Category Archives: Color Palettes

Paulie Pigskin in the House…

Thursday evening I got an urgent call about a color consulting project in Phoenix and by Monday morning I was flying out to meet Nathan Marmor, the local CertaPro Painters franchisee in the area, and Paul Calvisi- you Arizonians probably know Paul better as Paulie Pigskin, Sports Broadcaster for KTAR Sports 620 and Arizona Sports.

If you have to fly out and back in a day to tackle big color questions and call out bold plays of color, this is the team to have with you. CertaPro always takes care of their client, and Paul and his family were so laid back, so open to ideas, so excited to work on their home.

I'm no doubt explaining something fascinating about the delicate dance of color and light... Paul's seems to be thinking, "wait, did I have grilled cheese for dinner last night or was it lasagna?"

I met his family, got the grand tour of the house, then dove right into color. They wanted colors to update their house now that will still feel fresh with the improvements they have planned for the future.

Nathan Marmor, CertaPro Painter franchisee, stands by ready to catch the ball- er uh, the paint deck as we go over exact plans and finishes...

Paul was super cool and so was everything about his family and home. We came up with a really simple palette with thoughtful decisions around details like painting the baseboards to match the walls (why call out features that aren’t the best?!) and giving the bathroom a cleaner look with a light color that carried onto the walls and ceiling.

I like to carry a color swatches around the room to see how they'll look from every angle...

We went through each room choosing colors that looked great in every space and also worked well together for a more spacious and flowing feel.

Let's be honest, this probably isn't the most fast-paced game Paul's been involved in, but you can see we really had to consider some serious stuff here- like satin vs. eggshell! We're almost done here when I could swear I caught Paul thinking, "yes, yes, I am King of my castle" while I've apparently drifted off to, "hm, should I have grilled cheese or lasagna for lunch?" :-)

All puns and serious faces aside, we really made a great team. Everyone’s excited about the project and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

Then it's back to the airport before the sun goes down. I'll touch base with Nathan and Paul in about a week and see how things are going.

We landed on a simple color scheme- just three colors- with a list of details to bring out all the best features of this comfy family friendly home.

 

A Week in the Life

My brother, Lane, texted me Friday-

‘You’re all over Better Homes and Gardens”

(pause for celebration- yea!!)

Jody Gorlock, author of this 34 Secrets article, compiled color tips from an extensive list of designers to offer readers approachable advice for their homes.

Of course, it was a surprise to him, but I was thrilled when I first got the call back in November to provide color tips for the article. (thanks for the heads up, Lane! I’d almost forgotten to be on the look out for the March issue!)

It’s funny, sometimes my days run into each other and I’m not sure if me and my team have accomplished enough. Projects get held up by back orders, interviews are often done months in advance, video editing takes weeks of drafts, and timing purchases and services can take Matrix-like coordination. There are a lot of moving parts and, of course, my goal is to be moving them and myself forward at all times. So when these moments arrive- the magazine comes out or the video goes live or the finishing pieces go into a project- I just can’t help but stop for a sec and smile. I love my work!

Go pick up the magazine for lots of great color tips for your home, and stay tuned this week to see- in real time- what I’m up to every day to make the Shannon Kaye Making Room for More machine turn. I’m headed to Phoenix tomorrow for a last minute color consultation… can’t wait to tell you about it! Stay tuned…

 

Final Notes on Monochrome

This book, Monochrome, has been huge inspiration. Here are a few more amazing rooms that might inspire you too!

Paula Rice Jackson compiled some of the most elegant, subtle and sophisticated rooms expertly done in one color. But your room doesn't have to be high end to look amazing...

 

 

Another Saladino special: classic and opulent, but the honey tones and raw wood give the room a casual and comfortable feel

Cheery yellow and burlap make for a sweet library for anyone looking for a good read

Saladino designed these pieces. You'll see versions of them in most of his interiors

 

 

Monochromatic Plan- Again

You probably thought we were done with this little pillow, but no! Let’s tackle this monochromatic thing from the other direction and focus on the sage green background of our little bolster.

