This week I am happy to introduce an immensely talented residential interior designer, Robin Baron.  Robin was a fashion designer for 18 years before she became an interior designer.  She studied fashion and interiors at two very prestigious schools, Parsons School of Design and UCLA.  According to Robin, “fashion is fleeting but home and interior design have a deep impact on people’s lives.”  I could not agree more.  Her fashion sense is immediately apparent in the beautiful designs she creates for clients located around the country.  Today she is a sharing some classic monochromatic designs with us and some tips on how you can achieve this sophisticated look.  I hope you enjoy and are inspired for your own projects!

~Lorrie

The creamy upholstery is a perfect contrast to these exotic carved tables and the natural tones of the drapery fabric.

Here are some professional tips from Robin on creating a monochromatic look:

Color- When doing a monochromatic color scheme it is important that you use the right cast of the color you are working with. There are many casts, or undertones of any color, even within the same color family (some have a yellow undercast, some green, some pink, etc), and you still have to make sure that the colors, fabrics, paints, etc, all work together…there is not just one tan or beige, and every tan or beige does not automatically work with each other.

Another key to working in a monochromatic color palette is to use different shades and tones of the same color, some with a deeper hue, some with a lighter…this will create subtle differences that will help create interest and move your eye through the room.

This large dining area still looks very intimate and inviting because of the warm wood tones that are highligted with the sconces and recessed lights.

Texture - An important element to create visual interest is to use textures. This is crucial in a monochromatic color scheme. The mixing of texture helps give life to the room, and can be used instead of adding prints. You can use prints in a monochromatic room, as I did on the chairs and window treatments, in this living room but they should be very subtle and used sparingly, or you can easily compromise the quiet, warm, nurturing feeling you set out to accomplish by choosing to create a monochromatic room.
Texture can be used in your fabric selection, your rug, as I also did in this living room, as well as the family room (great room), and especially on the walls in the form of decorative paint or wall covering. In these rooms, I used a plaster treatment on the walls, which allowed me to play with the texture, and layer the colors on the walls.

The light-hearted accent colors are an attractive and logical addition to an area adjacent to the kitchen.

Accent Colors- The other key element, one that takes a bit of artistry, and a strong sense of balance in the monochromatic room, is the use of accent colors. This can single-handedly make or break the room. Balance is the operative word here. Using accents colors has nothing to do with symmetry, and everything to do with balance…and less is always more here. See how little of the accent color I used in this living room, and yet how much impact and balance it creates in the room.

You can use accent colors by choosing a different color wood for the furniture, as I did in this dining room, using a very dark brown, making that an integral part of the monochromatic balance. I then used the green of the plants on the dining table to throw in a bit of the unexpected…and to add a little punch…both being the goal in using the accent colors.

To learn more about Robin Baron and to see additional projects, visit her website at www.robinbarondesign.com.

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My Design Secrets is launching into the world of Audio!  Today I am sharing quick and easy tips on adding your favorite colors to your next interior design project.  This simple step-by-step approach will have you surrounded by your favorite hues in no time!  Please let me know if you like this format.  Have a great day!

~ Lorrie

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The beach, the lake, or on the fire escape…  Summertime provides us the opportunity to change where and how we dine.  Sharing a meal with the ones you love in a different locale somehow heightens the senses.  We take notice of how lovely the food looks as we enjoy the succulent taste of seasonal fruit and vegetables.  A well dressed table makes the meal all the more memorable.  So why not add some magnificent decorative additions to your table?

Remember, it only takes a couple of little details to really punch up the look. 

• A brightly colored table cloth or runner and flowers from the garden look fresh and fun. 
• Bowls of oranges and apples look great as edible accessories.
• Fun flatware is affordable and has a big impact.
• Fill up clear glass vase with water (spiked with food coloring) and you have a colorful and affordable centerpiece.
• Set the mood with luminous candles or lanterns.

Find lots of colorful tabletop options in My Secret Database and enjoy dining alfresco!

What images, aromas and sounds welcome you back to summer each year?  For me, it’s a variety of things.  A cheery sun porch with late afternoon light streaming in.  The smell of pine needles and earth as you hike through the woods.  Crickets humming at twilight as fireflies dance.  Summer is a magical time when kids are immersed in the sweet feeling of their long-awaited freedom and adults allow themselves short mental vacations while obligations fall to the wayside.  Enjoy your summer, you deserve it:-)

Whether you are looking for a seasonal change in your year-round abode or are sprucing up your summer quarters, the vendors in My Secret Database have some fabulous furnishings to share that will satisfy your decorative eye well beyond the summer months.

Have fun exploring My Secret Database as you spruce up for summer!

