FRESH INSPIRATION: WALLPAPER

If you are looking to make a room pop, I suggest installing wallpaper for color and pattern.  Over the past few years wallpaper has gained popularity and I am frequently this update for powder rooms, dining rooms, and even laundry rooms.   Here are a few of my top blue and green wallpaper picks: 

Galbraith & Paul Lotus in Fennel Galbraith&Paul

Hummingbirds, Blue Multi-Coulour, LeeJofa

 Galbraith & Paul Parquet in Sea Galbraith&Paul

Thibaut Design, Fair Isle in Green & Blue ThibautDesign

Scalamandre, Gertrude's Plaid in Dark Blue Scalamandre

Pierre Frey, Bonne Pêche in Bleu PierreFrey

Manuel Canovas, Anvers Wallpaper Cowtan

Kaleidoscopic Crest Wallpaper, Teal Anthropologie

Cover image via galbraithandpaul.com

FRESH INSPIRATION: COLOR

Months before the announcement of the Pantone Color of the Year, I had my eye on a new favorite color pairing: green and blue.  This fresh and sophisticated palette is great for any application.  Whether you are looking to add some green and blue throw pillows to a room in need of color or you are trying to update a forgotten powder room with an exciting new wallpaper, green and blue is my new favorite.   

Try soft gray blue and pale lime for a serene bedroom or mossy green and sapphire blue for a dramatic library.  You can also take this color pairing from coastal home to home in the suburbs.  Here are a few photos for inspiration: 

Images via Pinterest

FRESH INSPIRATION FOR A NEW YEAR

The past few weeks have been filled with holiday parties, gatherings, and festive outfits featuring sparkles and fur.  This exciting whirlwind has come to a sudden halt, our tree is dismantled and decorations have been carefully packed away for next year.  The winter blues have set in and the long cold months ahead loom over us as the final Christmas cookies are devoured.  

This seasonal slum hit me hard this weekend.  I don't know if this helped or made it worse, but I started revisiting summer photos and images from previous tropical getaways.  Each photo was filled with roaring cool blue surf and rich green foliage, which got me thinking about color.  Sunlight and temperature have something to do with the happy feelings associated with these settings, but so do the colors. Maybe all we need is a little color update to get us through the winter blues?  

With this in mind, I began my search for blue and green inspiration.  This is a great time to consider updating or redesigning your home.  Whether you plan to add a chinoiserie planter with fresh green plants or wallpaper your powder room in a cheerful green and blue paper, this week will offer plenty of inspiration to beat the winter blues.  

Image via @againteriordesign instagram

BRIGHTEN UP: LET THERE BE LIGHT

This is a great time to reconsider the lighting in your home.  A new table lamp is a wonderful quick fix for both updating and brightening a space.  I frequently advise clients to incorporate color and pattern using lamps and accessories.  Here are a few of my top picks for all budgets: 

1.) Ballard Designs, Suzanne Kasler Gourd Lamp www.ballarddesigns.com

2.) Layla Grace, Jaipur Table Lamp www.laylagrayce.com

3.) Lamps Plus, English Blue & White Porcelain Temple Jar Lamp www.lampsplus.com

4.) Circa Lighting, Mimi Table Lamp www.circalighting.com

5.) Layla Grace, Samantha Triple Gourd Table Lamp www.laylagrayce.com

6.) Layla Grace, Bunny Williams Home Chicken Feather Brown Table Lamp www.laylagrayce.com

BRIGHTEN UP: YELLOW

Growing up, my mom decorated with all things yellow and tree of life themed.  To this day, her taste remains the same.  Classic, warm, and welcoming are all descriptions that come to mind when I think of the yellow rooms at my parent's home.  Our house was positioned so that it received both the morning light on the front and the afternoon light on the back.  In the summer the sunlight was shaded by the full trees, but in the wintertime the trees were bare, allowing these rooms (particularly the living room) to take on a stunning late afternoon glow.  On winter afternoons, my mom could be found with her companion (Prudence the Pug) reading or catching up on emails, in this sun filled room.  It is spaces like these that can help us get through the gray days ahead.  Color can affect our daily emotions and behaviors, so why not go with a color that makes you happy?  

With this in mind, I recently designed a yellow guest bedroom for one of my clients, which got me thinking about color and trends.  We seem to be stuck in a navy and gray rut.  I think this color combination can be very beautiful, but does everything have to be in these colors?  With this in consideration, I thought I would share inspiration for bright and cheerful yellow rooms.   

Images via Pinterest

BRIGHTEN UP: IN COLOR

I was recently at an event where I was asked about a pale blue cashmere sweater that I was wearing.  My friend was in love with the color and brought up a very valid point, as New Englanders we frequently find ourselves in shades of gray and black this time of year.  We have the cardigans, the "V"-necks, the crew-necks, and the turtle-necks all in black. Try brightening up your wardrobe with fun colors like fuchsia, yellow, chartreuse, and periwinkle.  Here are my top three suggestions for a little November color. 

1.) Jcrew for bright and cheerful coats: 

2.)  Cozy cashmere, in various styles and colors from LordandTaylor: 

3.) Maybe all you need is a pop of color, like this cashmere wrap from WhiteandWarren:

All images directly from online source. 

BRIGHTEN UP

This weekend marked the end of daylight savings time.  One of the most depressing days of the year for me.  Everything is suddenly gray and bare, in anticipation for what is supposed to be a snowy and cold winter.  

Thank goodness we have the holidays to look forward to, but if these next few weeks seem a bit drab, here are a few ideas to brighten things up.  And just remember there are only 224 days until next summer! 

Image via Pinterest