Monday Color: Cheerful & Bird's Egg

Straight from the Benjamin Moore paint books, I bring you the combination of Cheerful and Bird's Egg for this week's Monday Color post, for no other reason than these are the two colors I'm combining in a nursery I'm currently busy designing. Pure multi-tasking. Enough said.

The nursery is for a little boy and his sister, who will be arriving any day now. Because he's a toddler and already opinionated, we let him choose the dominant blue color. And because the client didn't want traditional gender colors, we brought in pops of bright Cheerful for "her "color. Read on to see some of the elements we'll be using as well as some adaptations for adult spaces.


An eclectic living room designed by actress Julianne Moore.


A cute bedroom found on Fabulessly Yours.


Same color palette, but all grown up.


Mixing in pale green makes this living room the epitome of a fresh Spring day.


I adore this sophisticated mix of aqua and yellow found on The Lennoxx.


One of the 'inspiration' nurseries I used to coax my client into this bright color combo.


The medallions on this pale blue and yellow rug for my client's nursery bring in a touch of tradition (we're going for the 6' round version from Walmart.com).


The organic cotton from Birch Fabrics that we're making into custom crib bedding and a duvet for the twin bed.


Two of my favorite Feistaware colors.


I wish there was a way to work this Ikat Duver Cover from Urban Outfitters in, delivering toned down versions of the blue and yellow in a fresh wordily print.


Aqua seas under warm honey skies are transportive in this photo from The Gingham Owl, on Etsy.


A generously sized aqua and yellow ceramic vase from Lamps Plus.

Monday Color: Indigo & Khaki

I recently received the new Spring 2012 Serena & Lily catalog, a brand I've long admired since back when they were only peddling bedding. The pages felt like a journey around the world, with colorful palettes from bold to serene, indicative of a company that has really come of age. I pulled the inspiration for today's Monday Color Combination from this relaxed, eclectic bedroom, featuring the toned down nautical vibe of Indigo & Khaki, with lots of white of course.



From the dip-dyed curtains, to the pieced-denim wall-hanging, to the chevron patterned rug, blue tones take center stage without overpowering. The upholstered Fillmore Bed plays the perfect supporting role in the versatile White/Putty Jaipur fabric, a less contrasty pairing than your standard blue and white palette. Read on to see how this combination works in any room, harnessing any style.



























An eclectic boys room with rustic wood paneled walls, pops of apple green and cheery red, boldly striped bedding, all grounded by a blue and khaki palette (from Decor Pad).

Spotted on Lisa Sherry Interieurs blog, the linen colored upholstered chair and light wood plays beautifully off the deeply saturated indigo walls in this bedroom.

A Nantucket living room designed by Frank Roop featuring a sea of blue hues with a sandy colored jute rug anchoring the nautical look and a tiny infusion of bright green stripes to keep it all light-hearted (from House Beautiful).

A traditional blue and white country feel in this living room gets even more informal with the infusion of khaki the rug delivers.

Another Serena & Lily-styled room emphasizing, how they always have, that a nursery can be sophisticated and baby-friendly at the same time.

Safavieh's Alba Rug in Indigo & Sand, designed by Thomas O'Brien.

West Elm's Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover in Steel Blue

Kelly Wearstler's Sea Urchin fabric for Lee Jofa.

Unionmade Doane Utility Notebook against a dark khaki headboard.

Coyuchi's hand embroidered linen Radiant Roman Key Pillow is available in two enticing colorways: all-indigo scheme or a light khaki linen with just a touch of blue.

The timeless 1950's Windsor Love Seat dipped in blue, available from Anthropologie.

Two examples from the fashion world showing the versatility of indigo and khaki, from its bohemian, utilitarian personality to its chic, urban adaptability.

Monday Color: Lavender & Ivory

I found my inspiration for today's Monday Color post in the recent Elle Decor spread featuring Hilary Swank's Manhattan apartment designed by Mark Zeff. Her living room is awash in accents of stony lavender against an ivory back-drop of boxy Calvin Klein sofas and a massive putty colored area rug. Plus one wall is clad in planks of reclaimed barn wood! **swoon** The overall effect is serene and airy, yet earthy and grounded, marking the beginning of my love affair with this sophisticated lavender and ivory combination.

























