(New) Fall Colors.

Isn't it funny how a change in season seems exciting and new each year?
When I finally get around to putting all the Christmas decorations away (beginning of February, usually), I say to myself, "Next year I'm going light on holiday decor!" But...10 months later, there I am again, searching for the latest and greatest in holiday collections and accessories.  Somehow, it just happens...

We had a (mostly) lovely, hot and wet summer here in Iowa.  As one can imagine, I welcome the approaching season, and I'm ready to pull out the first sweater, go pick apples, pumpkins, spice....create a whole new scene.

When it comes to color,  fall is the perfect time to change up your 'look', as we prepare to spend LOTS and lots of time indoors during the winter months.  Typically, we think of maple red, green, brown, and orange this time of year.  However, the colors I'm noticing (and loving) this year are far more creative! There seems to be a new color consciousness, breaking away from the norm with unexpected combinations.

Here are 4 of our color favorites for this season. Hope you enjoy them, too!

Try one of these soft dark colors in a bedroom, using light colors (white, light gray, etc) in accent pieces, such as bedside tables, a desk, or bedding.  Colors like Benjamin Moore Galaxy, Deep Space, and Deep Caviar are great choices for a bold, fresh look.

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Moore Hasbrouck Brown and Branchport Brown are also great options for a bedroom (or any other room in your home, for that matter!).  Pair a deep chocolaty brown with a bold brick red for a winning color combination!

Our third color family for this fall works great in any room, and with just about any decorating style.  Taupe, taupe, taupe. We've been hearing many a mention of this color in the design community.  For one, it pairs wonderfully with all the violet shades we're starting to see.  Benjamin Moore Lighthouse Landing, Sierra Hills, and Mohair are excellent choices this fall.

And last, but certainly not least....ethereal grays/blues.  Pair one of these spa-inspired colors with white trim for a soft, clean look. Check out Benjamin Moore Sabre Gray, La Paloma Gray and Stone Harbor if this is the look you're trying to achieve.  

Have fun this season experimenting with these *new* fall colors!  Let us know if you've discovered a winning color combination for your favorite season!

A Tasteful Teen Room Makeover

One of the most fun, albeit most challenging decorating projects, is doing a room makeover for a teenager.  As a parent, it’s often difficult enough to find mutually agreeable middle ground on small everyday issues, so tackling an entire room makeover can be a real adventure.
 
However, if executed with careful planning, strategic decision-making and good consensus-building, it really can be a fun and rewarding undertaking for all parties involved.  This week we take a look at one such project.

In general, creating a plan for decorating a teen’s room usually presents three major challenges: pleasing the tastes and desires of both teen and parent’s, making decisions which will stand the test of time (or at least until the teen ‘leaves the nest’), and doing so without breaking the bank.  This project was no exception. 

The bedroom pictured here was actually at one time a second-story sun porch, with windows and /or French doors on three of its four walls.  Having been transformed to a year-round bedroom many years ago, it still boasts wonderful natural light from all those openings, however was in desperate need of a decorative update and transformation to accommodate the needs and tastes of its new, fifteen-year-old female resident.
 

Before

We began with the selection of a layered neutral color scheme, which works well with the existing carpet that was still in good shape.  A fresh coat of paint on woodwork, walls and ceilings utilized Sherwin Williams’ Utterly Beige, Realist Beige and Everyday White colors and created a soft warm canvas for the room.
 
Addressing the budget issue, the existing furniture needed to stay.  A pine pencil post bed was a good foundation piece for the room, and presented the opportunity for some fun, dramatic bedding treatments.
 
Again keeping in mind our needs for economical and age-enduring decision, we dressed the bed in a solid cream-colored duvet and tailored black bed skirt.
The pizzazz factor is, of course, pretty important to teens, and was added in the form of animal print pillows and bed scarf, against a backdrop of deep chocolate brown Euro shams at the head of the bed.
 

After

Crowning the bed and making it a true focal point is a creatively designed tailored canopy.  Simple fabrics keep it practical, while color, texture and some funky tassels at the corners give it personality.  In addition to its unmistakable drama, the canopy adds softness to the room without appearing fussy or too juvenile.
 
Windows were all dressed in simple pinch pleated draperies, in a fabric matching the bed’s canopy.  Decorative rods, finials and drapery rings painted a crisp white help to draw the eye upward, and insure that these won’t be mistaken for your grandma’s pinch pleateds. For now, they offer sleek sophistication to our teenage girl, and will still work well with almost any style this room takes on in the future.
 
With all the window and door openings in the room, furniture arrangement can be tricky.  We repositioned the bed to one of the outside walls, where it is framed perfectly between two sets of windows.
 
Wall-mounted swing arm lamps were placed strategically for reading and studying, and create a wonderful warm glow within the canopied space.  A funky round mirror completes the bed’s tableau.
 
Situated underneath the adjacent window is a blanket chest that can double as a new bedside surface for the alarm clock, tissues, books or other necessities.  A small, newly reupholstered chair and table in the opposite corner were rescued from another underused room in the house, and provide a cozy spot for reading or talking with friends.
 

All in all, we ended up with a space that pleases both teen and parents, and should continue to serve both well for many years to come.  That, they both agree, deserves the label of “Mission Accomplished!”.