Don’t be afraid to use color in your home. So many people paint their walls white and buy beige carpeting.
I remember when I was a kid, my mother wanted to buy green rugs for the living room. But she wasn’t sure how to match up furniture with the carpets. My father always let her do whatever she wanted to the house. So, she wrote to the decorating column in our city newspaper for advice.
The decorator told her to buy green rugs in a rich emerald shade, a couch covered in gold fabric and gold and white striped wallpaper.
I know that sounds a little over the top. But keep in mind, this was the Seventies. She followed his advice and as a result, we had the showplace home of the neighborhood. Many of my friends’ mothers followed her example and freed up their color palette when decorating.
We all lived in color.
Today my mother has a blue carpet, a French floral couch and rose-colored sitting chairs. The house is feminine but sophisticated.
I boldly have a red velvet couch with hard-wood floors, dark wooden tables and gold silk dupioni drapes.
The key to decorating with color is not to use too many different colors at the same time. Rich colors work better than pastels. Light pastels can look cheap, while richer colors look, well, rich.
So beware of earth tones. Do you really want to live in a beige and brown world?
These photos are from the Pierre Deux catalog. If French florals are too much for you, click here for some color advice from Europe by Net.
Bring some color into your life.
Grace Magazine 