoke and India Yellow, Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Teal (2021) and October Mist (2022), and Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze (2021) and Evergreen Fog (2022) all offer a much needed atmosphere of comfort.

2022 Benjamin Moore Color Palette

Benjamin Moore 2022 Color Palette

Lili emphasized, “It’s especially important to move away from gray in Midwestern states, where six months out of the year are cold and gray outside. We don’t want to bring that chilliness inside!” Updated neutral options, such as greiges and light beiges, instead make the home feel more inviting after coming in from the winter cold. Even some warm grays can make a drastic difference as opposed to neutral or cool grays.

Update the Gray Trend with the New Color Trend: Earth Colors

If your home is currently in the gray trend, and you’re stumped on how to update, don’t fret. There are plenty of solutions to create a fresh look, while incorporating the gray you already have in your home with the incoming color trends. Many people look to only update one or two rooms at a time, then follow up with the other rooms at a later date. This often leaves clients wondering how they can refresh some spaces with new colors and decor without dating rooms with older color palettes.

A great way to avert this concern is to assess the overall color scheme of your home and the new colors you wish to include, even if the rooms are different styles. Then, choose furniture and accessories that have accents of colors and elements from each room to create a connection. Small, less expensive items such as pillows, throws, rugs, and artwork are a few of the many accessories you may consider to achieve this. For example, if you have a recently updated kitchen and dining area from the gray trend and a colorful living room with blues and greens, you could use a tablecloth with blues, greens, and hints of gray in the kitchen/dining area and an area rug or artwork with a similar color scheme in the living room. The 60-30-10 rule is a helpful tool to keep in mind to create harmony and flow amongst the varying rooms in your home. Color Confident Home will help you with a new color scheme, and if you need help furnishing or accessorizing a particular room, we can create an eDesign to help you furnish and accessorize one room at a time!

Guest room blue yellow

Color Confident Home eDesign using the 60-30-10 Rule

Listen to your home

Most importantly, listen to your home. This seems like a simple suggestion, however mixing color and design trends is tricky. We often see homes decorated with competing and mismatched components due to too many patterns or uncoordinated hues. Beth Maguire, the Benjamin Moore designers’ representative in Michigan, best put it in words, “Design for the home you have, not the home you want.” If you struggle to find a balance between what you want and what your home wants, take into consideration the fixed finishes that are difficult and expensive to replace. If your budget doesn’t allow a total remodel, consider the fixed elements and take them into consideration when deciding on a new color scheme. They include, but are not limited to, flooring/carpeting, tile, countertops, cabinets, fireplaces, etc. Any elements not being replaced must be coordinated with your new color scheme in order to create a deliberate, designed look that has harmony and flow throughout your home. For an expert color consultation, call us or send us an email!

How to Choose COLOR in Your Color Scheme

Who’s ready for some change? To ring in the new decade, choose color in your color scheme!

Color is the New Gray

The gray trend is at its end, and more of my clients are asking for color! If you want to know how to choose color in your color scheme, start with the 2020 Color of the Year choices of different paint companies. In reviewing the color picks, I found a trend toward restful nature, revitalizing the spirit, mindfulness, and well-being. With our fast-paced, demanding world, I’m not surprised that homeowners are looking to color to create nourishing environments where we can relax, reflect, and recharge.

Color Confident Home will show you how to choose color in your color scheme.

(by liliyroseinteriors.com.au)

Color Me Blue

Color Confident Home will help you choose the right colors

(Photo by Pantone.com)

When we look at Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year Classic Blue (19-4052), their website describes “a rich, dreamy, dark and beautiful shade of azure. This particular shade of blue is reflective, anchoring and self-assured. It’s relaxed and restful and meant to offer us all a sense of needed tranquility.” Shades of blue help create the calming environment we crave after a busy day. Good for bedrooms, many of my clients opt for a deep, confident blue while others crave a warm, enveloping blue with soft, pink accents.

Choose color!

Benjamin Moore’s 2020 Color of the Year (photo by BenjaminMoore.com)

Positive Pink Color Scheme

When I began seeing pink in fashion, I wasn’t surprised to see Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2020, First Light 2102-70. On their website, it says First Light “symbolizes an upbeat and hopeful start to the next ten years” and is part of their new collection of colors that “provide security, comfort, community, self-expression, and optimism.” For clients looking for more subtle color on walls, choosing First Light is light and airy and harmonizes with the on-trend blue and navy colors that have come onto the scene in the last several years. It also coordinates nicely with the current restful greens showing up in furnishings and accessories.

Back to Nature Color Scheme

Colorful scheme

Behr 2020 Color of the Year (by Behr.com)

Behr 2020 Color of the Year  (by Behr.com)Behr – BACK TO NATURE S340-4 a collection of invigorating and restorative hues designed to infuse vitality and life in any room through color. The Behr 2020 Color Trends palette was inspired by natural elements such as sky, earth, water and plant life.

