Design Archives - Page 6 of 26 - Kelley Astore Interiors

Spring Pastel Paint Trends

Pastels lend a dreamy background; they are crisp, uplifting, and luminous. Light-enhancing pales awaken the senses creating serenity and making room for play. New paint has the power to self-express and energize moods. If your idea of spring cleaning involves giving your walls a fresh coat of paint, you’ll want to have a look at these pastel color trends.

Subtle Sage

Green is a botanical shade. It is the color of nature, newness, and growth and offers a revitalizing atmosphere. When green is softened enough, it can serve as a neutral color and can be paired with bold accent colors. A subtle green is possibly the most popular paint color trend for Spring 2022 because it was picked by two of my favorite paint brands as their Color of the Year.

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2022 is October Mist 1495. It is a quiet and meditative shade yet offers diversity and can be substituted as a neutral because it works with many different colors, textures, and elements. “Due to its calming nature, this gently shaded sage works particularly well in a bedroom or study, and we also love the soothing mood it creates in a bathroom,” says Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore’s director of color marketing and development.

Sherwin Williams’s Color of the Year 2022 is Evergreen Fog. Just as the fog clears with the rising of the morning sun signifying a new day, Evergreen Fog inspires us to begin again. It is an attractive color of green meeting gray that is versatile. “It’s a usable mid-tone that allows you to put a personal stamp on your home without having to jump into really bold or bright color,” explains Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams.

Soft Citrus Yellow

Yellow is the shade of optimism and joy. It allows you to infuse sunshine into a room, creating a summery feel. A soft citrus yellow is preferred over gold paint and quieter than highlighter shades. It can be chalked up for a more subtle appearance or accented with dark gray or black to create a modern look.

An astonishing choice for a soft citrus yellow comes from Farrow & Ball’s California Collection, Citrona. They describe it as “inspired by the lemon trees that thrive in California’s temperate climate, this softened citrus shade is an earthy, contemporary take on a true chartreuse.”

Dusky Blue

Blues evoke a breath of fresh air. They calm us and make us feel relaxed. Adding a tranquil dusky blue to your home brings a sense of the outdoors inside. It goes well with white for a coastal appearance or natural wood flooring and accent furniture for a warming ambiance.

A terrific option for a dusky blue is Farrow & Ball’s California Collection: Hazy. It is described as a “muted blue-grey inspired by the marine layer that brings drifts of dreamy fog inland, capturing the fresh feeling of early mornings on the coast.”

Colors that Calm

Leave bold bright colors behind and surround yourself with soft, soothing shades to create a calming atmosphere.

Have you ever walked into a room that felt like it was shouting at you? These rooms can be lively and fun but don’t create a space where you can reach full relaxation as they stimulate the brain and energize. Everyone needs rooms in their homes where they can retreat and feel at peace. Color can influence our mood and affect our well-being. Luckily, there is an array of colors that have been proven to calm.

Serene Greens

It comes as no surprise that greens are easygoing since it is a color found abundantly in nature. It can be uplifting and invigorating if it is a vibrant shade but a soft shade is soothing. A living space popping with a serene green will make you want to kick back and relax.

Baby Blues

From the sea to the skies, most people feel at ease and may even doze into a nap when staring across a horizon where the two meet. Therefore, blue is the perfect color for the bedroom because it can calm a busy mind, giving you the ability to sleep like a baby.

Earthy Neutrals

Neutrals are an obvious choice when it comes to a calming color scheme but can appear lackluster or even chilly. For that reason, it is important to introduce richer neutral shades to warm up the space. Great examples are terracotta, rust, burnt orange, and chocolate to give you that cozy feeling inside to put yourself into a tranquil state of mind. Additionally, the texture will give neutrals depth; you could have woven fabric throw pillows, a leather chair, or basketware storage to add in more versatility.

Dark Colors

Just as you begin to wind down as the sun goes down, dark colors help the mind wind down. They create a restful atmosphere and are often showcased in furniture pieces and as a backdrop on walls. Popular colors are forest green, dusky blue, navy, khaki, bronze, and dark gray. You can balance the space by having light wood flooring and accenting with pale colors. Metallic and glass accent pieces complement dark colors very well and add a subtle shimmer.

Stress can creep up on you, may it be that there just aren’t enough hours in a day or the strain of work. Fortunately, having calming colors in the home subconsciously helps you leave your worries at the door.

Stair Runner Installation

After a complete renovation in 2013, my clients decided to have us install a beautiful herringbone wool stair runner going up their gorgeous staircase. It was exactly what the space needed.

The first step was picking out the carpet. We chose a wool carpet because it is durable, long-lasting, hypoallergenic, and comfy to the touch. In a high traffic area of the home, such as the main staircase, it is important to pick flooring that is stain resistant. Wool is a natural fiber containing natural oils that repel dirt and other oil-based stains so its appearance can stand up against the wear and tear of everyday use. Before installation, the carpet had a one-inch gray cotton binding added along the edges. Next, my carpet guru prepped the stairs and installed the runner. For the finishing touch, the owner of the company that put the floors down, Universal Floors, came out to the house to touch up the scuff marks on the sides of the staircase.

Benefits of a Stair Runner

They absorb sound. Do you hear people clomping down the stairs echoing throughout your home? Having a carpet stair runner will muffle the sound.

They regulate flooring temperature. In the cold months when your floors are freezing, the stairs will remain warm and cozy.

They add traction, helping prevent slips and falls. With little ones or the elderly in the home, it is a good idea to add a stair runner to your wooden stairs. Carpet is a lot less slippery than polished wood, plus there is a cushioned pad under the carpet that will soften a fall.

They cover up damaged hardwood. Years of wear on stairs draw attention but in a negative way. A stair runner can cover up the ugly scratches and turn the attention towards something beautiful.

They protect hardwood from marks and scuffs. On the contrary, you can prevent damage on your stairs by placing a stair runner over them. The structure will remain intact longer.

They add style. It can be expensive to update the stain on your current staircase but the addition of a stair runner can update the style at a lower cost. Stair runners are welcoming, add an elevated appearance, and allow the color scheme of your home to continue to the second floor. They come in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns creating whichever look you choose from simple to extravagant.

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