However, we don’t want to leave you “blog-less” so we’ve put together a few eye candy posts just to keep you inspired.  Today there are no lessons (except ones you might find for yourself), just decor in yellow to celebrate the height of summer.  Enjoy.

Pretty Rooms, Pretty Things

Fresh and summery, beautifully done accessories. Photo via SouthernHospitality.com, designer Suzanne Kasler

Use color to unify a mantel; via BHG.com

Bedroom via The Inspired Room.com

Take your yellow outside; photo via CoastalLiving.com

Yellow handpainted grid and tub would be an eye-opening way to start the day. Photo CountryLiving.com

Love the classic of blue and yellow. Photo Coastal Living.com, designer Shelley Metcalf

This subtle introduction of yellow would be easy to live with. Photo via CountryLiving.com

Photo via Metropolitan Home (ElleDecor.com). Use a pop of yellow to provide zing in a monochromatic room.

This warm yellow room invites you in. Photo via HGTV.com

Sunny and bright, this room from CountryLiving.com

I love this table setting! The bright yellow napkins and sunflowers raise the fun level for this picnic. Photo via HouseBeautiful.com

Hope you’re having a great summer!  We’re sure enjoying our break and our time together.  It’s been years since we’ve been able to hang out and just reconnect.  We’re lovin’ it!  We’ll be back soon.

A Bland Room

Stacy’s original email said in part: “Currently the kitchen has ugly green wall paper and the rest of the house is a light tan/beige color.  So far in the kitchen I have a black and white theme going as far as dishes, appliances and towels go.  I am not sure what color to paint the walls once the wall paper is removed.  I think I need an accent color and I know red goes nicely with black and white, but I am not sure how that would blend in with the living room since they are connected.

The living room also has black and white in it, the pictures and a few other decorative pieces.  I really want a color in the living room, but I am not sure how to incorporate the 2 rooms.  Since I have white cabinets in the kitchen, I don’t want the walls to be white so I thought about a red accent wall but again, I am concerned about the flow into the living room. Some people have suggested gray and I am not sure about that.  I also really like the mossy green shade that is very popular right now.”

Stacy's room looking into the kitchen.

I gave Stacy a couple of ‘adjusted’ pictures to help her visualize other colors on the walls.

Showing a red accent wall.

A bold kitchen idea.

Red in the kitchen is often great as accents: towels, salt/pepper, etc.  Red is a hot color and actually gives the impression of raising the temperature – not always a good thing in a kitchen, so something to consider when thinking about wall color.  Stacie wrote, “Thank you so much for the ideas.  I like the red, but I also see that it is very bold, maybe a little too much for me, since I came from a house (with my mom) where we had white walls and white walls only!!   What do you think about painting the kitchen and living room the same color, just not a tan, but maybe a shade of green or blue?”

Using an aqua color but toning down the red accent to a cinammon.

This adjusted photo (using a Pottery Barn neutral sofa for illustration purposes) shows how you can pull color and accent colors from a couple of pillows.

An accent wall for Stacy.

Since Stacy is interested in blues or greens, here’s another take on the room pulling the blue/green from the pillows.  Rather than paint all the room green or blue (unless it’s a fairly soft, muted color), I’d recommend the accent wall idea.  For the accent wall I’d choose the wall I’ve illustrated that continues on into the kitchen.  Just paint the small section behind the stove and fridge the accent color, up to the corner, then switch to the main wall color.  The shell of the room would remain a neutral color.

You can see the edge of a dark wood (black) table next to the sofa that got cut off.  Wouldn’t some dark furniture look great with these lighter colors to anchor the room and reinforce your idea of black?  Whether modern or traditional, I think you need at least a couple pieces of black wood pieces to offer contrast.

Stacy’s Reveal

Here are the photos she shared of her stylish ”new” room – a colorful accent wall and new sectional.  It’s really lovely Stacy.

A new accent color.

A dramatic new sofa.

We can see that Stacy pulled colors from her pillows (add a few more of those Stacy) to create her color scheme of the green wall, blue accent chair and even orange accent art (which I love, by the way).  Incorporating the dark wood shelves and base for the sofa really help ground the room and add good contrast to that wall. 

To complete the color cross-pollination Stacy, I’d suggest bringing something strongly orange to the sofa end of the room – a yummy textural throw or a large oversize floor pillow or a big ceramic pot with a leafy tree in it.  Reinforce your blues and greens with a few more pillows (a little bigger in size for variety) and you’ll have a designer room to be proud of.  Thanks so much for sharing your project.

