Kitchen Happiness

My growing years in a small house gave the impression that a kitchen is about a short and sweet countertop, some drawers and shelves, a gas stove, and a small fridge in a corner. Several years later, my mother ensured that our new home had natural light flowing in in all the rooms. She picked a yellow with a hint of ochre for the kitchen that somehow looked brighter through the day.  Although the space was compact, yellow cabinet doors and drawers matched with light brown wooden shelves made it appear warm, comfortable and roomy.

As I entered the kitchen each morning, I felt cheerful. Warmth and coziness were synonymous with this attractive shade of yellow.

Here’s a beautiful thought after my own heart, yet it misses something. How about you?

Good times are created not just with good food and good people but also within a happy environment. So would a yellow kitchen inspire warmth and cheer?

White would work well for a small kitchen. if we then accessorize it with colors of our choice and pretty little things, it will transform into a welcoming space. 

An eclectic style would be amazing for a small kitchen space as well. What do you think?

How about a blue kitchen? Would you like to cook or serve here?

Or would you dare to be different and opt for a grey or a red or even experiment with dark colors like the pic below?

I would love to hear your thoughts. And do take a moment to ponder on this when you pick your color!

Nature inspired color palettes

Many reasons follow, but the top one why I revel in nature is its breathtaking colors. And these myriad colors are all encompassing; from the sky to the ground and what exists within. 

I see hues hidden within nature’s form and inspiring the most amazing color palettes for our living space.  Let’s take a look at the pic below. The colors of the flowers and stem make a pretty palette.

And here’s how we can transform a wall with these lovely colors.

While flowers seem to be the ideal color inspiration, a dead branch and its surroundings can be just as good to create an eye-catching décor piece.  What do you think of the pop of green in the arrangement?

And here again, we see great color inspiration from a mold gathering bark against a blue sky and greenery below. 

The bedroom with warm colors does capture a part of this palette, but given a chance to use some more colors the results might be stunning.

Can you imagine warm dark green cushions on the bed and a pale sea green for the throw and base of both lampshades?

I would also go for a much lighter shade of brown for the bed, side tables and the couch to match the wall colors, change the white bed linen to cream and take off the brown bolster and blanket.

A patina’s beauty can’t be ignored. Below, this old weather beaten door has a pretty color palette of warm neutrals and lighter greens.

 

In this light contemporary living room or outdoors, the colors of the patina are energizing with a fresh appeal.  Even so, the basic gray couch is forgotten as the touches of pink and deep yellow get more than their share of attention.

Just as well, the palette is enhanced in this garden design. Pink and yellow mingled in the door, plants and pathway, add to the artistry.

 

 

I see the peacock’s color palette as bold and striking. If used appropriately it can convert any ordinary space into an outstanding one. 

Take a look at this eclectic corner place. Don’t you love everything here?

The darker colors of nature can do their own trick. When berries are teamed together, you see a rare palette of bright, dark and light hues.

At Matador Room, The Miami Beach EDITION restaurant, the colors of summer berries produce a moody yet stimulating ambience for those seated at this row of tables.

Nature’s color phenomena will continue to enthrall us. What is your favorite nature inspired color palette? Would you pick these colors for your living space?

My Christmas Special

For various reasons, Christmas has been one of my best times of the year. The lights on the Christmas tree, Santa and “jingle bells” meant happiness and cheer and ushering the New Year with family and friends were moments I cherished.

This is the only occasion when I love seeing the combination of green, red, silver and gold. I realize now that it is the festive feeling that makes these colors look great together. Much as I am drawn to the beauty of Christmas, I am surprised and must admit that I have never owned anything that is a mix of red and green! 

Would you try out any of these color combinations for holiday style?

The colors of Christmas are a one time special - Green represents a time of healing while red stands for renewed strength.  

Today, I want to bring out the charm of red and green in the home, one that is unique to Christmas celebrations for billions of people around the world.

Decorating your home for Christmas should be simple and easy so that you can keep up the holiday spirit. What do you think of these DIY floating candle jars on your center table or dining table?