The color orange is everywhere this year and personally, I love it.  It really looks great with just about every other color.  Orange and yellow set a happy tone.  Orange and blue provide a classic nautical look.  Orange and black have a retro feel.  So if you are looking to spice up your room with some throw pillows, art or an accent rug, give this succulent shade a try. 

Choosing accessories in contrasting colors adds much-needed depth and interest to a room.  Arrange them on your coffee table, on top of your armoire or on your bare fireplace mantel.  Vivid place mats welcome your family to the dining room table.  A beautiful bowl on your foyer table makes a statement to guests as they enter your front door.  Some color experts say that those who choose orange are fun-loving, talkative, and trendy.  That sounds good to me!

Search My Secret Database for harmonious hues!

Selecting a color palette for your room?  With a world of colors at your disposal, sometimes it’s challenging to choose.  Even professional designers can get stuck on where to start!  So I am going to give you an inside tip:  Look for inspiration in unlikely places. 

As I leaf through magazines and catalogs, there are certain color palettes that catch my eye, and it’s not necessarily a photo of a whole room.  I love to gaze at china patterns, stationery and artwork.  They feature carefully orchestrated hues that dazzle on a small scale.  As you carefully observe the interplay of texture, color and scale created by expert product designers you will start to understand their relationships.  Smooth china against the textured fabric.  Light pinks and corals contrasting with the darker olive greens.  It is the variety of colors and textures that make a beautiful and interesting room.

So when something catches your eye, save it and study it and you will soon be selecting colors with confidence and ease. This is a perfect place to start.

My Inspiration

My Design Concept

Items listed Clockwise from Top Left:  New London Chair from Williams Sonoma in White ($1,800), Green Ribbon Glass Lamp from Shades of Light ($185), Thomas Paul Pillows Flora Orange from Pillows and Throws ($70), Shell Game Plaid Pillow from Beautiful Pillows and Home ($168), Lien Tray Table from Pier One ($79.98), Wall Color Benjamin Moore Sandpiper

All of these items were found by searching My Secret Database!

You put your personal spin on home decorating by choosing colors and patterns that create the mood you love.  But no matter how hard you try, there’s no denying that the products and colors that are available to us are influenced by extensive research and forecasting.  I always encourage you to go with your gut on what colors appeal to you; but that doesn’t mean you cannot appreciate and utilize the new shades, tones and palettes that have been carefully orchestrated by the color forecasting teams at the large paint companies.  They present new points of view on old favorites and totally new colors are being formulated as a result of improved technology in the paint industry.

Trends in home design make a couple of stops before they wind their way to your doorstep.  We often see patterns and colors starting a trend in the world of fashion.  The following year you will see these colors start to infuse the world of custom interior design.  Finally these palettes arrive in the retail home decorating world in large retail furniture and fabric collections.  These are the colors that reflect our communal thoughts about what’s going on in the world and what colors feel like “home” to us.  There is some fantastic inspiration out there and I see some common themes popping up:  Organic, Comfort, Modern, Tranquil, Opulent, Natural, Classic & Getaway.  Start with what you have and add something refreshing and new!

Shop for Paint and Wall Finishes in My Secret Database! 

Selecting a paint color often tops the list of decorating challenges.  It also holds the promise of a dramatic room transformation!  We have all seen it on HGTV; dining rooms that go from drab to dramatic.  And Master Suites that go from boring to beautiful.  I have done it countless times and the process of selecting a color is a breeze if you take it step by step.

1. Plan the project -   Take a look around the house and decide what rooms you are going to paint.  Be honest.  Are you ready to tackle more than one room?  Are you going to be dissatisfied with the rooms that have not been painted once you finish one?  If the rooms are adjacent to one other, coordinating new colors for both may be necessary.

1. Gather your ideas - Interior designers rarely choose a paint color first and neither should you.  If you are using your existing furnishings and you don’t have fabric samples, then try to gather all fabrics in one area of the room (chair, pillow, draperies & bold accessories) and take a good digital photo.  If you are selecting new furnishings, then ask for fabric swatches if possible, or use the digital camera again.  There may be some details in a fabric pattern that give you color inspiration.

1. Consider your options - Vibrant paint colors can be fun and dramatic, but please consider what you are most comfortable with on a day to day basis.  (All bets are off in children’s rooms!)  Look at the clothes in your closet.  What colors do you wear most often?  If you choose a high intensity color for the walls, then go a bit simpler with your furnishings.  For instance, with apple green on the walls, you might want to consider a color palette of green plus blue and white.  A more neutral color on the walls gives you more room to incorporate multiple colors in the furnishings and it will also accommodate color palette changes down the line.  When I say neutral, I don’t mean boring.  Neutral colors work well with many different colors such as these below.

