Turquoise

“I’ll write the word blue in green and when I ask you what color it is, the proper response is turquoise.”
Jarod Kintz-

This tranquil, cool, watery color is just plain pretty. It's the color direction I chose when I decided to paint my home office but really, this color would work well in any room. It's cheerful  but not intense, kind of feminine but not girlie, exciting but soothing. What else can I say but I love this color.

Hotel Chic

House & Home

HGTV

House & Home

House Beautiful

HGTV

Houzz

York Wallcoverings

A Well Organized Kitchen

Every room in your house should be organized, especially the kitchen. An organized kitchen makes it easier to cook big meals at home and is so much easier to clean up the mess. Having said that of course my kitchen is not well organized. When you have a storage challenged small kitchen like mine being organized is difficult. I have more canned goods, utensils and small appliances than I have cabinet space so I have to store some things in another room. My dream is to have a beautiful bright kitchen with a big marble island and a cozy banquet by the window. Fulfilling that dream is not in my immediate financial future. For now all I can do is sit back and admire these beautiful well organized kitchens. 

House & Home

Elle Decor 

House Beautiful

House & Home

Elle Decor 

Country Living

House & Home

Elle Decor

Better Homes and Gardens

Martha Stewart

Happy Cooking!

For Your Consideration - Gray

Lately I have been smitten with the color gray. Gray walls, floors, furniture, lighting, fabric or pretty much anything. I am in love with it's versatility and softness and there seems to be an unlimited number or shades to choose from. Gray can take center stage and be the dominant color in a room or just as easily be the backdrop for brighter more vibrant colors. It also works very well with other neutrals like black and white or cream which I think is the prettiest combination. I once painted my living room a light gray that was borderline blue. I was not happy with it so I am a little reluctant to go down that road again. Having said that I think I can do a better job this time. I learned from that experience that you have to think your design ideas through, decide on a look and commit to it. If you only go halfway it won't work. Here are some really pretty gray rooms rooms that inspire me. 

I like the gold accents in this room. I would have only thought to use silver but this gold mirror looks so pretty with the gray walls. 

Elle Decor

The yellow accent is nice but not right for my living room. The rug....gorgeous! And did you catch the tiger covered chairs.

House Beautiful

Love this warmer shade of gray. The oak wood cabinet looks perfect against it.

Better Homes and Gardens

The black accent furniture is a nice touch. Wonder if I can work a black piece into my living room. They say you should have at least a touch of black in every space.

Better Homes and Gardens

The gray and cream combination is simply lovely. I am in love with the tables. If I could find just one of those chairs at an estate sale consider it sold.

House Beautiful

I really like the mix of colors in this room. The golds, blues, turquoise and warm wood color work so well with the neutral gray. This is a room I could live in. 

Elle Decor

Colorful Walls

Are you a colorphobe? I am, but I really appreciate the beauty of colorful spaces. I have tried using more color in the past but eventually tired of it and ran back to neutrals where I feel more comfortable. Case in point, I painted my bedroom pink once because I thought it was feminine and romantic. I lived with it for a few years but eventually painted it a soft neutral gray-green and immediately felt more at ease. I am slowly finding my way out of my comfort zone but doubt I'll ever be completely cured.  I'm searching for ideas for my office and really want to have some fun with color. If you want to have a colorful room it's a good idea to scan the Internet or clip magazine pictures to get inspired. Here are a few rooms that caught my eye.

This is purple room is pretty but I wonder if a man would be comfortable here.

Elle Decor

The pop of ice blue works well with green. Isn't that a crazy mirror?

Elle Decor

Cozy, cheerful and elegant. The yellow chairs helps to tone done the brightness.

Traditional Home

There are several different shades of teal in this room and they all work well together.

Elle Decor

This is a bright room but may be a bit too much for me. 

Elle Decor

There's nothing to say. Intense. 

Metropolitan Home

This color floats between pink and peach. The Peach tones gives it so much warmth. 

Elle Decor

This is an icy blue room. It's beautiful but I think I would have liked more dynamic artwork. 

House Beautiful

This warm color would be great for my office. I like the brown chairs and rust pillows too.

House & Home

The inlaid mirror is stunning on this teal wall. Looks more like artwork than a mirror.

House Beautiful

B.

Men in Purple

Could a man live with a purple room? The answer is yes of course, provided it's the right purple in the right room. This living room was designed by Anne Marie Midy and Jorge Almada and photographed by Simon Upton in 2011. They used a beautiful dusky shade of purple that is a perfect choice to paint a space either a man or woman could live in. I would imagine on some days this color looks more gray than purple which is why it works so well with the neutral colors it's paired with. The room is also full of large scale furniture and accessories in shades of gray and white which makes it feel more masculine but the pillows and accessories in multiple shades of purple and magenta give it a feminine touch. It's a beautiful room with lots of special touches that include:

The huge, carved, mirror over the fireplace 

The ottoman that seats 8 people or serves as a coffee table,

The gray and white checkerboard area rug,

The lighted arched bookshelves,

The floor to ceiling curtains that blend in with the wall,

The cove ceiling,

The pops of magenta throughout the room,

The extra long purple velvet sofa.

Elle Decor

I've been thinking of different colors to paint my home office. 

This shade of purple is giving me food for thought.  

What colors is your home office?