How many times have you gotten stuck with making a decision about color in your home? Whether it is paint color for the walls, or deciding what color ornaments for the Christmas tree, it’s probably more times than you realize.

Color is one of the key elements of interior design; it has the ability to affect the mood of the users in a space. Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy, or using colors to heal. Chromotherapy is sometimes referred to as light therapy or colorology and is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment. Color is serious business! It can make or break a design scheme.

• Red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation.
• Yellow was thought to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.
• Orange was used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels.
• Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems.
• Blue was believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain.

Most people know what colors they like and ones they don’t, but when it comes to applying those colors in a room’s décor, it becomes an overwhelming experience. As an Interior Decorator, there are different strategies I use in my design practice to choose colors for my clients. A few basic ones are:

• Finding color Inspiration in the fabrics being used in the room.
• Finding color Inspiration in the area rug being used in the room
• Finding color Inspiration in the artwork or wallpaper
• Using paint store displays or paint store websites for inspiration
• Looking to Nature for inspiration.
• Taking a cue from current color trends in interior design and fashion

Photo: Design Seeds

Looking to nature for color inspiration is easier than you may think. Design Seeds is one online resource that provides color inspiration from nature in a method that’s easy to use for most consumers. while the colors have no names, nor correlate with paint store brands, they definitely help to point you in the right direction. Here are some other examples:

Photo: Design Seeds

Look at the world around you, starting in your own backyard and see the beauty and colors of nature, and bring those colors inside. Maybe it’s the rose bush in your neighbor’s yard

Or the beautiful bird that keeps gracing you with her presence everyday….

Even if you live in the big city, and maybe don’t get to see a whole lot of nature’s beauty, there is still color inspiration waiting to be discovered

Here I have included a series of color palettes; take a look and see which palette feels more like you. Leave a comment below with the number of the palette that most inspires you and why

If all those methods still seem a bit overwhelming for you, call in the professionals. I offer hourly color consultations to clients in the Houston area. You can contact me for more information.

Hope you were inspired to go forth and pick colors!

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for …….announcing the winner of my blog contest “Name The New Mascot For No Naked Windows“!!! But before I get to the winner, I would first like to reveal the answer to my latest blog post “What The Heck Is It“, where you had an opportunity to reveal your inner designer, by guessing the name and use of the special product pictured below.

A couple of folks got it right…Congratulations to Jennifer Clay and Sonya!!!

It is called a corner adapter or elbow and it is used to attached two curtain rods that meet in a corner for a seamless, more finished look. Much like the human elbow, it is flexible enough to follow different angles smoothly.

Ok, now for the winner of our blog contest for coming up with a great name for the new Mascot for No Naked Windows. Here again is a picture of the little guy or girl.

Photo: Secret Garden FaceBook Page

First I would like to thank everyone who participated. There were so many great names, I had a hard time picking a winner! My beautiful children stepped in to help, so here goes!!!

The name of our cute little GIRL is SHELLY the turtle, chosen by Rob Manea and his adorable 8 year old daughter!!! Congratulations guys!!! You did a great job naming the new mascot for No Naked Windows.

For your fabulous prize, you get to choose between these two pillows!!!!

13×20 Pillow in Brown/Tan

13×20 Pillow In Black/Ivory

Rob, please send me an email to claim your prize. Please include your choice of pillows and the address where I can send it. Congratulations again!!!

Ok, that’s all for today folks. Please watch for more contests in the near future!

Please comment and share!

Have a fabulous Monday!

Be Inspired!

There may be some truth to the seemingly popular belief that if you paint a small room in really dark colors it will make the room feel smaller. But the opposite is true in most cases. Dark colors on walls with lighter color furniture and furnishings can actually cause the room to feel bigger. The reason is that dark colors on the wall with the contrast of lighter furniture in the foreground, tends to cause the walls to visually recede and give the illusion of more space. On the other hand, dark colors on walls with dark furniture and furnishings does create a more cozy feel. Cozy can have a negative connotation, especially in the real estate world, but cozy is sometimes the perfect choice in certain spaces. In rooms such as a master bedroom or a den or library, a cozier, more intimate feel works best. It is also a great way to make a larger room feel more intimate and in-scale with the users of the space.  There are many sought after designers who have made this “dark on dark” way of decorating their signature style. There are some key elements that if followed carefully will create a beautiful, cozy and even a romantic space. You will find that there is no need to be afraid of dark colors on walls.

Use various finishes with wall colors, ceiling colors and trim colors. Basically what this means is to choose different sheens for different surfaces. For example the walls can be painted in an “eggshell” finish, while the trim and built-ins painted in a semi-gloss, while the ceiling painted in a  high gloss. If black is the color choice, then it is sometimes better to go with as little sheen as possible.

Use various textures throughout the room. The same is true for any room, but in a dark on dark color scheme, using various textures is key to adding interest and preventing the room from looking flat and bland. Using textured wallpaper such as grasscloth is a great way to add texture in large doses. Fabrics are also going to be your best friend with adding various textures to a room.

Use large scale and bold furniture pieces as your key pieces. Of course your furniture should be appropriately scaled for the room size, but this is not the time to be a wimp. A bunch of small pieces, may physically fit the room, but will end up looking cluttered in the finished space. Not all pieces have to be large scale, but your key pieces should balance the dark walls.

Use less matchy matchy pieces for a more dynamic, eclectic space. If you had the guts to pick a dark wall color, then follow through and mix it up. Matchy matchy in any room looks boring and predictable anyway, so you want to avoid doing that all around. But mixing different furniture styles and periods in a dark on dark room is definitely a yes.

It doesn’t all have to be neutral or monochromatic. While you want to be confident with your color choices, this doesn’t mean you have to go monochromatic, where all the colors are various shades and tones of one color and neither does it have to be all neutral and earth tones. Whatever your color choice is for the walls, care should be taken to balance the rest of the room so you don’t end up with a clown house.

Lighting will be your best friend. One of the key elements to decorating with dark colors is lighting. Too much lighting is just as bad as not enough so choose carefully. Different types of lighting sources must be used to complete the room: Task lighting, ambient lighting, accent lighting.

In conclusion, you shouldn’t be afraid of using the colors you love in your home, even if they are very dark. Design rules are great, but sometimes you can break the rules and still have a beautiful result. It does take a skilled eye to put some of the elements together, so I am including some of my favorite rooms for your inspiration. They are from various sources. Please leave a comment and let me know if this post has helped you overcome your fear of going to the dark side. Have fun decorating!

www.casavilorainteriors.com