Now, can you imagine a snowman in the children’s bathroom? For sure, they would wash their hands more often than usual.

What do you think of transparent glass bottles to decorate the entryway…

….And mason jars for the kitchen?

Even so, the thought of gift-wrapping the door or the fridge is exquisite and a visual treat. What do you think of this?

While red, green and glitter is the Christmas tradition, green and grey against wood with pretty lighting can create rustic glam. 

Here’s an awesome idea to spruce up your white kitchen.

With the festive season round the corner, would you decorate your home in the traditional way or create your X’mas special?

Season's greetings! May 2017 bring you peace, health and happiness. 

Just Pink or Blue ?

In the early 2000s, I couldn’t imagine painting my kids’ rooms any other color but pink or blue. What's more is they wanted pink and blue. Their choices were a medium blue and pink and these colors seemed to impact their growing years. Blue instilled confidence and the pink enhanced sensitivity and care.

A decade later, a baby’s room is not just pink or blue; it’s colorful and fun. What do you think of this?

The idea is to create happiness with color and a space where the parents and child would enjoy spending a lot of time together.  While the nursery is a place created with love and sentiment, I am wary of bright colors and patterns.  They tend to be over-stimulating and make the room look busy when calm and quiet is much needed at the best of times.

Patterns like chevron in subdued colors would transform the room like magic. This well coordinated baby room is endearing. Don't you love it?

A livable space is not just about being stimulating. It needs to be safe, happy, warm, comfortable and enjoyable. Can you imagine playing with your baby for hours here?

Here the accent of pastel yellow stripes against soft green walls is fresh and cheerful and the pops of blue, red and orange brighten up the room.  And these colors work well for a baby boy or girl.

Touches of red in this blue and white room energize a toddler’s room. An appealing place, don’t you think?

Take a look a the space below. I love the deep blue accent wall with the rest of the bluish white.  Hints of lilac, gray, shades of bluish green and brown lend charm to this small place.  Would you use these colors for your baby girl’s nursery?

Last year a friend picked bluish grey and white for her baby boy’s room. Subtle use of colors in the accessories livened the room. The thought here was to create a space which the family could enjoy through the child’s growing years.

Looks like the rooms below support this thinking. Depending on how fast our kids grow up, we could make basic changes like changing picture frames and accessories and replacing stuffed toys with books shelves. 

 

livable space for grwoing years 2.jpg

Colors stretch the imagination and permit bold experimentation. Take a look at the pic below. Would you pick black and white for your baby’s room?  If so, why would you make this choice? 

Are dark colors dark?

While Benjamin Moore (BM) announced Simply White as the color of the year 2016, it is already talking about darker color trends much before the year ends. In fact BM’s color of the year 2017 is Shadow, a moody shade of purple and one of the 27 colors trending next year.

benpalette.jpg

With mysterious properties, Shadow seems as though it is meant for those who are not afraid of color changes as per the quality of light flowing into the room.

Lets look at this purple room in the afternoon light.....

….And now at sunset.

Dark colors for a living space have been discussed for a long time and after consistent research over the last few years they have earned their rightful place in our lives.  For example, Sherwin Williams advocated Exclusive Plum for the year 2014 and Pantone launched Marsala in 2015. 

Exclusive Plum

Exclusive Plum

Marsala

The idea is to create mood and drama with dark colors. They tend to give an impression that one is ready to experiment and go beyond the comfort zone of neutrals.

And the cherry on top is: dark colors make smaller rooms seem bigger, corners feel cozy and private and a not so well lit space, look stunning.  

Using white paint or neutrals in a small room or in a place that lacks light is going to make it look dull and sad. Would this all white bathroom work for you?

BM’s trending color palette is a combination of earthy hues and dark colors. Pair the dark colors with neutrals and you get some attractive matches to suit your style and home. Color trends lend perspective and open up our mind and what matters is picking the color that makes us feel happy, energized and comfortable.

Would you paint dark colors for your room?