Funny enough, I’m finishing up a green bedroom where this pillow would fit beautifully (that wasn’t planned- I swear!). Wish I could show you the finished photos, but we’re still waiting for the custom duvet. You’ll be the first to know when it’s all ready. ‘Til then, here’s the plan:

I chose a tall curvy headboard to create a focul point for this oddly shaped room. Placed in front of busy built-ins the piece will also help the room feel more spacious and tidy

Dark mossy green will to cover the headboard to set off the walls and lighter fabrics

This fabric inspired the color scheme and style for this room. This will be the duvet (you'll see the sample of this in some of the photos)

Fresh lemon green paint for the walls and built-ins will bring out all of the green hues in the duvet fabric

Pale blue gray on the ceiling to expand the space and soften the edges. TIP: the lower ceiling over the bay window gets the wall color to- say it with me- keep the focus on the headboard!

This piece may be neutral but it's not plain. The creamy colors keeps the room light and airy while the architectural details mimick the nooks and crannies of the room and relate to the rug

Soft roman shades to dress up the bay window without distracting from the headboard

Recognize this rug? I included it in yesterday's saffron monochromatic scheme. It looks fantastic in this room too!

Here’s a sneak peek at the progress…

Bad photos (sorry!), but you’ll notice that most of the accessories are green or white. The headboard fills a tight awkward space make the room feel more spacious. The fabric draped over the pillows is for the duvet. Can’t wait to get it back from the seamstress!

Grouping 'like' objects and playing with variations of green keeps these built ins from looking cluttered. The look is personal, but the focal point is still the curvy headboard.

Cream and pale green stand out on this black marble top dresser. And the mixture of texture and scale give this vignette an unfussy feel

The small gray chair is upholstered in gray linen relates to the texture and color of the linen duvet, and the color connects to the marble dresser top.

 

 

Hypothetically speaking… a Monochromatic Color Scheme

Okay, we’re going to tackle a monochromatic scheme for your home. Start with a room of your choosing. I’ll start with this one:

I like the dark floors, black window trim, and hefty molding in this cozy room. The view isn't horrible either.

Got your inspiration piece? Take a good look at it and jot down the defining points like color, style, look, feel. They don’t have to technically correct, just describe the piece to help you define your theme.

I’ll demonstrate with this bolster (below) I found on Jayson Home and Garden. Saffron and sage in color, it has a vintage feel that’s exotic, rustic and elegant. I’m immediately drawn to the architectural pattern and contrast between the smooth background and raised tapestry yarn.

What is rustic elegance anyway?

It’s classic and luxurious with the patina of time as if it sat in a sunny window over the years. It’s still beautiful but maybe a bit faded or worn. Rustic elegance implies a rich opulent past softened by age that makes it feel less formal, more comfy in the present.

Anywayyy, this looks like it belongs to a sophisticated, well-traveled person (let’s pretend that’s me, shall we?). May seem like a difficult color to work with, but almost immediately I found a few more treasures to go in our room…

Contrasting a clean lined sofa with casual exotic pillows adds gives the room a comfy inviting feel…

Another Jayson Home and Garden piece, this ottoman's a clean mid-century feel works well with the sofa and the antiqued brass frame relates to the rustic pillows. See how relating the pieces without matching creates a yummy eclectic room that draws you in?

This luminous painting of San Francisco by local artist Jeremy Mann would be stunning over the sofa. The deep amber tones and black shadows add depth, contrast and drama

I think you see where I'm going with this vintage leather chair with amber warm wood and brass details...

Sherwin-Williams Eastlake Gold is so dramatic and warm. It's perfect for our golden palette and well-traveled feel.

A fluffy flokati rug from Anthropologie keeps with our exotic theme and adds softness (both in color AND texture) to balance out the darker points

But you could use this vintage suzani tapestry on the floor to keep the feel dark and mysterious. You could also use this versatile piece as a throw on the ottoman or a wall hanging. OR use it on the entry floor to introduce the color scheme early.

Add a clean architectural piece like this bookcase and super modern art piece like a brass or stone sculpture for an amazing finish…

Love this galvanized book shelf with the books placed inside out to reveal their warmly patinated pages. Found this image on finders keepers blog- love it!