Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Color Palette Inspiration


I love the story in the May issue of Martha Stewart Living on decorating with color. The selected 18 colors and dubbed them "super-neutrals" and then decorated five rooms with them. The palettes are a combination of contrast and tone-on-tone. I tend to use more tone-on-tone, so it's nice to be reminded that contrast can be very beautiful too, and doesn't have to mean black and white, or a similarly stark combination (the yellow and blue below is one example).

Here are the paint colors:
1. Buoyant Blue, No. 6483, Sherwin-Williams.
2. Dragonfly, No. AF-510, Benjamin Moore.
3. Gray Horse, No. 2140-50, Benjamin Moore.
4. Blue Fir, No. MSL124, Martha Stewart Living Paint.
5. Cooking Apple Green, No. 32, Farrow & Ball.
6. Titanium, No. 2141-60, Benjamin Moore.
7. Punch, No. MSL014, Martha Stewart Living Paint.
8. Stonington Gray, No. HC-170, Benjamin Moore.
9. Babouche, No. 223HC-170, Farrow & Ball.
10. Heath, No. MSL212, Martha Stewart Living Paint.
11. Natural Twine, No. MSL217, Martha Stewart Living Paint.
12. Lancaster Blue, No. UL34, Ralph Lauren Paint.
13. Makaha, No. 19-32, Pratt & Lambert.

You can get a printable version of the paint palette here.






Speaking of paint, Benjamin Moore retailers in the Southeast are offering free color samples. Great for a testing out a color or a small project (say, a couple of picture frames). Visit benjaminmoore.com to download your coupon and get a complete list of participating dealers.

16 comments:

  1. I love the soft colors of the rooms. Thanks for sharing the colors with us. Carla

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  2. I became obsessed with this article. Love all the colors.

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  3. This is really helpful because Adam and I are going this weekend to look at paint colors for several rooms in his (soon to be our!) house. I'm pretty intimidated, but don't tell him I said that... I'm trying to act all confident like I know what I'm talking about so that I get the final say! ;)

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  4. Thanks for sharing, this is a really helpful way to incorporate lots of colors but still be "neutral."

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  5. Great article post...I was just thinking yesterday about how I needed help with using complimentary contrasting colors in a "non confrontational" way =)

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  6. LOVE LOVE LOVE number 2! Like, seriously I am going to have to write the number down, find a place that sells it and paint something with it....

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  7. This is fantastic! Thanks a million for sharing. I just love all those colors!

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  8. I'm going to have to go get a copy, because I'm definitely a tone on tone girl. Thanks for sharing the info!

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  9. I'm so glad I ran across your blog (from Blue Hydrangea). I read this MSL article in a waiting room yesterday, but don't have a subscription. I was just wishing I logged some of the colors in my iPhone when I ran across your post. Thank you!!

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  10. ohhhhh that makes me what to get that magazine. love those colors!! thanks for sharing :)

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  11. I love this. I haven't seen the newest issue yet.

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  12. I am so obsessed with the idea of painting my mom's old desk a shade of greenish-blue—kinda like the window valance in your second example (#4). If a piece of wood furniture has been finished with stain, do I need to sand it before painting or is there a primer I can use?

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  13. Jen -- you will definitely want to sand to take some of the finish off. As for primer, just shop the primer aisle for a formula to use over varnish. We like Kilz.

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  14. i LOVE that coral mirror above the bathroom sink.

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  15. Cool post, we just painted our master bathroom, so I guess it's "Painting time" in blogland. Feel free to check out our painting project on my blog... *Amy

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  16. I was wondering whether I should get this issue or not... and now I think I will!

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