Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Color Debate Continues...

I got my weekly BH&G newsletter delivered to my inbox yesterday and the first article was 58 Daring Ways to Use Neutrals.

images courtesy of BH&G

I turned up my nose.  This is NOT daring.

Lately, the blogosphere has been churning up the debate about color and I've finally decided that it was my turn to chime in.

Now, I've got some neutral walls in my house, so I hope I don't sound like a hypocrite here. I DO have a pretty green kitchen, that used to be brick red. I also used to have a sunshine yellow bedroom, but now I sleep better with less contrast.

I know apartment dwellers have limited options, and we condo peeps always think about resale issues. But I beseech you, don't force yourself to live in the temporary! Live it up in the NOW!

As for you forever and ever house gals, paint can be very affordable, so if you worry that you'll HATE it, like me and my sunshine yellow walls scenario, you can always change it! Let your home be a reflection of your personality. Let those walls envelope you in color. ROCK IT OUT. Do not feel like you have live in the Pottery Barn Catalog to make it beautiful. Make your home, YOUR home!

Now, perhaps you've got a breezy, beachy thing going on.  That's great...just add some color through accessories.  And the same goes for us apartment/condo dwellers!

Color creates DEPTH and volume and warmth.  And you know what else???  Color conveys EMOTION.  Let your home send out signals of happiness, love, and warmth, and it will be like a welcome mat to those you love!

Or, if you want, you can just have one of these out front:
That's all I have to say. The end.


10 comments:

Emily@remodelingthislife said...

Goose! LOL!

Okay, so over the weekend, we had a big bash for my little man's birthday. Friends who hadn't been here before came. They ALL commented on the color of the outside, the colors on the inside and how cheerful and pretty it was to have color everywhere. These are friends who live in places that they can't paint the outside of their houses without approval and they are too scared to paint a room inside.

I am used to all the color here and love it but I didn't realize what an impact it has when others see it too.

I love color. LOVE.

I also love neutrals and all white rooms but it's just not my style.

LoveFeast Table said...

I rock both, I must admit. I have grey blue walls in my living room, and a crazy champagne streaked finish in my dining room. Grey purple in my kitchen and a surprising deep turquoise hallway. I love the pops of color and the surprises no one expects. It's just color and so WORTH taking a risk!

Amy @ Living Locurto said...

I love color too, but my main entry is all open 2 story and huge and I never got around to painting the nightmare project. So the walls are still white. I like it now, but I agree... i couldn't live without some color. I have bright yellow and black splashed in that area.

Some people just love white on white. I guess being daring to B&H is adding colorful pillows.

Amy @ Living Locurto said...

Here are my boring white walls... One of these days I'll paint them.
http://www.livinglocurto.com/2008/09/home-tour-dining-living-rooms/

Kim @ Everything Etsy said...

Well, I love color everywhere! I have yellow, green, orange, tan, and murals on walls. Color makes me happy. Oh, and blue shutter-type doors in one part of the house. It makes it all a bit more tropical. I could go on and on and on...

I do like homes that are all white with bright colors in art and pillows. Now, I'll shut up. :)

~Kim

Kim @ Everything Etsy said...

Well, I love color everywhere! I have yellow, green, orange, tan, and murals on walls. Color makes me happy. Oh, and blue shutter-type doors in one part of the house. It makes it all a bit more tropical. I could go on and on and on...

I do like homes that are all white with bright colors in art and pillows. Now, I'll shut up. :)

~Kim

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

I like color & neutrals. I got tired of my red diningroom & love it painted Antique White now. But, I still like color too, just don't want to go really dark on the walls for the most part. I've got plenty of different colors in my house, but I think they all flow pretty well.

René said...

We have had a neutral home for a while now and I am finding that my eyes are drawn to bright color more and more. Color has such a positive energy about it.
White and neutrals always looks nice, but I crave something different.

Oh, dear, hope I didn't lose a friend just now.

Lindsay @ Makely said...

My walls are mostly neutral because that's what the builder painted them and I would need the world's tallest ladder to paint some of them. BUT, what we have painted have been bright - blue dining room? Check! Crazy colored kids room? Check! Soon to come - blue bedroom and blue powder bath. I'm kind of obsessed with different shades of blue. :)

I think I've decided that the baby's room will stay neutral through - I'm leaning towards antique white and beige. It just seems so pure to me.

Ally said...

Haha! I had that "welcome mat" in college.