Columns - an unexpected place to find color

My signature design is to paint columns. I do this in just about every home I color. It's seems to be an unexpected place to find a red, green, gold or blue since everyone is so used to looking at white or builders beige. For some reason my clients are always surprised when I recommend a color here and it's usually a dark accent feature so it really stands out. I added a hand painted touch here to the top of the column. It's very subtle but pretty cool when the light reflects off the gold. It actually picks up on the gold pattern that is found in the sofa to tie it in.

What's your blog style?

It's funny . . . . after looking at soooo many blogs, I see there are two kinds, actually three types of bloggers.

1. THE STEPFORD BLOGGER (where everything is so perfect)

Some of you may remember the movie “The Stepford Wives” where the women were “perfect” in the town of Stepford – perfect hair, perfect homes and I’m sure they had perfect blogs.

The Stepford bloggers have really fancy, beautiful blogs with amazing photographs. Some of these photos are take from cyberspace and some are their own creation but all are extremely staged. They provide beautiful color chips and FYI's about the photo and everything looks so fabulous! With perfect custom drapery, the accessories arranged just right on the table, flowers that looked like they were just picked and not one wrinkle on the bedding. It's a great look but can we get this look in a "real" home? Many blogs resemble one big stage. This style is much like going to a salon to get your haircut, looks great one day but somehow you can never get it to look the same again.

(picture taken from decorpad.com - for reference only - pretty though!)

2. THE BONA FIDE BLOGGER

These are Designers that are really trying to be unique and different from the rest. Their blog has an unconventional, unique look that makes you crinkle your eyebrows a bit because it doesn't follow the same format as the rest – but it's their information, photos, and designs and of course the writing comes from the heart. Standing out from the crowd is a good thing and having an innovative mind is better yet!

Artist: KJ Pargeter

3. THE SEASONED BLOGGER

This is the perfect blogger. They write just a bit, and what they write is informative and entertaining. They provide their own photographs and shoot pictures of everyday objects to make their point – objects that most of us have in our own lives and can relate to not staged items that you’d find on a page of Architectural Digest Magazine. They do provide amazing photography of their very professional work. The seasoned blogger has the right combination of professionalism plus their own two cents. In one post you’ll see some perfectly angled shot of off someone’s lavender and gray living room and then a few posts down you’ll see a blurb about how the cat jumped on her desk and rearranged all her paper work and providing a shot of the villain – fun stuff, real experiences a pleasure to read.

A color scheme Popeye would love

We all know that eating salads is a healthy choice. Here is a salad loaded with vitamins from spinach and cranberries - it's also a healthy color combination!

This Color Recipe would be a great choice for a bedroom. Shades of green are proven to be relaxing and who doesn't want a comfy place to relax at night and unwind?

• I would chose the darker green as the main color for the walls

• the lighter green for the ceiling (not for low ceilings)

• and cranberry red for an accent color

What Color Is Your Room?

It's so hard to pick a color for yourself when you're a Color Specialist. I can go to a clients home and choose a whole house color pallet in a little over an hour yet it took me two weeks to find a bedroom color. I chose this color pallet 3 years ago. Would I have picked something different today - yes! I chose these colors because I wanted something warm and cozy for the master bedroom. I find comfort in earth tones and brown just reminds me of chocolate which is a good thing.

If I were to choose colors today - maybe this pallet would be a consideration. The red, mauve, cream just looks so classy. Would it be hard to find bedding and drapery to match without going custom? Yea, probably.

or  . . .  how about something trendy like these blues and grays? They are pretty today but will I like them 2 months from now - probably not.

Digging deep for color schemes

You can find color schemes anywhere you look. After I took this picture when I was in New Orleans, I noticed the great red, cream, green and grey combo here. My choice would be:

Hawthorn (red)

Pear (cream)

Gardner Green (green)

Limestone (grey)

All from the Eddie Bower collection of Valspar

Your favorite inspiration piece

When I choose a color scheme for a client, I like to have an inspiration piece to start the color theme with. It can be a painting, an area rug, flowers, or a vase. This particular vase is the color inspiration for my entire home. Again, this is color made simple!

Are You Koi With Color?

painted by Donna Frasca

You can be!

Look how great these Sherwin Williams spicy hues would look with black.