Images above:

1. A shot of Hilary Swank's living room with art and accent pillows in an ethereal lavender.

2. A darker lavender upholstered bench pops against an ivory bed and grasscloth walls (from Decor Pad).

3. From Design Shuffle, via Dream to Life, I love the infusion of color these plummy lavender chairs bring to the bone-colored walls of this dining room.

4. An ivory bed is surrounded by grayish lavender walls and touches of peach and violet throughout the room to create this restful master bedroom retreat, designed by the team at my former company re:place.

5. Pale beige walls and all-neutral furnishings are a design staple allowing allowing the addition of virtually any accent hue. In this room, a pale lavender Ikat accent pillow is the simple show piece of color, found on Real Simple.

6. Another Decor Pad find, this masculine lavender pairs well with wood tones, a mustard headboard and off-white walls. I love the vintage science chart but am not so certain I'd want to sleep beneath a bee hive!

7. From a Happy Color Combinations post on House Beautiful, this eclectic living room adds chartreuse and gold to the lavender and ivory mix. Happy indeed!

8. Anthropologie's Le Versha Chair in Plum.

9. Selati, a zebra print chenille from Osborne & Little.

10. New Hope Plum, a profusion of purple hues in an abstract painting by Randy Hibberd, available through Z Gallerie.

11. Nourison's Parallels Rug in Lavender, available from Rugs Direct.

12. The Lulu Nursery Collection from Serena & Lily.

Monday Color: Tangerine Tango & White

Happy New Year to one and all! I love the energy I feel in the air when January begins each year; most people let out a sigh of relief that the busy holiday season is over and are bubbling over with enthusiasm for the changes they envision themselves making with the fresh start of a new year. My son and I both made a long list of New Years Intentions this year (Resolutions sounds harsh to me, so I've been opting for the language of Intentions for years). His include advancing from blue belt to brown belt in karate and getting 100 households in our town of Long Beach to stop using single-use plastic bags. He melts my heart. Mine range from getting back into a regular workout routine to finally utilizing my Spanish Rosetta Stone that's been in a drawer for 5 years.

My Monday Color posts are also get a fresh new start, featuring color combinations in 2012 instead of single hues. I don't know where that will leave me when 2013 rolls around, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!!

A while back Pantone announced that Tangerine Tango would be the color of the year for 2012 and I wholeheartedly applauded. I love the fresh energy of this vibrant reddish orange, especially when paired with crisp white, a color combination that feels very aligned with my enthusiasm for all the great things that are in store this year.
































A nostalgic nod to the color's retro past from Design Addict Mom on Tumblr.

A cozy nook from Apartment Therapy's post on Pantone's Tangerine Tango.

A delicious tangerine and white bedroom in designer Mona Ross Berman's New Jersey home (check out those amazing floors!), from House Beautiful.

These vibrant doors framed with crisp white trim have me thinking that maybe my yellow and white entrance needs a makeover.

A bright orange claw foot tub blends right in with this otherwise neutral but eclectic bathroom design, found on Caribbean Living.

The stools in this all-white kitchen found on Klaff's design blog, shows what a tiny dose of tangerine can do in a space.

This living room found on the New England Fine Living blog is another example of how just a few bright accents (a leather pouf, a throw, and an oriental rug with accents of orange) can truly transform a neutral space.

Conversely, India Hicks ups the boldness of Tangerine Tango on slipcovered chairs by tossing in fuchsia and bright yellow too in her home.

CB2's Parlour Chair in Tangerine.

Add a pop to your white walls with Chiasso's Dish Wall Art Set in orange.

For those who are really timid about bold color, perhaps you can start small with desk accessories like this stapler by ANYTHING (available from Lumens.com).

Rachel Ray's Round & Square Dinnerware Set in tangerine.

A half dozen 22" - 28" long tangerine orange feathers could be a show-stopper grouped in a modern white vase (available at Save on Crafts).

Madeline Weinrib's Keri Rug in Coral.

This lustworthy orange mirror is vintage and from Vamp in faraway Capetown, so unless you're boarding a South African-bound place tomorrow, it could be out of reach. However any ornate mirror found at a flea market or garage sale plus a can of Benjamin Moore's Flame would create a pretty good stand-in.