Conch Seashell
Conch Seashell
If You Love Beige That Much, Go Ahead, Indulge Yourself
Beige, bone, sand, tan, khaki, cream, vanilla, camel, wheat - these are shades of the same beige, and they're the most popular color palette among Americans. It might be that Americans as a people simply love neutral colors as they love the iconic apple pie. It might also simply be, as some home decorating experts suspect, because of fear of committing color combination errors, making their choice of beige really a default choice.
Some experts like one design guru and TV hostess pin the blame on builders, paint manufacturers, and retailers for creating generations of Americans believing there are no other "safe" color options- it's all right to use other colors provided these are woven around white: bluey off-white, peachy off-white, yellowy off-white, etc. You need to paint a room? Off-white is the automatic recommendation. Warm. Easy. And SAFE. Paint manufacturers and retailers rushed to fill soaring demand, until shelves became full of nothing else. The result is an America hooked on only one color palette: neutrals.
Decorators are trying to wean Americans, trying to draw them out of their safe conches, but if you're one who'd rather remain with neutrals, here are some tips for you:
Tip # 1 Remember that, in a monochromatic color scheme, the eye is drawn to whatever isn't the color.
With beige walls, white ceiling, and sand upholstery, the eye will be drawn to anything that's of a different color-the vermillion metal wall wine art, for instance, or even just a simple vase of purple garden flowers. When your eyes do, you pick up the detail-the texture, the patterns, the bulk. That's when you should take care that the other color doesn't overwhelm. The vermillion iron wall art is good-the neutral color scheme shows it off just as you'd want it to, but, if vermillion is repeated in the faux fur area rug, it can suffocate. Remember to sprinkle a more delicate touch of contrast.
Tip # 2 With beige, you need white, something that's dark, tiny bits of color, texture, and deliberate understatement.
Remember that the lack of color draws your eye to that which has color. If this other color is provided by your wooden armoire or floor, your eyes will be drawn to them, and you need to exaggerate the color in the grains, stain them to contrast with each other. If your walls are also white, you need something there. Choose a finely detailed artwork-it's perfect against the minimalist background. A sisal area rug, with its visual texture, will nicely round off the room décor.
Tip # 3 Whites love geometry.
Perk up your off-white bedroom by painting wide vertical stripes on one wall, having faux brick on a small section of another, and having checks and plaids for your throws and slipcovers.
Tip # 4 Yours is a bathroom, not a clinic.
White is okay in a bathroom. That's one place where you keep clean, and white's clean. But if you have white toilet fixtures, white lavatory, shiny white tiles, white walls, white ceilings, you might end up a nervous wreck. What to do? Add texture. You might have bamboo-weave baskets to hold your toiletries and towels. Or how about a seashell mosaic along a thin stretch of your bathroom wall?
Tip # 5 Remember that when there's no light, white will appear dingy.
Consider painting the wall or the ceiling tan or brownish gray.
Tip # 6 Provide for winter.
Winter can be particularly dreary for an off-white room without natural light. You can actually hasten spring by splashing tiny bits of color, as when you introduce tiny explosions of color in the floral pattern of your slipcovers.
About the Author
Article provided Jeanelle Deppner of WallDecorandHomeAccents.com a site featuring:
discount wall art
and
metal artwork
.
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Ocean-Themed Decorations For Your Teak Patio Set
As you prepare for an outdoor party, you can start with the decorations for your teak patio set. If you love the beach but don't have one near you, an ocean-themed party could be fun for you and your guests. When you decorate for a party, some of the main things you will want to consider include linens, chair decorations or cushions, dishes, centerpieces, and lighting.
To liven up your teak patio set for a special occasion, start with the tablecloth. For a tablecloth color, you can look for bright blue (not neon). Think about the water in the Caribbean or around Hawaii. Find a table cloth close to that shade. Buy napkins in a different but coordinating shade of blue.
Look for chair cushions or throw pillows with beach-themed prints, such as seashells, fish, sea horses, sand dollars, or dolphins. You could also stitch quick pillows if you buy a couple or more extra packages of cloth napkins in either of your tabletop linen colors. Line up two napkins and stitch most of the way around all four edges. Leave a gap on one side big enough for stuffing. Turn the bag inside out and stuff it, then stitch up the opening.
For dishes, you have several options. You can look for dishes that match the colors of your linens or bring out the colors in your printed cushions. You could buy a set of dishes that displays a beach-themed decoration. Another option is to paint your own clear glass dishes with ceramic paint and a set of fine brushes. You can free-hand designs in matching colors, or paint seashells, palm trees, beach scenes, or whatever comes to mind when you think of the beach. If you are not comfortable free-handing, buy a stencil with a few beach designs to guide your painting.
For your centerpieces, see if you can locate any big shells, such as conch shells. Fill the shells with silk flowers that coordinate with the colors you've already used for your linens, cushions, and dishes. Place the conch shells on your teak patio set, your buffet table, and wherever else seems appropriate. Sprinkle miniature seashells around the large shells.
Lighting also presents several options. You could look for strings of lights with blue bulbs. String these around railings, over bushes, or along a roof edge. You could use beach-themed candleholders to add soft candle lighting around your teak patio set. You could also place medium-sized flat shells, inside facing up, at intervals along the table and use these as candleholders. If you plan to use citronella candles, consider painting the tins with little designs that complement your colors or your ocean theme.
You can bring the beach to your teak patio set. Plan the linens, chair cushions, dishes, centerpieces, and lighting to reflect an ocean theme. You can buy new products, or you can customize household items you already own. These elements should bring together a unified theme without making you feel that you've gone over the top in your decorating. Now it's time for you to fire up that grill.
About the Author
Rachel Dawson is a freelance writer who enjoys experimenting with different colors and textures for decorating her home. She writes about the uses of a
teak patio set
for
outdoor entertaining
.