Recently I was shopping for some wallpaper for a client’s powder room and was inspired by all of the fresh, new colors and patterns I discovered. These below are from Schumacher’s latest advertisement and will surely brighten up any room. I just love how the feel transforms you to a different place and time.

This modern wallpaper design and color really make an impact.  I love the use of the dark grey and silver tones.

Even though this wallpaper pattern below is a bit busy, the brown and white color combination makes it easy on the eye.  And what a fun way to bring a small space to life.

Fabrics have for years shown us all kinds of geometric patterns. I love using a geometric pattern on sitting or dining chairs, draperies or bedding.

Below are some of my favorites from the Authentic Home Fabric collection. Can one of these patterns bring to life one of your living room or maybe your dining chairs in your home?

Don’t be afraid of using a pattern on your walls or with your fabrics. The use of a geometric pattern can make a bold statement or a subtle one. Have fun creating your own Authentic Home with geometric’s this summer!

A new picture window was the first order of business during the remodel to provide an amazing view and much needed light.

Custom sheer draperies and side panels soften the hard lines of the new windows and add to the overall spa feel the couple desired for their master bedroom.

The custom oversized headboard and custom bedding were designed to balance out the size of the room with the sitting area and to achieve the overall calm feel for the space.

The two sitting chairs were repositioned from the living room and reupholstered in an Authentic Home Fabric™ chenille in a soft blue color. Mirrored nightstands, jewelry cabinet and custom full length mirror were selected for their light reflective feel.

Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ in Coffee Bean, Glacier and Champagne was applied to the walls, ceiling and trim so to achieve a spa like feel throughout the entire bedroom.

I hope these images inspire you to transform your bedroom into your own sanctuary.

Turquoise color schemes can be magical, but if the color is too vibrant you can opt for paler variants and still enjoy this beautiful color. Cream and gray are also great neutrals to balance turquoise with. Turquoise color scheme can go with accents in bright pink, yellow, coral red, green, black and white. And especially this year, I love pairing it with Tangerine Tango!

All it takes sometimes are a few new pillows or accessories you have a fresh new look in your living room or bedroom.  Turquoise also looks great with metallic shines and textures, in patterns, wall paint and fabrics.

Enjoy this beautiful color in your home.

Need some help creating your Authentic Home? Contact us at 206.937.3070 or email us for more information on a color consultation or interior design appointment.

Are you thinking of a home remodeling project and ready to meet and research remodeling experts and products? The expo is the perfect place for you this coming weekend.  As a gift from us, below is a complementary ticket just for you!  Just print it out and present it at the door.

I will be providing an in depth seminar on “How to Select the Right Paint Colors for Your Home” on both Saturday and Sunday at 3:00pm.  Come by the seminar to learn some helpful tips and recieve a free gift!

The Authentic Home booth,#1127, will display a portfolio of our latest projects including a just completed 4,000 sq ft home in the beautiful resort community of Suncadia.  We look forward to seeing you at the expo!

What stands out in this year’s predictions is the fact the colors are slightly safer than last year when it seemed the palette was turning more upbeat. The progression makes sense as this time last year consumers were looking forward to an end to the troubled economy they had already dealt with for too long. As this year approaches its final months, however, they find themselves in much the same predicament as last year.

This doesn’t, of course, mean people won’t be painting their interiors, it simply means they are likely to select colors that are a little safer; hues with which they believe they will be able to live peacefully and comfortably for some time. There is a natural ebb and flow of color trends moving from dark (brown trend) to light (gray/white trend) as the gray and blue neutrals still are holding strong for 2012.   As you can see in the Pantone 2012 Colors below, there are mix of subtle mid tones of blues, grays, soft neutrals, earth tones and colors with kick for you to explore.

As you’ve hopefully heard Tangerine Tango is the Pantone 2012 Color of year and it is everywhere! Just last weekend I was out shopping in our local mall and the vibrant color is being displayed in clothing, handbags, shoes, and home accessories such as vases, lamps, and even towels and bedding.

The best way of incorporating some trendy colors into your home in scale to your comfort zone is via accessories. Break the palette down into groupings of 2, or 3 – 4 (at most). Where do you get the inspiration for this? The best designer I have ever met is nature. Look to nature for some inspiration that really works.

Print out your palette, and cut it up with scissors. Go online to your favorite sources, and find things that you can relate to – then lay them out in front of you, and add and subtract.

Remember KISS – Keep It Stylish but Simple – stick with 1 focal point per living zone (zones are particularly crucial in open floor plans, because you rely on function to separate living zones, instead of walls).

Above all, think of color as a gift that you give to yourself, and everyone you welcome to your space. Be generous, but give what you feel able to give - never give until it hurts. The result should be a space that makes you smile every time you walk through the door!

I am writing this blog on a very snowy day here in Seattle and dreaming of spring.  Thankfully it is right around the corner and below is just a small taste of color for what is to come!