Ceremonial Gold • Spicy Hue • Pennywise

You can easily do this in your home!

Try it.

Valspar and Nature helping with colors

The other day on Twitter I posted a reference to mums and dusty miller I found durning my daily walks. Well I actually remembered to bring my camera with me to capture it's colors while still vibrant.

Many times we don't think two colors will look good together until we see it somewhere and say "wow - I would have never thought of putting those two colors together".

Here is it, again, compliments of Mother Nature - she makes my job sooooooo easy!!! Crimson and Lyndhurst Celadon Green - again - Valspar colors.

Paint me Autumn Sky - Valsapr

I went for a walk the other day and it's that time of year here in Charlotte when the temps get cooler, the leaves start to change and the heat comes on - hello fall. I always take my camera with me because you never know when there will be a photo moments. 

I went for a short walk, only about 15-20 minutes and was a bit annoyed in the fact that I came home with not one picture. How is that? With the colors of fall all around me and I don't have one photo to show for it - until I looked up. LOOK AT THE COLOR OF THIS SKY!!!

Looking for a great blue to paint that boys room, nursery or kids bath? Here it is: Autumn Sky - Valspar. I love when Mother Nature chooses colors for us.

What the colors in your closet say about you

Wow, after taking this picture I see that my closet says that I really don’t like to iron. After getting over that, I’ve noticed that I’ve changed my pallet over the years. I remember when I was in my 20’s, black and brown was the dominant color found in my wardrobe. It’ seems that when I hit my late thirties early forties I’ve noticed that my face looked a bit anemic when I wore darker colors.

Like I needed an excuse to go shopping, I hit the stores. I picked up reds, yellows, oranges, blue, greens, pinks and purples. I found my face lit up a bit when I wore a bright color and I felt better, oddly enough. Felt better? Although that’s a story in itself I have to mention this. On the days I wear yellow, blue and beige, I don’t feel right. Strange, but they say color makes you feel certain ways when you wear, well, certain colors. I feel my best when I wear red, purple and green. I now know to stay away from black (but it’s so my friend when I wear black pants) brown, yellow, blue and beige.

Knowing that, I tweaked my wardrobe. Black and browns still have their place but I try to blend in some lighter tones like white or creams or break it up with a colorful scarf. I wear the purple, red and orange blouses when I meet clients – they are my “power” colors and I also really like animal prints; those I save when I have a date with my husband only because he likes them too (wink wink).

Amber - the color of fall

This is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry that screams fall to me. Amber is fossilized tree resin that comes from the Baltic Sea. I happen to love the “spicy” colors of amber which is why I’m drawn to it. The only thing you have to be careful of with amber is that it is a soft jewelry and it does scratch easy. This too looks great with jeans or you can dress it up too! Photo by Donna Frasca

The Color of Crystal

Swarovski Crystals

There are hundreds of colors in Swarovskicrystals. That’s what’s so great about them - you can wear crystals with just about anything. Chances are you’ll find any color under the rainbow - just look. Dress them up with jeans too!   Photo by Donna Frasca

Blue is a hard color to find in nature so when we see it, blue really makes a statement.  Photo by Donna Frasca

All about Color For Charlotte

Don't forget to check out my main website at www.DecoratingbyDonna.com. I'll be adding a ton of new and exciting features and facts for the upcoming holiday season. I'll include color tips and trends, a new article section and upload some beautiful photgraphy. Don't forget to bookmark it for updates!

Looking for gold? You can find it here

The Field Marigold is October's flower - Calendula Stems - meaning "first day of the month". With the bright colors of Autumn on their way, you can find some type of marigold in most gardens. They're hardy and easy to grow. This yellow, oddly enough, looks similar to Valspars "Field of Daisies" - maybe they should have named it "Fields of Marigolds"?

Bluebird Blue - Inspiration for new paint deck

Isn't it amazing that such beautiful color is found in this Bluebird?  I love watching birds and this is one of my favorites. The males are more blue then the females with a hint of peach on their breast.  Wouldn't that be cool if there were a paint fan deck of just colors found in nature, like a "Wild Bird Collection -Bluebird Blue, Cardinal Red, Goldfinch Yellow. I think I'll make a suggestion to Valspar!!!