Tomorrow is Giveaway Day

In case you missed our posts in the last week, tomorrow is the One Year Anniversary for Your Decorating Hotline.  We are so thrilled to have reached this milestone!  And, you’re the beneficiaries.  We invite you to our party and you might even get to go home with a gift.  We have three contributors that have offered beautiful home decor items and at the end of the day tomorrow (7pm Pacific), we’ll close the comments and have a random drawing.  The winners will be announced on Friday.

Here’s what you could win:  A choice of a pillow from WordGarden, ETSY store, value $30.  A choice of 2 photographic prints from AutumnLetters, ETSY store, value $40.  A $50 gift certificate applicable to any purchase from WUSLU.com which offers a new product each day.

Elegant Crown pillow from WordGarden, ETSY.com

Country Road photo from AutumnLetters, ETSY.com

Porch swing from WUSLU.com $36

Visit the sites of each of our contributors for a view of their complete offerings and start planning which you would choose if you win.  All you have to do to participate is leave us a comment tomorrow, Wednesday.  That’s it.  Tell us something about how long you’ve read YDH, how you found us, what’s your favorite type of article, what you’d like to see us write about in future articles…..you get the idea.  Good luck!

Where in The World is Mauritius?

Researching Mauritius was a lovely adventure.   It is an island located in the Indian Ocean about 550 miles east of Madagascar and 1,250 miles off the nearest point of the African coast.  It’s noted in red near the bottom center of this map.

Photo www.africa-ata.org//air_mauritius.htm

Google Mauritius and discover for yourself the fabulous beauty of this island.  I had to pull myself away from the photos of gorgeous beaches and blue water to come back mentally to this post!

Reader’s Color Request

                    “HI

I thank you in advance for your help and hope you excuse my English, am French-speaking.

My hubby and I are building near the beach (very hot climate with lots of sun). Concrete house because of cyclones with  a lot of openings.

I show you a photo of our house ( front) to see our exterior paint colour (brown with white  aluminium openings and white trims), stone flower box…..Our outdoor trims has pink undertones.

Mauritius beach home exterior.

But we choose for our indoor walls a vanilla colour (white with  yellow undertone) and with a “rusty copper” colour feature wall.  As we have large openings I am afraid that our exterior don’t match our interior.

I have Indonesian teak furniture, want to have laminated floor, looking for outdoor ceramic tiles (terrace, porch….)???(any advice????) chocolate sofa……..Help me to find a colour scheme to tie interior and exterior.

Entry with stone accent.

Note: House is not finished, the feature wall (rusty copper) will be the wall of stairs. (entrance: see photo above)

Another photo: backyard garden.

Garden view of home.

YDH Suggestions

Michèle, your home is lovely and I bet you are so excited to see it take shape!

I enlarged the photos you sent in order to examine the trim and stone color more closely.  Unfortunately computers do not show true colors so it was difficult for me to see the pink undertones in the white trim.

Your first question was how to tie the exterior and the interior colors of your home together.   Although tieing the interior and the esterior together colorwise is ideal it is not always a possibility or reality.  In your case, considering  the colors you’ve selected, the will  pink undertones of the exterior paint and the yellow undertones of the interior colors mean the color foundation for these areas will be different.  But based on your color selections I sincerely doubt these will be jarring, even with your large, wonderful windows.

Lighting will make a big difference in how the colors on and in your home are seen.  Consider first that the outside of your home receives  a lot of direct sun exposure that tends to “wash” the exterior colors, making them look less intense.  The interior of your home is shaded from sun with big overhangs (great protection for your floors and furniture and good for keeping the interior cooler) and the reduced light will grey your colors some when viewed from outside of the house looking in through the windows.  This means the interior won’t seem as golden when you’re seeing from the outside and looking in throught the windows as it will when you are inside the house looking directly at the color.   At night incandescent lights will impact the color and shadow the interior walls but your exterior will also be shaded – so the undertones won’t stand out. 

You won’t be able to make the outside and inside look the same without repainting – and I don’t think you need too.  Simply  keep the undertones consistent in exterior (pink) and keep them consistent in the interior (yellow).  Then cross reference the color between the inside and the outside decorating using some of the tips below.  If you do this most people won’t even notice the difference in the color undertone or find it troubling.

 First tip: When looking for outdoor ceramic tiles for the front entry and the back porch draw your color inspiration from the stone you’ve used on the exterior of your house.  For continuity use the same tile in both locations.  In your photo it looks as though there may be a neutral grey in the stone – that would be a good transition between the exterior colors and the interior colors.  You can also bridge the tile to the laminate flooring with an outdoor mat or in interior area rug at the entry.

