Gender neutral colors are great when you are expecting but don’t know your baby’s gender but gender neutral does not mean gender boring. Pastel yellow has long been the perfect color for those not in the know but now the yellow is bright and mixed with neon bright lime, orange and blue.

Orange in hot in many areas of the home this year and does not shy away from kids rooms. This warm hue is a perfect accent for a neutral beige with a splash of green to brighten it up.

Beige is just as fashionable in a nursery as it is in any other area of the home. It is a gentle tone for a peaceful room, giving it a high style look instead of a bright in your face look.

Gray is everywhere this year as a great background color. It can show off other colors in the room, such as the red hearts shown in this nursery.  This gray has an undertone of red making in perfect for the furnishings in this room.

Don’t forget white as a nursery color, it is clean, pure and angelic just like your baby. There are dozens of baby essentials available in this color making it easy to decorate with. This white nursery highlights the warm wood tones in the floor.

Pick soothing paint colors
Surrounding yourself with calm and relaxing colors can have a soothing effect on your mind and can help aid in concentration. Common calming colors include blues and greens, as they remind us of calming things in nature – the ocean, the sky, a quiet field.

Don’t be too concerned with “rules” when it comes to using calm colors. You could use them in any room of the house or in your office. They can be used in rooms that face the south and west to cool them off and because they are flattering colors they can be used in baths and powder rooms as well.

Organize your home – What NOT to do
Many people are quick to offer advice on how to get organized, but Nicole Anzia, Washington DC’s organizing and de-cluttering guru, takes a different approach. She offers advice on what not to do when it comes to home organization so that homeowners can avoid the mistakes she most commonly sees.

In her recent post on Apartment Therapy, Nicole offers this advice:

Organize First; Buy Second. Do not go out and buy a ton of storage pieces and supplies before you sort through your home.

Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew. Do not set aside an ENTIRE day to organize your WHOLE house. Very few people have the energy and/or focus to spend 8 hours organizing.

Complete Each Task — Completely. Once you have decided where something is going to go — take it there. Never keep bags for charity or boxes for friends in your home to deliver later. Do it now. Finish the process.

Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day. Do not think that once you’ve organized your space, that you are done. You should expect regular upkeep, but just be glad that the new system is far more efficient than the old one.

Good Enough is Enough. Very few people have closets and drawers that resemble those in catalogs. The goal is to set up a space that works well for your needs. That is success.

One way to make in impact is to use broad stripes, achieved by the use of a good painters tape and using colors found on other items in the room.

Another idea is to paint storage boxes and cabinets in bright colors that also appear on the bedding and floor covering in the room.

Painting architectural features in bold colors in both warm and cool hues create an exciting combination full of energy and playfulness.

Simple graphics can be painted on walls and ceilings using patterns that can be blown up into larger templates. Graphics can be found easily on the internet and made larger.

This month’s trends come from fashion, art, graphics, electronics and social media.

1. Fashion is always something you have to watch when tracking trends. The old world art of lace making and the use of loose woven materials with a peek of bright color behind them is a trend taken from fashion and being interpreted into home furnishings.

2. Another detail taken from art to fashion is color blocking, this is the use of bright colors without pattern, combined into interesting color combinations. This popular trend is resurrected from the art of Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist from the early 1900’s and popularized in the 60’s.

3. Art also influences graphic patterns. These large, bold patterns using bright hues can be found on textiles used for furniture and accessories. The large prints found in today’s ready to wear have moved to the home market in a big way.

4. Neon bright hues that inspire and imitate the electronics used in every device you own. These brighter than bright colors appear all over the fashion industry and have moved down the trend ladder to other applications.

5. Social media is a huge trend that will only continue to grown and amaze us. You Tube alone has changed how we communicate ideas and current trends. The phone market has proliferation apps that can find, match, send and inspire us with color. Pads and tablets make it easier to design, easier to envision our color choices. The internet has revolutionized the way we find information and is so instant that there is no need to leave your home. The ideas from all over the globe are available as soon as they leave a designers mouth, a fashion show in an instant is not thought of as unusual.

Have you had someone show you a color choice and ask, does this match? I have been put in that situation dozens of times and can’t help but reply in all honesty;  “no it does not match, but it does coordinate”. In order for a color to match it has to be the same exact color whereas if it looks good next to its companion then it is a good coordinate.

