Monday Color: Black and Gold

Like the 100 or so million other Americans who watched yesterday's Super Bowl, I was truly entertained and inspired. It was a great game. Although I have to admit that the most pleasurable source of entertainment and inspiration for me was that thrilling half-time performance by the legendary Madonna (and several talented buds of hers). And so I turn to her wardrobe palette for today's Monday Color combination: the fierce black and gold pairing of her half Grecian, half Stripper ensemble. Here's how it works off the field:





























Images above:

1. An opulent black and gold bathroom.

2. A sparkly gold fireplace in a room dotted with bold black, found on Real Simple.

3. A wild zebra rug with a more subdued gold velvet sofa against deep black walls strikes a unique balance.

4. A living room filled with sexy black seating and a bunch of industrial chic accents from ehomee.com.

5. The combination of gold damask wallpaper and a black bed show how fine the line between tacky and tasteful is, but successfully pulls it off with the sophisticated of black and white photography and crisp hotel bedding (from Decor Pad).


6. Whoa! Daring gold-painted trim with black and gold wallpaper and accessories (from Beautiful Shopping).

7. And DOUBLE whoa! The Midas Touch Collection by Philip Plein (as seen on Luxury Launches).

8. A black and gold Ralph Lauren Home pillow, found on Departures.com.

9. Leonardo Leather Ottomans as featured on ID Best.

10. Guilt Mirror by Koket.

11. Barbara Cahn's handmade black and gold porcelain vase.

12. There are plenty of over-the-top black and gold dinnerware options on the market, but nothing makes this color duo more palatable than classic a Black Astbury Wedgwood set (available from The Crystal Company).

13. From the Metalic Cowhide Collection at Saddlemans of Santa Fe.

14. A clever gloss black and gold leafed Jewelry Armoire by Powell available at Accent Furniture Online.

Monday Color: Blush & Chocolate

My son recently asked me what my least favorite colors are and I quickly answered red and pink. I've warmed up to red in my design work over time, but pink still haunts the tomboy in me. I have one shirt dotted with tiny pink flowers but I always wear it with jeans and boyish cardigans to offset the frilly femininity. But I came across the first bedroom below on House Beautiful's website and saw a sophisticated, soothing side of pale pink that I'd never acknowledged before, thanks to its pairing with a deep brown, crisp lines and touches of subtle glamour. So I delved deeper to find other examples of a how hues of blush pink and chocolate brown work together, outside of a box of Valentine's chocolates, that is.


































Images above:

1. The subtle accents of blush pink and chocolate brown that inspired this post, as seen in the second photo in a round-up of pink rooms on House Beautiful.

2. #35 on a list of 56 beautiful living rooms, also on House Beautiful, the sweet pale pink walls are balanced by hearty chocolate leather chairs and textural sisal in this space.

3. Apple green punches up a pink and brown palette in this sitting area (found on Confetti Style).

4. Found on Odi Et Amo, the wood tones in this living room provide the grounding dark browns for a rainbow of pink hues to dance against.

5. A sweet yet sophisticated pink and brown girls room, found on VT Interiors.

6. A glamorous vignette of pink art on espresso walls.

7. Another bedroom with a contemporary chocolate brown upholstered headboard and plenty of white to balance out the powder pink walls (via a blog called Mama Mona).

8. I love the chocolate brown walls and subtle touches of pink in the chandelier and chair backs in this dining room, found on The Lennoxx .

9. The Gladstone Cast Iron Single Ended Bath comes in a soothing pale pink, from the UK's Victorian Plumbing.

10. The perfect towels to pair with the tub above for a nature-inspired blush and chocolate bathroom color scheme (Cherry Blossom Towel Set from Amazon).

11. A hand block print pillow in brown and blush hues from EarthLab's Etsy Shop.

12. The Don't Be Square Rug from Rugs Direct would be a mod touch in any girls room.

13. Saturday Knight Ltd's Owl Shower Curtain marries light pink and chocolate brown with several other fun hues, perfect for a modern kids bathroom.

14. Carter's adorable Pink Elephant Crib Set from Baby Super Mall.

15. Graham & Brown's Hand-Painted Orchid Canvas Art from All Modern.

Monday Color: Citron & Gray

Today's skies alternated between an overcast haze and somber gray rain clouds without a sliver of sunlight from morning till night. The dismal weather clearly sparked my selection of colors for today's post, badly needing to inject some bright sunshine into today's grayness. Plus, I'm always a sucker for unexpected opposites and balanced contrast - for the 'yin' and 'yang' of decorating motifs, so to speak - which citron and gray most certainly are. Let's see what you think about this bright and gloomy Monday Color pairing.....




































Images above:

1. From a post on Styled Haven, these gray & white stripes, layers of yellow and rustic nightstands go perfectly together.

2. There's so much to love about this eclectic living room found on Home Bunch.

3. Gray grasscloths walls would be enough to have me smitten, but paired with a yellow headboard and bench, and that daring introduction of deep army green.....all I can say is 'wow!' (found on Decor Pad)

4. This bedroom reflects the mellow results when both the citrine and gray are on the warmer side.

5. From Laura Casey Interiors' blog, this yellow door and gray home exterior make me almost as happy as my own white house with its bright golden door.

6. A gray and citron living room featured on Nell Hill's blog.

7. These deep yellow walls are balanced by abundant white architectural details and subdued gray furniture.

8. In this living room, a daring citron sofa is perfectly paired with medium wood tones and plenty of gray, and echoed in accessories and shelf insets for an expertly finished look.

9. A great art idea for a cheery yellow and gray bedroom, from Martha Stewart, via All Things Chic.

10. This ultra-modern room doesn't feel overly cold thanks to the injection of bold yellow on the accent wall.

11. Michael Millers Citron & Gray Bird Swing fabric from fabric.com.

12. Chester Tufted Upholstered Sofa in special order Dandelion, from West Elm.

13. Gray and Yellow Sputnik Rug from Domestic Modern.

14. Perch! Design's Early Bird Light in yellow also comes in a soft gray.

15. Omniware's Hemisphere Gray & Yellow 11" Dinner Plate from Amazon.com.

16. Romo's Kimura Wallpaper in Tumeric.

17. Using the same Romo pattern, this room highlights a creative way to save money but still add big color impact: framing wallpaper as art (found on Exponent Expira).