   

        Explore different shades of one color. Which brings us to…

1. Sample the Colors - I advise getting a sample pint of your chosen color, plus two lighter shades.  Often the color you choose on that tiny paint chip is more intense than you imagine when painted in an entire room.  The color can look different depending on the room size, ceiling height and number of windows in your room.  You cannot judge the impact or depth of a paint color from a paint chip!  Sampling colors removes doubt and gives you a true sense of how the color will work.

         Ask the paint store for:

• Your original color selection
• 90% of your color and 10% white
• 75% of your color and 25% white

      Sampling Tips and Tricks:

• I like to put paint samples directly on the wall. If you have samples on your walls you will be motivated to make a choice and get moving! Sample boards are not the same texture as your walls, and they can easily be put away in a closet and the procrastination of painting continues. If you don’t want to put the samples on your walls, then you can put them on foam board and move the board around the room.
• Paint samples on that wall of the room that are at least 2′x 2′ in different locations.
• Paint samples on walls with windows and walls opposite the windows.
• Let the paint dry before you judge it and live with the colors for a few days and see how you like them at different times of the day.  Optimally you want to judge the color at the same time of day when you spend the most time in that room.  Colors change depending on the time of day and whether you are using natural or artificial light.  Be patient, it may take some time to get used to the change.
• If you have an existing paint color that will not be there after you paint, make sure you cup your hands and use some tunnel vision when looking at the color. You do not want the existing color to influence your opinion of the new color.

1. Frame the Room- White trim is a classic touch that works in most any room, but the right shade is critical.  Many paint companies have at least 10 pre-mixed whites for you to choose from.  Take a look at a sample chart of whites.  You will see that each shade of white has a different tinge to it such as grey, yellow or pink.  If you want a crisp contrast that will really pop, then go for the brightest white; but if you want to create a more subtle effect then choose the tone that has a similar tint to your wall color.

1. Look Up - The ceiling is really the 5^th wall, so don’t neglect it.  Chances are it could use a coat of paint to freshen it up at the very least.  If you want to go for something different, you can choose a very light shade of the color you are putting on the wall for the ceiling.  Remember, we are used to a light color above us, just like the sky.

Enjoy the process!  Don’t rush yourself and you are sure to find colors that you will enjoy for years to come.  If not, you can always paint over it!

All photos in this post courtesy of Yolo Colorhouse and Pittsburgh Paint! 

Whether you are starting with a clean slate or adding to an existing design, selecting a color palette for your room or home can be a daunting task. As designers, one of the first courses we take in design school is Color Theory. It is something I use each and every day. Simply put, color theory helps us understand the color wheel and how colors on the wheel interact and the feelings they elicit. The color wheel is tremendously helpful to any type of artist. In fact, you may want to pick one up at your local art supply store for reference. They are very inexpensive.

All colors start from three primary colors: Red, Yellow & Blue.

By mixing these three colors in different combinations, nine more basic colors are produced. That makes 12 basic colors on the wheel. The relationships these colors have with each other fall into 4 different color schemes, or color harmonies, that we will review and that you should find very helpful when considering a color palette for your home.

Complementary Color Scheme – These are colors that sit on opposite sides of the color wheel from each other. This combination will produce a lively and exciting palette, especially if you are using colors at the full intensity. For example, Red & Green…

Monochromatic Color Scheme – This scheme only involves the use of one color in various shades. This generally produces a restful and peaceful effect.  Coral, peach, light pink…

Analogous Color Scheme – This scheme uses several colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel. This generally produces a harmonious feeling and they can be mixed without clashing because they share a common color. Green, gold, orange…

Triadic Color Scheme – These three colors are equally spaced on the color wheel. They generally provide an exciting but well-balanced color scheme. This is a theme we often see in children’s rooms.  Pink, yellow, blue…

Adding white to any of these colors will produce a tint (aka pastel).  The same rules apply.

Once you have learned these basics I think you will find it easier to select colors that are pleasing to your eye and have the desired effect that is appropriate for the room!

Merino Wool Throw from Pendleton

There are so many beautiful styles and materials. From Merino wool to cashmere or a quilt. I genuinely think this is something worth splurging a little on. For the number of times a throw gets used, its cost per use is pennies!

Area Trio Throw from Pillows and Throws - It’s reversible

• Throw one over the arm or back of a chair or sofa to add some color.
• Place a folded large throw at the foot of your bed for a great layered look that is super useful in the middle of a cold night.
• Keep a blanket in your car. You never know when you want to picnic spontaneously or someone might want to take a nap.
• Give one as a gift. You cannot go wrong!
• Put one out on your porch swing and enjoy a snuggle!