16 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Sound in Color
Radiohead is one of those great bands that truly evolve and grow as musicians. I have enjoyed their music for years as well as their album art. It is always interesting and unique. The color palette of Ok Computer is soft and distorted. Pale blues and purples grace the design along with neighboring darker tones. They create such a pretty palette.
11 Thursday Apr 2013
Posted in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, The Great Outdoors, The Home
Tags
blue, color, colored decorations, exterior home decor, front porch ideas, lavender, nature, pink, plants, purple, spring, spring colors
As the chilly weather and winter snow thaws away, the colorful and vibrant colors of spring approach. Spring is the time in which life begins again for many deciduous plants including pretty hellebores, daffodils, tulips, and crocus. Animals awaken from a long winter’s hibernation and step into the warm, soothing sunlight. For us humans, it is time to once again step outside our humble abodes and enjoy being outdoors again. Gardens are tilled and prepared for the season’s plantings and décor shielded by the harsh air of winter can be brought out and shown off again. The unhappy shades of gray and brown will eventually become beautiful colors once more. But what are “spring” colors anyway?
While the picture above may appear moderately attractive as a result of the old style windmill, look at the grass, trees, and color within the photo. Brown, gray, and dull – these are the colors apparent in the picture and while perhaps palpable for a few weeks or a month into winter, it truly gets old after too long.
Winter depression is not just a result of the 10 degrees temperature, as you scrape the ice and frost from your vehicle windshield in the morning. It’s also because the colors we see in winter are depressing as well. Colors that brighten our day also brighten our lives, and this is no different when people drive by the house and see brightly colored decorations and flags hanging outside the house.
What colors should you look to decorate with? Well it’s pretty straightforward. First ask yourself: What colors make me happy or which colors brighten my day? The most common colors which fit this description including various shades of pink, including lavender, amaranth, salmon, fuchsia, magenta, and puce. These are all different variations of pink and each represents a different color of spring.
Photo Credit: Best Moms TV
Photo Credit: Coco Cozy
Photo Credit: Front Porch Ideas and More
A more masculine color of spring includes lighter variations of blue. Some of the best of these to decorate the exterior of your home with include baby blue, Columbia blue, dodger blue, sky blue, powder blue, and turquoise. Blues can be great for painting the small shed in the backyard or light blue window shutters.
Photo Credit: Country Living
Photo Credit: Luxury for the Home
Photo Credit: Paper Bowls and Lemons
Lilacs are some of my personal favorite springtime flowers because the color violet represents imagination and spirituality. Some other beautiful shades of violet can make for a colorful springtime flower bouquet. Hanging baskets of flowers can be hung outside the house to provide color to your home exterior. Hang some of these baskets up outside the front of the house or on mount them on the patio railing. Make sure to keep them watered too to keep them growing strong into summer!
Photo Credit: A Country Farmhouse
Photo Credit: Coastal Living
Photo Credit: nonizamboniblue
Spring is a time of new life. By decorating the exterior of your home as such, you’ll really improve the aesthetic value of your home. Not only that but you’ll also feel much better knowing winter is gone, the wheels of spring are churning, and don’t look now but summer is on the way!
{Jason Smith is a home decorator and blogger. He currently writes for Australian Outdoor Living, a provider of decorativeoutdoor blinds. In his spare time, Jason enjoys hosting barbecues and hunting.}
02 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Advice & Inspiration, Color Inspiration, Wedding Decor Ideas, Weddings
Tags
antique, black, black and white, blue, ceremony, city chic, classy, color, country, decor, events, flowers, gray, monochrome, Monochrome Wedding Palettes, nautical, palettes, pastels, pink, reception, shabby chic, vintage, weddings, white
There are endless possibilities to colors and decor for your wedding. It’s all a matter of what you love and your taste profile. I think people mostly pick their color scheme first and move forward from there, which isn’t a bad way to go. I always say, choose your theme first and then everything should fall into place. But you can have so much fun with color, for sure.
What if you just chose one color for your special day? It may seem boring to some and maybe even strange to most, but having a monochrome palette could be very pretty if its done right. Now, just because you are using one color, that doesn’t mean your wedding will be an abundance of black or overwhelming amount of pink. You have to look beyond the color wheel and go deeper in the color you have chosen to use. By showcasing different tones and shades and playing with texture, you could have a gorgeous array of monochrome bliss.
Here are some great examples and inspiration of successful monochrome weddings. Hopefully, it will help broaden your understanding of this palette style and allow you to have fun with all the possibilities.
White
With an all white wedding, you can play with soft hues and pale tones. There are many variations of this color, you just need to explore the possibilities. This palette can be romantic, luxurious, country, city chic, vintage & antique, shabby chic and more, depending on your theme.
Photo Credit: Hairstyles and Fashion
Photo Credit: Kelly Prizel
Photo Credit: Momental Designs
Photo Credit: Belle the Magazine
Photo Credit: Four Seasons
Pink
An all pink wedding can be tricky but it can be done. Play with the lighter hues of this color, pastels work well together when they are in the same family. If you decide to go with a deeper or brighter shade of pink, just use it for pops here and there or it can overpower the event. You could make pink work for a modern wedding and also a more vintage style wedding.
Photo Credit: Event Decorator
Photo Credit: My Married
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Anne Designs
Photo Credit: Weddings by Lily
Blue
The color blue works with a lot of theme and its easy to incorporate. There are so many pretty shades of it too. Whether its a nautical style wedding you are planning or a spring event, blue will definitely add class to the overall style.
Photo Credit: BrideoRama
Photo Credit: Celebrations at Home
Photo Credit: Karen Tran Florals
Photo Credit: Bold by Design
Green
Using green is super easy if you are having a nature inspired event. Your venue, if outside, can act as the main decor and all you need to incorporate are elements within your theme and palette. I would stray from using Crayola tones and stick with more natural moss, lime and pastels.
Photo Credit: Wedding Flowers
Photo Credit: JL Designs
Photo Credit: Burnett’s Boards
Photo Credit: Marriage Reception Ideas
Black
Having an all black wedding is a tough one. There have to be white elements thrown in here and there to break up the dark color or your guests will feel like they are at a night club or goth party! If that is what you are going for, than feel free, but I think most wedding decor is not going in that direction. Use various shades of black, gray tones could be really nice and classic. If done right, it can all look very chic and grand.
Photo Credit: Gudu Ngiseng
Photo Credit: Weddingomania
Photo Credit: Plectrumbanjo
Photo Credit: Brides
Gray
This color can be used so many ways. Gray is a beautiful hue that can easily represent many styles. It’s classic and vintage at the same time.
Photo Credit: The Sweetest Occasion
Photo Credit: Scarlet Petal
Photo Credit: Somersault Vintage
Photo Credit: Preston Bailey
12 Tuesday Mar 2013
Posted in Color Inspiration, Sound in Color
Tags
album, art, blue, brown, carnavas, color, design, gray, green, music, neutrals, palettes, silversun pickups
Silversun Pickups always have beautiful album art representing their music. This is one of my favorites, for sure. I love how the dark background makes the art pop so much more. It’s whimsy, ethereal and pretty. This palette would work nicely in a space anywhere in your home.
The Design Inspirationalist 