i n d o o r s
K N O W - H O W
4
F o llo w t h e
r u le o f th r e e .
W h e n y o u p i c k a
c o lo r , u s e it a t
le a s t t h r e e t im e s
in a r o o m .
5
“Put things in
context. If it’s a
fabric that’s going on a
horizontal surface, look
at it horizontally.
Whatever it is, step
back six feet and look at
it from a distance.
Looking at a swatch, a
pillow, a curtain, or a
rug six inches from your
eye is different than
seeing it as you step
into the room.”
JANIE HIRSCH
Atlanta designer
6
Camouflage a
hodgepodge of
surfaces—an awkward
dormer door, wimpy
crown molding, or an
ugly chair rail—by
painting them the same
color as the wall. They’l
fade away. Try this go-
anywhere neutral:
CREAM WARE
BHG
804
EDITORS’
CHOICE PAINT COLORS,
bhglivebetter.com
7
“Think of hallways as palate cleansers—the
sorbet that’s served before diving into the
next course. Keeping them neutral allows you
to branch into any color in rooms that flow off
them.”
BARRY DIXON,
W s| Ii gi- I , ■
. , . es,.
1
er
8
Don’t sweat slight
color variations
between fabrics and
walls. “The best
rooms are slightly
off—stronger, lighter,
softer, just not a spot-
on match to a
swatch,” says Sasha
Emerson, a Los
Angeles designer.
9
When you’re
spreading color
around a room, think
about proportion. If
you’re using three
colors, try a 70/20/10
distribution, with the
highest percentage
going to the lightest
color. For two colors,
go 70/30.
n
“Break up a
room of matchy-
matchy wood
furniture with one
painted piece. It
doesn’t have to be a
bold color. I like to
combine natural wood
tones with black.”
MELISSA BIRDSONG
Lowe’s vice president of trend
design and brand
і
1 2
“ I ’m a lw a y s
d r a w n t o c o lo r s
I w e a r . L o o k in
y o u r c lo s e t . Y o u
a r e y o u r o w n
b e s t in s p ir a t io n
f o r c o lo r .”
BHG reader
COMECA BRANNON,
Texarkana, Texas
B
The back of a
fabric, curtain,
comforter, or area
rug is sometimes
more interesting—
and toned down—
than the front If no
telltale signs like
hems will show, go
ahead and flip it.
Designers do it, and
so can you.
"I A
Store fabric, wallpaper, and paint swatches in a notebook, binder, or
1
V J pencil pouch so they’re handy when you shop. To visualize your
scheme, cut fabric swatches (or brush paint strokes) relative to the size
they’re used in the room—large ones for curtains, small ones for pillows.
I f y o u c o u ld
c h o o s e ju s t
o n e p a in t c o lo r
f o r w a lls , w h a t
w o u l d it b e ?
CLASSIC GRAY 1548,
BENJAMIN MOORE
“Even on a dreary
day this gray looks
good.”
MARY HICKEY
Minneapolis designer
SAVORY BEIGE
3002-10C, VALSPAR
“Even the biggest
color-phobes can
commit to this
pale tan.”
ELAINE GRIFFIN
New York City designer
SEA SALT SW 6204,
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
“Soft, soothing, and
like sea glass where
it can go blue
or green.”
JANIE HIRSCH
Atlanta designer
BLUE ARROW
5001-3C, VALSPAR
“Easy on the eye,
easy to live with. It’s
a robin egg’s
blue-green with a
bit of muddiness.”
MELISSA BIRDSONG
Lowe’s vice president of
trend design and brand
CLAY BEIGE OC-11,
BENJAMIN MOORE
“A neutral that’s not
boring! It’s a
chameleon. It can
read warm or cool
and looks great in
any light.”
MANDY LOWRY
Atlanta designer
І
See these great
go-to colors from
the pros at BHG
.com/procolortips
6 6
FEBRUARY 2010
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTOS: KIM CORNELISON
