Series: Color, Mood and Epic "Nails/Fails"

Color psychology has been around since Sir Isaac Newton bent light through a prism, proving it takes light to make color. I won't bore you with wavelengths, cones and rods, but suffice it to say that color acts on either our mind, emotions or physiology.

Thought I would explore the positive and negative aspects associated with each color in words and room shots...apologies in advance to the "Fails"- at the end of the day it's your home and as long as you love it, it's all good!

Blue: the favorite color world-wide
Positive Psychological Aspects:  Intelligence, trust, efficiency, calm, serenity, reflection
Negative Aspects: Coldness, aloofness, unfriendliness, lack of emotion

Nailed it for serenity 
(and helped by symmetrical furniture arrangement)

Oh...my...

Perfection from Stephen Gambrel

 This is how you do saturated color

This just feels chilly 

Images: atlantahomesmag.com,googlesearch

Love: Color

Every now and then, I get a client who dares to go beyond "punch it up with pillows"...thank you, god...this home was so much fun to do: ombre walls, fabric collage, custom rugs AND all with a woman who exudes joy...

The before

the ombre walls in the salon...to keep things somewhat calm, sofa and living room walls almost the same

custom rugs; switched field colors - space is open, so continuity required in rugs and window treatments...I used same patterns in different colors

outside back a lovely print, inside a subtle plaid

Stickley entertainment unit balancing the other side of the room

long view capturing salon side panels - same embroidered pattern in two colors

more ombre on the salon side wall done by Patinas

small details make all the difference; mixed metals in the rodding and adding a cuff is like your windows wearing a bracelet!

detail of two fabrics used on Harden chairs

strike-off on custom rug

101: Symmetry That's Not Static

Good design requires balancing visual weight in a room; while it's achievable with unmatched furniture, lots of people prefer the calm of similar pieces. The trick is to keep the look and feel vibrant, not frozen... some successes below, and why they work...

The two benches keep this from being static

Imagine how different if the art was small-scale - yikes

Vibrant color on the wing chairs provide a middle-ground in this small space

It's the details that elevate what could have been just a 'study in beige'

Super cute and functional built-ins for a little girl's room

Color and form make this vignette a focal point

This much color and pattern needs the restraint of symmetrical placement

Lots of white keep patterns from overwhelming this small space

So pretty...

The tangerine lacquered ceiling is a wow - love the painted floor, too

The round table and large vases inject life in this room

Fabulous architectural elements keep this from being too serene

Images: elledecor,housebeautiful,traditionalhome

Roundabout Mechanicsburg: Popcorn Pie and the Value of Nuance

I love small towns for their historic buildings and the synergy created by small business owners showcasing their niche passion, solely for our delight and, more often, consumption. We've gone from being a 'front porch' community culture to one of  'back deck' isolation, but these small-town businesses help ease that divide.

Recently, I had the good fortune to stumble onto a "First Friday" on Main Street, and more importantly, into a little confectioner's called "Brittle Bark". I paused in front of Brittle Bark Pie, (a lovely combo of popcorn, flavored brittle, nuts and chocolate drizzle), I perused dozens of combinations and I purchased a small bag of Brittle Bark flavored with coconut and cinnamon.

Now, both of these flavors can easily overwhelm, but in my mouth they struck subtle, discernible notes on their best behavior...as my taste buds were doing the happy dance, I couldn't help but think that conscious restraint in room design was just as elusive ( bet you didn't see that one coming...)

As I munched away - forget about sharing - I cast about for images that combined subtlety and great style or nuanced use of color and pattern....feast your eyes below

The words subtle and animal print rarely collide in the same sentence, but this works

Sigh....unbelievable tactile treat (silk/linen velvet) and remarkable for what wasn't added

Asymmetric use of color and nothing jumps in your face

Just wouldn't be the same with patterned pillows and landscape art

Traditional use of color and pattern in the deft hands of Charlotte Moss

Same skill with a Boho vibe

Lamps disappear into wall, bit of gleam, high/lows in sofa fabric and love the facets of light and shadow thrown by garden stool

Stone-cold traditional and incredible attention to detail: tape on sofa skirt, contrast fabric on leading edge of drapery and bullion fringe on tufted chair combine to evoke old money

It's red, it's bold patterned and it's cluttered, but it manages to keep your eye moving

Image Sources:housebeautiful,washingtonpost,jamiebeckwith,elledecor,11gray