Second tip: Depending on your plans for window coverings, you could also bridge the interior and exterior by selecting a window covering that works with the interior of the home but has a white lining or backing that is seen from the outside when closed – therefore tying into the white vinyl of the windows.

A final tip:  Blend the inside and the outside color visuals.   Your brown sofa already offers a nod to the brown exterior of your home.  Another color blending idea is to bring live green plants into your home and use some of your interior colors in the outside landscaping by mixing some yellow, rust and coppery color flowering plants or plants with colorful leaves into your landscaping.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful as you continue building your wonderful new home.  Feel free to let me know if you have other questions.  And, please, send some photos of your home when it is finished.  I would love to see your final decisions and would thoroughly enjoy the “before” and “after” comparisons.

Best wishes for your house building adventure in beautiful Mauritius!

Definitely on the ‘cool’ side of the color wheel, aqua can be a very versatile color.  Coastal homes (or a room with that theme) will pair it with crisp white for a beachy feel; an Asian room might pair it with a strong mandarin orange; pink and black and aqua might make you think 1950’s; or embrace your modern side by using it with a dove gray and yellow.  If you’re not ready to paint a whole room in one of the lovely shades of aquamarine, perhaps you’d enjoy just a touch of it here or there. 

Cindy and I have combed the web and found our Top 10 Things Aquamarine.

Terrie’s 5 Aquamarine Faves

Photo via LioraManne.com

Pillows are almost always the easiest thing to find that will reinforce a color scheme.  I adore these from a new site I found, Liora Manne.  I love the graphic design, the nod to nature, and of course the gorgeous shade of aqua.  No prices or sizes were given, but they were so lovely, I had to share.

Rug & photo via GreatIndoors.com

I love this rug – it pairs brown with a lovely shade of aqua blue.  It’s modern, edgy, graphic and best of all, asymmetrical!  It’s available in many sizes at The Great Indoors in a range of prices. Great Indoors affiliate link  It comes in a couple other colorways too, but this is all about the aqua! 

Cabinet Carat knob from Anthropologie

This knob is truly jewelry for the room.  Shimmery and colorful, a couple of these little gems on a chest or table would make such a pretty addition of aqua.   Available at Anthropolgie for $6 – they have other styles too…

Adirondack chair from CostPlus.com, $30-100

The classic summer chair in a spiffy new shade of aqua blue.  Wouldn’t one look great in your yard?  From Cost Plus World Market, chair $99, table $30.

From Burke Decor.com

Even your tabletop can join the aqua party with a placemat and napkins like these from Burke Decor.com, $40 for 4 placemats, $30 for 4 napkins.

Cindy’s 5 Aquamarine Faves

 After seeing Terrie’s 5 aquamarine favorite I emailed her saying “You dog, you posted my favorite aqua item!”  I too picked the brown and aqua rug – I just love it!  The color combo is fabulous, I love the swirls and I like the way the pattern is offset by solid color instead of used as an all over pattern or a very “usual” field or border.  Since Terrie and I both fell in love with it, I look forward to hearing if our readers like it as much as we both do – be sure to leave a comment and let us know.

Okay, since Terrie rained on my parade with the rug, I have a trick up my sleeve…a very unique and very personal item.

Photo lorensalazar.com

This original art contains aquamarine, although it is not the dominate color, but the piece projects a watery, summery aqua feel to me.  Besides, I’m extremely biased about the art and the artist – it is a painting created by my brother, Loren Salazar.  View his gallery of work at www.lorensalazar.com.

Photo worldmarket.com

Can’t you just imagine these aqua margarita glasses filled with a yummy, slushy, frozen concoction as you watch the sunset?  Or maybe at the end of a great bar-b-que dinner serving homemade vanilla ice cream topped with sliced peaches in these stemmed pretties?  Oh, so summery!

Photo amazaon.com

This aqua glass sink with a waterfall facet is so interesting and refreshing.  Make it summer in your bathroom all year ’round!

Photo bloomingdales.com

This Waterford Aqua Haze vase is gorgeous empty – there is so much depth to the color and the sleek shape.  I think it would also look  fabulous filled with fluffy white peonies, hydrangeas or lilacs too. 

Photo burkedecor.com

 You’ll be so ready to hit the beach with this Floral Reef Beach Towel in Blue by Amy Butler – from our affiliate Burke Decor (click through to Burke Decor using our new Shopping Savings menu tab at the top of the blog and then search for Amy Butler).  It’s 100% cotton and measures 39″ X 70″.  Put it to good use this summer!

