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Best of all, he gives you these little squares of black and gray so you can check out his colors against the best background. And, he has color numbers from the major paint companies, so you can scoot over to your paint store and get colors from his book in paint form. I like that.

Kevin wrote this amazing book titled Decorative Style about 20 years when faux finishes were really in. Sadly, it’s out of print, but if you can pick up a copy, it’s a good one to keep in your design arsenal.

A favorite color palette

I came up with this color palette, inspired by Kevin’s shell colors. I made the red a little brighter. Love this!

Anyone who knows me well, knows that red is my favorite color. I love bright colors and dark colors. I’m not usually a fan of pastels, but I’m softening to them.  Three of these colors are from Farrow & Ball’s most excellent paint colors. I haven’t used them in a room, but I have tried their sample pots. Truly beautiful. Those really got me turned on to pastels. The red is from Benjamin Moore. They have zillions of colors, and their Aura brand of paint is super-fine.

I created this palette with four colors, instead of the usual three. A four color palette gives you  more things to play with. You can use one for the wall, one for the trim, ceiling, rug, accessories, etc… Your room will have more depth and you can more easily carry the colors throughout the house.

Here’s a room I created using Benjamin Moore’s visualizer.

Their color previewer only allows three colors, so I chose one with some taupe in the furniture. I would do something with that ceiling, but you get the idea.

How would use these colors? I’ve used red on the ceiling to great effect. I’m not sure if black on the ceiling would work. Has anyone ever tried that?

The typical straight lines and black and white colors that we think of when it comes to contemporary furniture are still on hand, but say hello to soft pastels and vibrant colors. They were everywhere and not just in lighting and accessories. Color is a major trend in furnishings.

Patricia Urqioula’s Klara Collection for Moroso. This was one of my favorites. I love the soft pink and the knit pattern.

More pastel colors, a soft blue, were a hit with me. I love that toile in the background. The juxtaposition with the contemporary against the classic is terrific.

Another super, super favorite were these antique carpets found everywhere. These are from Roche Bobois. I also saw them at Moroso and elsewhere. They’re bleached and then re-dyed using vibrant color. Again, color rules everywhere.

Lighting makes a colorful presentation from Norman Copenhagen. Bau pendant lamp takes its design from Calder, don’t you think?

Moroso has teamed up with Diesel to create a line of furnishings designed for hipsters (like me of course!). The soft lines of this sofa bed and the shock of color from the tables and carpet are awesome! Totally. More about this line later dude.

These vibrant tables come Carlos Pellicer, a student from Mexico’s Centro Diseño Cine Television. Good work. Maybe one day, The College for Creative Studies, where I studied, will have a booth. Are you listening Rick?

These creative chairs called Reversible, hail from a young designer, Nicola Staubli. The covers can be changed out as you like. Blue one day, Orange the next. The frame also comes apart to create an upright or low-rider.

Her’es another look at those awesome carpets. But let’s look at the colorful Paper Plane chairs designed by Doshi Levin.Again, we’re seeing pastels, soft brown and the traditional black.

If you’re thinking that you’ll never be able to afford these haute couture originals never fear. They’ll be restyled a bit and find their way into more affordable lines. Be patient.

And that’s it for today. Stay tuned for another major trend later this week. Tah for now!

These palettes comes from photos I took just yesterday. I turned to the paints of Benjamin Moore to find matching colors from nature. Mix and match these colors on the walls and in accent pieces. Strong, saturated colors can brighten any room. Use lighting to create reflection off the walls and ceilings.

Warmth can also be found in pastel colors drawn from winter’s leaves and branches. Warm browns, yellows are combined with greens and violets. You can use these paints through-out the house by carrying the colors into each room. You can paint the walls in one color, use another for curtains, throws and accent pieces. Upholstered furniture carries the colors as well.

Your local paint store will have mix and match colors. Websites – like mine! – are another source for inspiration. Or make up your own. Do you have one to share? Send me a photo via the contact button and we can begin our own color palette conversation.

Where do you find your inspiration for color palettes?

I came across Kris Klarin’s blog, Color Stripes today and had to share it. Kris is a jewelry maker and is branching into home decor, like these candlesticks. But I really love how she focuses on two of my favorite things (other than design) – color and photography. It’s a joy to look at, and an inspiration.

You can purchase her jewelry at her online shop. Check it out!

