Experimenting with Colour Schemes in interiors

Colours impart that special touch to the interiors. Being bold with colours can impart very dramatic and moody look to the interiors. In this article, we discuss two colour schemes, which can make a lot of difference to the interiors without being too common. Read on…

Decorating with Black and White

There is a very famous old decorating rule that "every room can use a touch of black."

Black provides a grounding, a steadiness, and a punch of impact in almost any interior. Use black to set off, outline, underline, and sharpen your decorating scheme.

But pair black with white and drama is almost certain. The look is clean, fresh, and definitely elegant. If you love this combination, you’ve got lots of style choices, from straight contemporary to Country French.

And black and white can be successfully combined with many other shades of color to add variety. Think about adding red, camel, or even rose pink, for looks that are bandbox fresh.

Here are some ways to use black and white in your home:

Start with a classic black and white floor. Choose vinyl tiles in alternating black and white for an entry or kitchen. Or start with large white ceramic tiles and add black accents and borders in a bathroom. For the ultimate foyer nothing beats a floor of shiny black marble framed in crisp white wall moldings.

Paint the walls:

Museum white and frame artwork, prints, and photographs in light wood or black frames. Frames are available pre-assembled in a variety of inexpensive standard sizes. Because the frames are so simple, go wild with mat colors and layers. Use strong mat colors to harmonize with your art or room. Or, layer mats (black, gold, red, for example) for high drama.

For your bedroom thinks crisp clean white for linens and comforters. Set them off with a black bedskirt, pillows, and upholstered chair. In the summer throw in some pale pink pillows, and in the winter change the accent fabrics to warm red or even metallic gold.

Powder rooms can use strong colors and dramatic focus. Put in a black marble countertop and set it off with gold accessories (mirror frames, towel bars, faucets). Then add fluffy white towels that you’ve decorated with bands of black ribbon or cording (an easy straight sewing project).

Look for colorful fabrics that include touches of black. Then use that color cue to add more black in your room — in picture frames, lamps, pillows, drawer hardware, and window treatments. Remember a little black can go a long way. You may not want black draperies, but a black border on all-white drapes can be a very effective accent.

Contemporary homes seem to thrive on black and white. Put down some charcoal berber carpeting, vary your white walls with accent walls in red, mustard, or hot pink. Then hang up colorful artwork and you’ll have a wonderful, artistic home that will be perfect for entertaining.

Even country style interiors can use a black and white color scheme. Picture pretty black and white gingham checks on chair seats and bedroom curtains, checkerboard stenciling around a kitchen soffit, or a collection of black metal trays hung on a dining room wall.

Iron accents are extremely popular now and fit well into many rooms. Think about using black metal accent tables, candlesticks, and light fixtures in a dining room, family room, or home office. They’ll add a touch of cool contemporary beauty and often take up little visual space.

Choose china in all white or a pattern of black and white. Villeroy and Boch’s Audun Pattern, for example, features classic black and white toile with bands of yellow. It’s both unusual and profoundly classic. Or, for ulitmate versatility choose plain white or plain black plates. You’ll be able to pair them with nearly any style and color of table linens.

Wherever you decide to add black and white to your home, it’s sure to add a bit of drama and style.

DENIM BLUES

Decorating with Denim Blues

Jeans. They’re probably your favorite item of clothing. It seems like they go with everything from white and black, to florals, to red and camel.

Do you love denim? Are you wild about chambray? Then denim decorating may be for you! Sink into a soft washed denim sofa, and you’ll feel right at home. Pair denim fabrics with soft florals, crisp checks, or buttery leathers, and you have a look that’s bound to please everyone in the family.

Here are some ways to use denim decorating in your home:

A sofa or chair covered in denim is a good place to start. It’s classic, soft, and practically begs you to sit down and stay a while. Choose pre-washed fabrics for the softest feel. And keep your chair out of direct sunlight or you’ll find it fading in all the wrong places.

Because denim is a plain fabric it takes well to dressing up with trims. Use fat cordings, weltings made from checked fabric, red pillow fringe, and white trims. Mix and match trims and welts on a grouping of pillows, and add some to the upholstery and curtains.

You can even put a denim look up on your walls. Ralph Lauren has the paints and techniques for chambray and denim-look walls. Try this in a powder room, for a boy’s room with a cowboy theme, or for a girl who loves horses and riding.

Bedrooms are another room where denim feels right at home. Denim comforters and bedskirts, chambray sheets and curtains will surround you in denim heaven. Break up the all-blue look with another print that incorporates a blue denim color. Look for printed tone-on-tone denim fabrics too, in patterns such as paisley.

Use an old pair of jeans to make a cornice or valance for your windows, or cut out a square around the pockets and make it into a one-of-a-kind pillow.

You can dress denim up a bit with chintzy florals, or dress it down with pillows made from $1 bandanas. Try some paired with a wonderful leather sofa or next to a white cotton duck slipcovered piece.

Denim fits comfortably against walls of white, camel, and yellow. Keep furniture light — in pine or painted wood, and on the casual side. Repeat denim blue colors in your window treatments, pictures, and accessories.

Be on the lookout for room touches that will play up your use of denim. You might try a suede fringe on your curtains, overall clips on your tie-backs, bandana print wallpaper, rustic wood accessories, and twig occasional furniture.

Iron and wood accessories look great with denim. Or go for a country cottage look with blue denim fabrics and all-white accessories.

Baskets and wood boxes also fit well with a denim scheme. Use natural wood tones or try painted styles in barn red or navy blue.

Denim for the table is also popular. Ralph Lauren makes denim dinnerware and other manufacturers have blue calico plates, denim florals, and light blue chambray colored pottery. Look for it to enhance your denim rooms.

Denim can be at home in any room, or all throughout your home. Use it as the basis for a wonderful, liveable color scheme and your guests may never want to leave.