Decorating With Color

A friend called me last week in a panic.  The tragedy?  She had to pick a paint color for a new mudroom.

Can you relate? It is so much pressure, right? How do you come to a decision on color in the first place, let alone bear the pressure and responsibility of knowing that it might look different once it goes on the wall? It's enough to send anyone into a tailspin of Analysis Paralysis.

In my first "real house" (that little starter house didn't count) I was so tired of the neutral walls that I went a little crazy -- there was bright color everywhere. I had a room that was this red.

It was a fun experiment. I call it my Colorful Period.

Since then I have taken a different approach to color. In my current house, my entire first level has neutral paint throughout, and I fill in color in pillows, window treatments, and accessories. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of decorating this way is that changing your mind can happen often, for less money, and with much less effort than painting.

In fact, there is really do much more choice in decorating this way. For example, without accessories, how would you even begin to incorporate these colors in your decorating?

Blue Fish and Coral Pillow

Santa Maria Square Pillow

Panama Wave Pillow

And yet, we don't all want neutral walls. We don't all want color that WHAM! smacks you in the face. Our different personalities can and should be displayed through our decorating. Different folks. Different strokes. And so ..

I declare this Color Week. 5 colors, 4 ways. We'll explore the bold side, the coastal side, the calm side, and the dramatic side of each color, in all their glory.  I think you'll never look at these colors the same way again. At least, that's the plan!                                                                         ~Natalee