Many Shades of Aqua

Looking for the perfect paint color?  Try one of these “hot” cool summer colors – an accent wall, a powder room, a color block to hang a favorite piece of art in – whatever strikes your fancy.  Whether leaning to green or blue, shades of aqua will really brighten and lighten a room.

A Little Something Extra

Usually our Top 10 lists stop at this point, but if you’ve read this far you get a little treat.  Here for your viewing pleasure are some actual room uses for the many shades of aqua/teal/turquoise.  Sit back with your beverage of choice and scroll through these luscious, inspiring rooms.

Photo via LaDolceVita.com, House of Turquoise

Retro kitchen via CoastalLiving.com, photographer Richard Leo Johnson

Warm stone, cool aqua; via SouthernLiving.com, pic by Charles Walton

Aqua with blue, Coastal Living.com, pic by J. Savage Gibson

Paint your ceiling for summer all year round; photo via BHG.com

Paint color Aqua Chiffon from Lowes; photo via TraditionalHome.com

Aqua makes a soothing bedroom; via HousetoHome.co.uk

Love the black as accent against the aqua; via Campbell Designs LLC.com

Aqua and orange play well together; via GoodHousekeeping.com

Even a tiny touch like these shower hooks from Bed Bath Beyond; via Good Housekeeping

Is Aqua For You?

Are you joining the turquoise/teal/aqua craze?  Are you whole heartedly embracing it, adding a touch or two here and there or totally ignoring it?  Do you have a photo of how you’ve used it in your home?  If so, we’d love to see how you’re using this summery color.

Greige Walls

Jennifer writes:  “I just discovered your site and fell in love.  The information is priceless.  I want to ask you a question about the color griege and what colors go with it…  In this photo of our family room, the paint we used is Behr’s Barley Field which is a grey/beige combo.  Their website puts it in the yellow undertone neutral category.  I want to keep the room relaxed and airy, so no red or black.  Are there any colors that won’t work with greige?  Thanks for your help.”  -Jennifer

Jennifer's family room.

As you can see from her photo, greige is a warm neutral color.  This version of the color (always a challenge on computer monitors) appears to be stronger gray than beige so most colors that work with gray will work here.  I would suggest avoiding muddy colors since they will look dull and unappealing.  Choose rich, clear tones of just about any hue for best results.  Any of the fresh green colors like lime, apple or grass green would work beautifully and paired with a crisp white would certainly create the light airy look you want.  You could accent with oranges to rust or deep rich gold rather than a pastel yellow.  For your grounding color I recommend choosing rich dark chocolate over a mid-tone brown or tan or a dark navy instead of a wimpy blue. 

Try a green palette.

I’ve taken a few ‘fabric’ samples to illustrate my suggestions.  The white background with blue and green would set the tone for a bright and light scheme; the lime in the middle feels modern and gardeny; the stripe plays up the greige, has a touch of white, but introduces plenty of options for accent colors. 

A quiet palette.

For me the vine pattern on the left is not a good option - even though the rusty color appears to work well with the floor, the tan base of the fabric is too muddy and doesn’t play well with the wall color.  The lighter yellow with touches of gray and purple is a better choice, fresh, light and airy, blends with the floor and works much better with the wall color.

Yellow and rust could add a punch of color.

In this last sample, the swatch on the left is again unsuccessful – and for the same reason.  The tan is too close in tone to the greige and rather than blending together, seems to fight it.  However, the yellow and rusty patterns are bright and vibrant and are better options.  I know you mentioned no red or black – rust or orange aren’t as strong as red and would be worth considering as an accent color. 

Jennifer, I hope this helps you visualize some color options.  As you can see, most hues have a range that will work with your neutral walls.  If you want to do a little testing before committing to a whole scheme, go pillow shopping and buy a stack of pillows in a range of colors.  Try them out for a couple days, move them around in different pairings until a scheme comes together for you.  Then return the pillows that didn’t work.  Good luck and we’d love to hear back or even see photos of the room as it develops.

