Pastel Interiors - Light and Lovely

Many people find white or beige walls to be bland and boring, but sometimes bright colors can overwhelm a small or dark room. A good solution?

Pastel tones.

Light enough to make a dim space feel brighter, but with more color and interest than plain whites or neutrals, pastel hues can brighten and transform a room immediately. Buttery yellows, minty greens, misty aquas, light lavenders, pale blues, and subtle rose tones are a perfect way to liven up an interior, and give it a feeling of spaciousness. This is one reason such hues are popular in tropical homes, as well as beach homes and cottages.

Trim can play an important role in defining how your pastel room appears. Darker stained wood trim can give the room a feeling of timeless elegance and formality, while painted white trim gives it a fresh, clean look.

Pastels usually pair best with darker-colored flooring, although lighter flooring is often used for an airy, cottage.style feel.

Light aqua walls with white trim

                                                     (by Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.)

Yellow walls with white trim and beige carpet

                                                                               (by FrontPorch)

Tropical tones of coral and aqua with a chevron wooden floor

                                                              (by Lowe's Home Improvement)


...more photos after the page break

Yellow Rooms - Happy and Sunny

The other day we explored the calming effects of using the color blue in a room. Today, we'll look at the color yellow. I'll do a few more color series in the coming days.

The color yellow gives a room a feeling of warmth and happiness, as it reminds us of the color of sunshine. Personal anecdote, my kitchen was originally a drab and chilly white. We painted the walls a very soft yellow, the color of rich buttermilk, and immediately the room felt brighter and more inviting.

Yellow can range from bright to very soft and subtle, and blends nicely with most other colors. It can add a touch of warmth and brightness to a predominately cool-toned room (think blues, purples, greens), pairs well with other warm hues (orange and red) for a fiery appearance, and also works with natural materials like wood and stone.

I usually like to recommend shades of yellow especially in cooler climates that tend to be overcast frequently, as the color fools the eye slightly into thinking it is sunny, and thereby makes the room feel more inviting on cloudy days.

Very bright yellow works particularly well as an accent color, as opposed to a wall paint color. If you want to paint, a soft pastel yellow is usually best.

A yellow ceiling makes this enclosed porch glow
(by Group 3)

Yellow accents warm up this home library
(by Jerry Jacobs Design, Inc.)

Cupboards painted a yellow-beige hue bring cheer to a country kitchen
(by Superior Woodcraft, Inc.)

Small splashes of bright yellow liven up this black and white bathroom
(by De Meza + Architecture)

More photos after the page break