Color schemes with navy

Sherwin-Williams 2020 Color of the Year (by Sherwin-WIlliams.com)

Navy is a Neutral Color

Sherwin-Williams is getting in on the design trend by revealing Naval SW 6244, a bold navy shade, as its 2020 Color of the Year.  “The use of color in interior design is changing. It’s not just about what a space looks like anymore, but how it makes you feel,” said Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. “People want to feel grounded and inspired to pursue their mental, physical and emotional well-being. Naval is reminiscent of the night sky, which people have looked to for centuries for guidance, as a muse and as a reminder to live more mindfully.”

Navy is a colorful neutral that goes with many colors and can be a backdrop for your artwork and furnishings. Look through any home magazine or sale paper and you’ll see many options for inspiration pieces and accessories.

 

Whether you’re ready to jump in and add color to your walls or you want to start slowly by adding colorful accessories, you have thousands of colors to choose from. Overwhelmed and not sure where to start? A Certified Color Expert who is trained in the science of color as well as the art of design can show you how to visualize your colors and take the fear out of choosing the right colors the first time. Contact us today!

2019 Home Color Trends to Start Using Now

Color is back in 2019 Home Color Trends!

After the gray trend of the last nine years, I’m seeing home color trends moving toward more color and warmer colors. Look in accessory catalogs, on home decor blogs, and in paint company inspiration palettes to see bold colors, warm earthy tones, and navy being featured. Remember, trends last 7-10 years, and gray is on its way out. Here in the midwest, we are a little slower to catch up with color and design trends. Along the west coast in California and on the east coast in places like New York these color trends are here. If you’re a late bloomer, maybe you’ve just finished painting your walls gray. Don’t despair! Bringing in colorful, new accessories can brighten your home and give it a fresh update until you paint again. On the other hand if you’re ready to get rid of the gray and not sure how to transition to color, read on.

2019 Home Color Trends

Pillow by chicdecorpillows

 

Curating Your Color Scheme

One way to create a new color scheme without gutting and starting over is to find a pillow or fabric with new colors that complement your current color scheme. This pillow by chicdecorpillows incorporates a blue-gray in the pattern along with yellow-green, aqua, and the on-trend navy I’m seeing in so many accessories now. The gray color scheme was originally intended for consumers to use pops of color to brighten up the gray backdrop. Many homeowners gravitated toward monochromatic shades of gray and neutrals with no colorful accessories or artwork anywhere. If your color scheme falls into this category, a simple way to freshen your design would be to add those intended pops of color.

If you still shy away from bold, saturated colors, consider navy to accessorize and add color to your home. Navy is the new neutral of neutrals, so it’s a good way to start experimenting with color if your home leans toward whites, grays, and other “safe” colors. Scour home decor catalogs for accessories, scan Pinterest to see how others incorporate navy, and seek help from a color consultant if you need help.

 

Cultivating the New Home Color Trends

After the cool gray trend, consumers are wanting bolder colors and warmer environments. Home color trends are moving toSherwin Williams 2019 Color of the Yearward earthy colors, as demonstrated by Sherwin Williams 2019 Color of the Year, SW 7701 Cavern Clay. Their website descriptively states: “A warm terracotta color with ancient, elemental roots, Cavern Clay is a nod to midcentury modern style, but with the soul of the American Southwest, which together creates the desert modern aesthetic.” Bringing these colors into our homes reminds people of varying landscapes, the freedom to explore, and a serenity only nature can offer. Geometric patterns and layered textures and accessories create a richness that invites. Wallpaper is back in subtle and creative ways to enhance the feel of our spaces.

 

2019 Home Color Trends

Behr’s 2019 Color Palettes

Behr describes their 2019 Color of the Year, S407-5 Blueprint, as “An honest, approachable color that conjures up the blueprints builders rely on to bring architectural designs to life, Blueprint creates a space where you can build your own reimagined life—where awareness of what we want to build for ourselves can transform into action.” The saturated blue-gray surrounds consumers and invites them to be the creator of their spaces. The names of their four curated color palettes – Color Binge, Down to Earth, Soft Focus, and Inspired Curation – demonstrate how saturated colors dominate the new home color trends.

A Whisper of Color

In the end, many people still prefer neutral walls with accessories, rugs, and furniture bringing in color. The trend for neutral walls leans to greige, which adds a touch of warmth to the grays we’ve been using. Greige paints a whisper of color to freshen up and brighten, while still providing the backdrop for artwork and color. If you need help figuring out the best color for your walls or deciding on an updated color scheme, contact me so you can choose the right colors the first time!

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