Color Buzz

Swoon-Worthy Style: "Sex and the City 2" Interiors

Last Thursday, we enjoyed a true “girls night out” at the opening of Sex and the City 2. Besides obvious eye candy like Big and Smith, we couldn’t keep our focus away from the interior designs throughout the film. Lydia Marks (of NYC’s Marks and Frantz) did an exceptional job on the set design, the décor practically stole the show.

Carrie and Big’s apartment is rich in bold textures and patterns, and Lydia did an impeccable job combining Carrie’s chic vibe with Big’s deep masculinity.

Here’s a rundown of some of the rooms and spaces we couldn’t get enough of, and our tips on how to emulate the look in your own home.

Design Dilemma - Balancing Warm and Cool Shades

Sandy Cove 3005-10A	Caraway Seed 3005-9C	Pelican 4007-1A	Lighthouse Shadows 4008-3B

Hi Beehive!
We just bought our first home and it is painted brown. We want it to remain light brown or sand in the main rooms (Florida open floor plan) and paint the dining room a cool, lighter blue. My dilemma is that I have no idea what a good choice is without going too dark or too light. Do you have any ideas on a sand/brown warm for the entry way and family room/kitchen and a blue that will complement the dining room? I'd be grateful for any suggestions.
Best wishes,
Liz P., Valrico, FL

Design Dilemma - Separating Spaces with Color

Milestone 6007-1B	Oregon Coast 6007-1C	Fennel Splash 6007-3B

Dear Ann,

We just purchased a foreclosed home that needs lots of work. Although we can't afford to add walls at this time, we are planning on installing new hardwood flooring.

The problem: we have a huge living room/dining room and I can't think of a way to separate the spaces. Can I do this with paint? When you walk into the room you can see the kitchen so I need to figure out how to make all of the colors coordinate.

My living room furniture is a rusty orange color and dark wood in the room (end tables, coffee table, and dining room table). I also have brown and beige sheer living room curtains, which I would like to re-use if possible.

The kitchen has dark wood cabinets which we are going to clean up and keep. I'm putting in new stainless steel appliances and adding new nickel-plated hardware to the cabinets.

Do you have any suggestions on colors to paint the rooms that will coordinate with my existing furniture? Also, any suggestion you have on separating the large living room/dining room space would be great!

Best,
Barbara S., Atlanta, GA

Pastels Are Not Just For Bedrooms

by Veronique Habermann

Baby Blush 1008-2C	Green Mist 6005-9A	Serenity 4005-7B	Gilded Endive 7003-22

Since Easter is around the corner and pastel colors are everywhere this time of the year, I would like to share my love of these colors. When people think pastels they think nurseries or children’s rooms, but I think pastel colors are well suited for any area of the home. And no, they are not only for the incurable “romantics”, they also can have a very modern appeal or even a rustic feel! Here are some rooms which I hope will inspire you with their soothing appeal.

Design Dilemma - Living Room Color Compromise

Hi,

We are trying to choose a new color scheme for our living room. My husband would like to do the whole room in bright red but I think this would make the room feel too small. It is the largest room in our house at 13x17. Ideally I'd like a scheme that would make the fire place wall and the wall with the clock behind the couch accent color walls, while the other walls have a lighter earthy tone. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!

Kim D., Salem, NH

******

Dear Kim,

Thank you for sending the photo. It makes it much easier to figure out the right direction. Your instincts are right about the earthy tons. Take a look at Dakota Trail for the two walls you're thinking of -- this color has a hint of khaki in it which would allow the reds in the fireplace to come out. This may make your husband happy. Try Woodlawn Misty Morn on the other walls, it's slightly lighter in tone. For the wall going up the stars, I would try Epic as it is slightly deeper and would add more dimension to the room.

Dakota Trail 6008-3B

Woodlawn Misty Morn 6008-3A

Epic 6008-3C

Let us know how it goes. Happy painting!

Ann

And the Winner is...

by Veronique Habermann

Gray Expose 5007-2A	Lincoln White Sash 7004-14

What a night it was! After an endless pass of one gorgeously gowned star after another, Kathryn Bigelow, beautifully dressed herself, wins both awards for best director and best movie. There were a lot of blue gowns—perhaps Avatar influenced? But, here are my favorite dresses of the evening paired with some room ideas and color swatches. 

L.A. Makeover

Veronique, Michele and I are in Los Angeles this week working at Leo and Robert’s house. They are the winners of Valspar’s “Love, Our Style” contest.

Just to recap, Leo and Robert are a couple that were having trouble merging their two different styles and deciding on colors for their living room, which is a large open space with tall cathedral ceilings adjacent to the kitchen and an office/loft above.

We met with the homeowner and together developed a palette for their space based on discussing the colors they love and listening to the types of styles they gravitate towards. After hours of climbing scaffolds, racing up and down ladders and washing colors onto the walls, we are now heading into the home stretch. Everyone seems very pleased so far. I especially like the rust/orange column we’ve painted. Leo liked the lighter areas of it so I’m going to go over it a bit with some “Fancy Suede.”

The home has highly-textured walls, which are perfect for using the color wash technique. To get this look, set out two to three colors which blend nicely together. For this project, we put together Valspar’s Caraway Shield, Epic and Dry Earth. Have a bucket of water nearby as well as a pan where you can mix the colors before placing them on the wall—we like to use an old cake pan. To start, wet a three to four inch brush in the water then dip your brush in the various colors and start to wash the wall with them. Keep blending. When the colors dry, go back over here and there with another layer to soften the look. The result is a soft suede finish that brightens the room and looks great in any light. The finish also enhances textured walls and adds depth to the paint color.

We’re off to put the final touches on the home. Check back soon for the complete before and after photos. In the meantime, take a look at the final color palette we chose for Leo and Robert.

                   
Caraway Shield 6008-4B    Cinnamon Cake 3010-6      Orange Glaze 3009-6   

                   
  Dakota Trail 6008-3B  Woodlawn Misty Morn 6008-3A     Epic 6008-3C

Color of the Week - Sweet Cardamom

As we brace this wintry chill, we decided to feature a warmer, toastier color: Sweet Cardamom, which was last week's Color of the Week. It only seems right to bring out a color that will warm your home just by looking at it. This mid-depth toasty tan would look perfect in a small-scale living room, any size dining room, or a cozy bedroom. Try it with Milestone for trim and Cliveden Mist on the ceiling. Bring in accents of khaki, deep coral and platinum. Grab some hot chocolate and snuggle in.

                   
Sweet Cardamom 2006-5C      Milestone 6007-1B          Cliveden Mist 6007-1A

Design Dilemma: Pat's Family Room

Dear Ann,

I'm looking for help on colors for our family room. The picture is of the fireplace wall and shelving. Our trim is a medium oak and I am planning to put in new light and floor tile. I would like to use neutral colors which also have style and aren’t bland. What do you suggest? More than one color suggestion would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Pat

Color of the Week - Loyalty

Last week's Color of the Week, Loyalty is a clean, clear, mid-toned blue. The hint of lavender gives this color a touch of warmth, which is very appealing. Try it in a room that you want to expand; where you’d want to feel like you’re surrounded by blue sky. Pair it with a warm white like Honeymilk for the trim and Dewdrop on the ceiling. Accent with a punch of orange like Toasted Apricot. For a more modern approach, try it with Modest Silver or Filtered Shade.

                   
       Loyalty 4006-7C              Honeymilk 7003-4             Dewdrop 4006-7A

                   
Toasted Apricot 2006-3B       Modest Silver 4002-1       Filtered Shade 4003-1B