Falling for More 2012 Color Trends

Benjamin Moore just posted 4 color trends for 2012, so I thought I'd piggyback on last week's post and share them with you! 

April Showers...

Nicki-Noodle is hanging out with me here at the Inspired Interiors home office this afternoon as it sprinkles on and off here in Richmond, VA.  You know what they say about those April showers!  Nicki also enjoyed barking and greeting the nice FedEx delivery man who dropped off my client's Abbie Crystorama Chandelier a short while ago.  I love that my client decided to add a little touch of sparkle and femininity to her newly remodeled laundry room!

Anyway, I digress...the overcast weather and stormy skies around the area today have reminded me of all of the wonderful uses of gray seen in interior design.  Be it in FABRICS - often paired with warmer shades to keep a space from feeling too "cold" - or in PAINT COLORS.  I'm even seeing gray pop up in the increasingly popular washed and stained finishes on CASEGOODS.

Benjamin Moore's AF-685 Thunder, paired with yellow accents to warm things up!

Benjamin Moore's AF-700 Thunder graces the back of these bookcases, but doesn't look heavy or dark paired with the white doors and wainscoting. Also notice the reuse of the "thunder" color on the sofa upholstery and the use of both cool and warm accent colors.

The washed gray Wyatt Lamp Table from Lexington's Twilight Bay Collection.

And I love this entire bespoke "bachelor pad" filled with shades of gray such as: "pearl, dove, pinstripe, oyster, fox, seafoam, mist, moonlight, pebble, mushroom, taupe, smoke, cloud, steel, platinum, ash, pumice, slate and, of course, silver."  This flat was designed by Geoffrey Bradfield and was featured in the September 2008 issue of Architectural Digest.

Thanks for reading; I better go and rescue my natural woven shade sample from the grips of Nicole's puppy teeth!  She does love finding things that interest her in my office...

Balancing Act

So, we're on day 6 of the new year. Are you struggling to balance your new year's resolutions while getting back into the swing of post-holiday day-to-day life? I'll admit it; I am. I was reading an article on Benjamin Moore's website about color trends for 2011 and they emphasized "balance" and how life is about creating balance, which is exactly what this year's color trends embrace. Maybe I need to get out my paintbrush this weekend?

The folks at Benjamin Moore have selected the color of the year to be Vintage Wine (2116-20) describing it as a "color that's luxurious and comfortable at the same time. Violet has always been a color linked to royalty because it was so hard to get the dye. Vintage Wine has a layer of a rich brown which is culturally a color of comfort and familiarity. Think of things that give us a sense of relaxation like nature (soil/wood), chocolate, a warm cup of chair/coffee...you get the idea. When the two sensations come together, we have Vintage Wine to represent the idea of balance."

http://livingincolorwithsonu.typepad.com/sonu_blog/2011/01/benjamin-moore-color-trends-in-2011-for-your-home.html