Sunday, February 11, 2007

Chic Color Combos



In the current issue of House & Garden (March '07), there is a great article about color and how to use it. While bold and bright colors are the current trend, many people are very uncertain about how to incorporate it into their rooms. In fact, San Francisco designer Steven Miller warns that bright colors used with reckless abandon can look like "an angry fruit salad".

The editors write that the safest way to introduce bold colors to one's design scheme is by juxtaposing them against neutral colors and natural materials (shells, plaster, old leather). They also suggest the following color schemes: tangerine and stone; green, black, and white; pink and brown; chartreuse and silver; purple and gray; and orange and gray.

I think it's safe to say that pink and brown has been a perennial favorite amongst decorators (and us bloggers!) for a while now. H&G uses the photo at top (room by Tom Scheerer) as a great example. And I adore the combination of orange and gray- so clean and chic. There are certainly other color schemes where the bold color/neutral contrast would apply. What about bright yellow, black, and white? Or turquoise blue and white? I even think that chartreuse or apple green looks great against a very soft blue/gray. I would love to hear what others think about these color combinations. Which one is your favorite?


Bedroom by Albert Hadley- tangerine/coral walls and headboard with neutral trim, floor, bed linens, and furniture


Nick Olsen's command of the green, black, and white color scheme

Bright purple accents against a soft background by Jamie Drake


Bedroom in yellow, black, and white by Jamie Drake
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6 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:13 PM

    I was in Chicago this weekend and they were giving out copies of this very issue. I loved it all the wonderful ideas for color. I wrote about the same thing. Your pics are awesome!

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  2. Anna Spiro7:37 PM

    An excellent Post POC!!! So clever. I must say at the moment I am a fan of the black, yellow and white combo but I also love pink and brown and blue, white and natural with a bit of orange thrown in. There are just so many great colour combos sometimes I find it hard to pick which one I am going to use for a room!!

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  3. Unknown12:37 AM

    NIIIIIICE post. Really enjoed all this. Oh, to have that purple velvet ottoman!

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  4. The Peak of Chic8:57 AM

    Thanks all! I think this color issue has inspired a lot of us!

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  5. Irene9:01 PM

    Lovely post. Thank you. What do you think of red and blue, or tangerine and sea blue?

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  6. The Peak of Chic10:11 PM

    Irene- I love the red/blue combo, particularly a pale blue and vivid red with a touch of black or white thrown in. Sea blue and tangerine sounds great too, esp. with a neutral thrown in to the mix. Good choices Irene!

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