It’s nice to see choices that aren’t the typical red and green. To read the post and see all the fun images, follow this link.

The subject was online decorating as a profession. I think you’ll find the article interesting. You can link to it here.

For those of you who know me, you know I like to run Design Dilemmas where I redecorate spaces completely from photos. I wish I could do more of them and plan to in the future. It’s a time consuming thing and right now my time is crunched! I would only do these as a freebie and always underscore the importance of checking color options in real life. The reason? Because, as you’ll read in Rachel’s article, computer monitors do not reflect real life. Never assume that colors will match in real life because they do in Internet Land.

That doesn’t mean we can’t run a business long distance. But it has to involve the US mail.

Would you hire an online designer? I’m really interested to know if you have ever considered it.

Here are a few rooms to inspire you.

Gray is the grounding color. Pink is the accent. The touch of gold is also important. Notice the matte paint on all the trim as well as the walls. The matte finish is perfect with the unfinished, matte floor.

This is a photo from the new restaurant in the Parisian Hotel Vendome. Grays and pinks mix with the boldness of the black and white houndstooth – the print-of-the-moment.

I love the mix of textures here. The gray wallpaper with the floor is nice.

This is a warmer look. The warm gray, matte again, is relaxing. And the rosy pink gives an inviting burst of color.

I like the painting hung by the bath here. Love the chair as well.

Matte gray with fuchsia is lovely. But you know, it looks like the stylist covered the cushion on the settee with that fabric. I think the bed skirt is new as well. You can see the creases – fresh out of the package. No matter. The point is the color combination – and it looks great.

These flowers are really a fuchsia. But on my screen they look more like purple. At any rate, the statement is clear – gray as a grounding color with pinks as accents makes for a lovely room.

If you’d like to try this color combination at home, I suggest using Benjamin Moore’s Gray Shower and Shadow Gray for gray (obviously). Pink Pansy is nice and soft. Crushed Berries is my Fuchsia choice.

Time to vote! Which look is your favorite?

images: Ricardo Labougle, Nicolas Matthias, Anna Trench

Their overall theme was Balance, translated into four distinctive influencers: Farm, Order, Escape and Tribes. Benjamin Moore’s forecaster, Andrea Magno painted the picture for us.

Farmville

No doubt, last year’s economic crisis has affected all of us. While not stating this overtly, the link is obvious. Benjamin Moore believes our fears will translate into greater importance being placed on hearth and home with both at least one foot planted firmly in reality.

Earthy browns form the backdrop for milky whites and pale, buttery yellows. Hay and terra cotta mix with “varietals” such as aubergine, pumpkin, tomato and, of course, green. Tints are baked in the warm sunshine.

Beyond pure color, life on the farm includes fabrics suggesting the handmade. We‚Äôll see macram?©, irregular knits, and burlap. Tea-stained effects, tie-dyes and hand-stenciled patterns all suggest a desire to appreciate the simple things in life. Luxury is out.

Order

From the chaos of last year, comes a desire for a sense of order. Benjamin Moore interprets this as a return to basic primary colors applied to a monochromatic scale of blacks, grays and whites. That means lots of red with black. Blue, yellow, green – even pink are paired with grays. No more neon.

Patterns are geometric. Rectilinear shapes, circles and triangles are stacked and molded into larger shapes. Clean lines are the order of the day.

Escape comes after the jump.

Escape

But a girl has to dream, right? Benjamin Moore sees a feminine Mad Men world where “things aren’t what they seem.” Our dreams are filled with optimism and hope.

This means pearlescent and shimmery finishes applied to pastels paired with a ground color. We’ll see rosy pinks with carbon, lavender with brown, and pale green with camel.

Dreams are wispy, and so are fabrics. Benjamin Moore predicts feminine fabrics that are soft, sheer and draped.

Tribe

As we return to the simpler things in life, so too we’ll place more importance on our communities, or “tribes”.

The bold colors of the Masai and Native Americans are the order of the day. Rich berry tones, fire orange, saffron and cinnamon are paired with brown, bronze (a major metallic), and charcoal.

Tortoise shell is a new texture. Beaded elements, the human body and community-themed stencils find a place in the tribal world of 2011.

This is Benjamin Moore’s forecast of things to come. Do you like what the weatherman is saying? I have my own opinion, which I share next week. What’s yours?