2. Red will raise your heart rate.

Red will only raise your heart rate if it is entire room of red that is highly illuminated and you have to spend a great deal of time in it for the color to make your heart speed up.

3. The best room designs are those that have coordinated fabrics in the same patterns.]

These “matchy, matchy “ rooms are out of style, it is better to have a variety of colors and patterns that look good together rather than using  the same pattern over and over again.

4. Red cars attract traffic police.

It is an old myth that if you have a red car you are more likely to get a speeding ticket. New radar uses lasers and color makes no difference what color your car is, if you are speeding in any color car you can get a ticket.

5. Do yellow houses sell faster?

Yellow houses can sell faster if among a sea of beige and grey, but white will also sell faster, especially if the house is clean and well maintained. A neutral white is easier for prospective house buyers to accept.

Think quality over quantity: You don’t have to reupholster your whole couch or buy all new bedding to make an impact. Find a fabric you absolutely love, and then purchase just enough to make curtains or cover a pillow or two. These small accents will bring big changes to the look of your space! Tip: It takes about a yard and a half for a short curtain or half a yard for a 16-inch pillow.

Shop your own home: Often all it takes is moving some furniture from one room to another or simply rearranging to transform your home. Can that wicker patio chair be moved into your bedroom? Have you thought of repositioning your couch on the other side of the room? The possibilities are endless!

See the hidden potential: Flea market finds, antique shop steals, even curbside “trash” all have the potential to be transformed into stunning pieces for your home. Ignore the fabric and paint color, those things can be easily changed, and look at the “bones” of the piece. Is there beautiful mahogany under that scratched paint? Does the unique shape of that chair make it a one-of-a-kind find?

Add some color: Adding small amounts of a bold color is an easy way to freshen up a space without fully committing to the color (or a whole gallon of paint!). A quart or a pint of paint could be all you need to paint an end table, some picture frames or a chair.

• Swap out those heavy quilts and blankets for lighter-weight bedding. Store your winter blankets in under-bed boxes, zippered bags, or vacuum-seal storage bags, which save space and protect against insects. Insert cedar or lavender sachets for extra freshness.
• Changing out your wall artwork can make a space feel fresh and new. Better Homes & Gardens has some great ideas for filling wall space, including a DIY gallery shelf, reflective artwork, basket art and wallpaper art.

Better Homes & Gardens

• Add a fresh coat of paint to your home’s interior or exterior. We’ve got some great tips in our previous post about prepping your home inside and out for painting.
• Give your home’s curb appeal a facelift with new hardware, freshly potted plants or a new light fixture.

HGTV

Paint It What I Tell You

Living Etc.

Veneer

Plenty of Colour

What do you think? Love it or leave it?

Pulling the paint color down from the ceiling or wrapping paint around a door, showcases the use of paint in an unexpected way which is fun and tasteful.

Let’s start with the basics of color. In 1666, English scientist Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when pure white light passes through a prism, it separates into all of the visible colors, meaning color is simply light of varying wavelengths and frequencies.

Colors can be classified as “warm” or “cool.” Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility.

Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.

Ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy (also referred to as light therapy), or using colors to heal. Chromotherapy is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment.

In this treatment, 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. Blue was believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain. Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems.

This month’s top 5 trends to watch come from the movies and television and what color can be associated with that trend.

• The Oscars are always something to watch as Hollywood has a huge effect on fashion and trends. This year the word “Vintage” was everywhere, from the best picture “The Artist” to the vintage inspired gowns on the runway. Vintage colors include Sepia, Antique White and combinations of black and white.

• The slow return of the stock market, housing starts and increasing job market are all over the tube in news stories. These create optimism and a natural high and nothing says hopefulness like the color Blue.

• The weather channel notes mild winters across the US so we may see spring colors sooner than usual, soft yellows, new growth greens and more white.

• Cooking shows on TV influence us in subtle ways. Stainless steel went mainstream when cooking shows hit the airways because they are common in most restaurants they became common in many households. Cooking shows today influence our buying choices in dishware, cooking equipment and how we entertain. Colors that may come out of this trend are more white, red, a very appetizing color and green, the color of health.

• Home decorating shows  can be found on a dozen different channels, from not only how to decorate homes but peeking into other peoples’ homes, both celebrity and ordinary. Warm colors still dominate the interior design market but sophisticated neutrals with undertones of violet and blue are evident.