Need some help creating your Authentic Home? Contact us at 206.937.3070 or email us for more information on a color consultation or interior design appointment.

Explosively loud and exceedingly bold, Tangerine Tango has been announced as Pantone’s 2012 color of the year. The global authority on color, Pantone revealed yesterday that the shade will replace 2011’s Honeysuckle hue. The reddish-orange tone will no doubt have us walking on sunshine. It has already appeared on both the Spring and Pre-Fall 2012 runways, on fashionistas in street style and in home interiors.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Daring as it may seem, Tangerine Tango has proved it can be an excellent staple color. A versatile choice, the orangey hue compliments a spectrum of colors including yellow, purple, blue and green and flatters all skin tones. The past few seasons, designers already have taken note of the shade’s excitement and created eye-catching apparel, color-pop accessories and brighter-than-life footwear all sporting the vibrant color.

Syndicated journalist Marni Jameson consulted her “high octane” Interior Designer dream team for whom she relies on for advice on trends. Dallas designer Betty Lou Phillips declared, ”Orange will be everywhere, not the orange of an orange, but rather the hues and tints of bittersweet, coral, and tangerine. Lately, clients have been eager to add a pop of color to an otherwise neutral room with the hopes of adding a bit of bliss.”

Interiors can be freshened up with brightly colored chairs, pillows, lamps and other accents. Walls painted in solids or prints can make a huge artistic impact. Depending on the theme, orange can provide warmth or a modern vibe.

Tangerine Tango isn’t reserved just for fashion. She may be a style maven with her own apparel line, but interior designer Kelly Wearstler still knows how to invigorate any space and tangerine is an easy yet unexpected go-to.  Interiors can be freshened up with brightly colored chairs, pillows, lamps and other accents. Walls painted in solids or prints can make a huge artistic impact. Depending on the theme, orange can provide warmth or a modern vibe.

Need some help creating your Authentic Home? Contact us at 206.937.3070 or email us for more information on a color consultation or interior design appointment.

Yet like everyone else, my tastes also change and I wanted to lighten up my color palette. Over the summer I painted my living room in my silver color and used that as my background undertone for my new color palette.

I used silver in various tones, off white, champagne and a touch of light pink to create a winter wonderland.  Above is my mantel and I so love my new glittery silver reindeer with white mink collar piece that I found at Haley’s Cottage, in Kirkland WA.  I flocked both my wreath above the mantel and my tree to make it feel cool and snowy.

I used white & grey mesh wide fabric on the mantel to give it a light airy feel and a beautiful grey embroidered ribbon on the tree and a bow topper.  The tree is adorned with mixes of crystals, white glitter snowflakes, silver glitter reindeer and curly silver wisps to give the tree sparkle and sizzle!

Santa is also a new purchase this year as I fell in love with his beautiful cream and pink velvet coat and hat and his happy face.  A mix of ball ornaments in my color palette in a silver basket, silver votives and vases, a pink and white floral box and an angel ornament finishes off “Santa’s” table, which is next to my fireplace.

My home is on the smaller size and working with a lighter color palette keeps the mood bright and cheery.  I am excited to have friends over this weekend to enjoy it with me.

Happy Holidays!

Introduce other colors such as silver, champagne, turquoise blue, or soft pink.  I love working with silver trays and vases and all shapes and sizes of decorative balls and candles.  Pearls and crystals either used as garland or loosely arranged amongst candles add a pretty feminine touch.

And don’t forget the bedroom and other rooms in your home when decorating for the holidays.  I believe you need to enjoy the holiday spirit in every part of your home.

I wish all of you a joyous, peaceful and beautiful holiday season.

Here are some special items that I suggest you bring out every year, simple personal touches that everyone loves to see in a home during the holidays. Holiday photos, Holiday books, Holiday ornaments, Holiday candles, Holiday pillows and table linens. Use poinsetta’s to add a simple yet beautiful touch to your Holiday decor.

Pick up fresh greens to make the house smell like the holidays. I love working with pine cones and they too can be reused.
A fresh amaryllis or poinsettia plant always says Christmas and don’t forget the mistletoe.

Use pinecones, ornaments and branches in pots, urns or vases for a simple natural look.

Add nuts or fruit to bowls or vases for a natural and simple centerpiece.

Visit Authentic Home’s website for more inspiration and decorating ideas with color, paint and fabric. Happy Holidays!

If you missed it, you can listen to the MP3 recording on our website, go HERE to our “Where’s Kathy” page and click on the word here at the end of the Radio Guest on Brashenomics announcement.

Listen to Kathy, the creator and founder of Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ discuss the mis-conceptions about hiring an interior designer and picking out paint color to create your Authentic Home.

Brashenomics, is a local radio program hosted by Ben Brashen covering Financial Planning, Real Estate, Mortgage, Insurance, The Job Market, and other Business News in Seattle.
Need some help creating your Authentic Home? Contact us at 206.937.3070 or email us for more information on a color consultation or interior design appointment.