Black and White Floor

Kelly has a similar problem.  She writes, “I currently have a long, narrow basement room with a black and white tile floor.  The walls are painted gray.  We want to make a family room /man cave with lots of comfortable seating.  Most of the sofas I like seem to be camel or beige color microfiber or black leather.  Would a tan or beige sofa look good against the black/white/gray already there?  I think red would look good but has been vetoed for the man cave.  My plan is to use dark woods and bring in color with accesories to build my theme idea of movies since we already have a couple of framed posters.  Any ideas would be welcome.”  -Kelly

Black and white checkerboard flooring is a classic design and actually pretty easy to work with.  You have the advantage of being able to use just about any color since it works mostly as a neutral.  And the short answer is, yes, a camel sofa will work with those colors and could actually be quite sophisticated.  A tan sofa is also neutral enough to work with any future scheme you may decide on if/when you change your flooring.  You’re right to think about adding your bright spots of color with accessories and pillows. 

Since this is a basement room, there may not be any windows (or they’re really small), but I’d definitely recommend using draperies.  The draperies will provide some sound absorption with the expanse of tile flooring and will provide a major softening element.  Even if there’s no window, hang draperies over bare wall if necessary to create the illusion of a window – it will give you a way to beef up the color scheme and introduce a pattern that will tie all your colors together.

A movie themed family room.

Although this is not a photo of Kelly’s room, it does have a similar vibe to what I understand it to be.  As you can see, a good rich shade of camel or tan will work just fine.  To create a movie room theme, a couple of great movie posters and a whimsical popcorn machine really set the mood (and color scheme).  (Ikea table, World Market pillows, ManufacturersClearance.com popcorn machine)

Lots of colors work with this classic scheme.

Even though red is often the first thought when wondering how to decorate with black and white checkerboard, you can see here that just about any color can work.  Any clear, fairly bold color that is.  Like my advice to Jennifer above, I would avoid muddy, greyed down colors or very pastel colors.  To hold its own against the dominance of the floor, I think a little boldness is in order. (Chair from Overstock.com, LampsPlus pillows)

Another option to consider for your family room is to add an area rug – it’s another way to add sound absorption, give a soft surface underfoot and break up the big expanse of checkerboard.  If you add a rug, make sure to get one large enough to reach at least under the front edge of the seating area furniture so it unites the space.

Color Advice

Online color advice is challenging.  Actually, giving the advice isn’t always challenging, but interpreting the many shades of colors and sharing pictures is challenging since we all know that every monitor displays colors differently.  We do the best we can.  Hopefully Jennifer and Kelly have found the advice helpful and meaningful.  If you have any additional suggestions, please feel free to share in our Comments section (located just below the ads); I’m sure they’d love the input.

Room by Jonathan Adler, via ElleDecor.com

Jonathan Adler, colorful, whimsical designer that he is has put together his Top 10 Commandments for a Happy Home.  You can read it in its entirety here, or the abbreviated version below (with my random comments added).

Thou shalt embrace maximalism: “Thou wilt find minimalism to be something of a bummer in thy abode.”  He goes on to elaborate about the overuse of beige and states “… add a splash of color and a dollop of pattern”. 

Room by Altamoda via freshome.com

Thou shalt not deny thyself hotelish comfort at home:  “Thy rooms shall feel like the most opulent hotel rooms in which thou hast ever stayed. Thou are worth it.”  You’re worth plump pillows, soft, luxurious fabrics, decadently thick towels and a big fluffy duvet.  You may have to collect them one at a time, but don’t lose the vision of a luxury hotel suite when choosing furnishings for your bedroom.  You’ll always feel like you’re on vacation.

Sferra Diamante bedding at ThePicketFence.com

Thou shalt buy an X bench:  “Then thou shalt buy another.  Thou shalt use them in pairs…..”  This is a little shameless promotion on his part since he’s designed an upholstered X bench.  However, I do agree it’s a versatile piece and is available in lots of styles.

Via our affiliate Benches.com

Seville X-bench from RoomAndBoard.com

Adler's bench at JonathanAdler.com

If thy nest needeth zest, consider thy crest:  “Thou shalt emblazon thy initials wherever possible.”  Start at the front door with a welcome mat.  Take it inside with fun initialed pillows and lovely, classic 300ct monogram sheets.

Chateau coco mat from affiliate LillianVernon.com

Simple stencil monogram project from BHG.com

Chambers Heritage bedding from WilliamsSonoma.com $60-338

 Thou shalt mix fancy with frisky:  “Thou shalt not be overly formal, for if thou art, thou shall be sad. Conversely, thou shalt not be overly whimsical …”

Whimsical art table by HelenHeinsPeterson.com $1000

Thou shalt honor the funsters of yore:  “Thy home will be fun, happy and chic.”

Thou shalt not commit murder, unless thou art murdering for a decorative accessory:  “…seeth the last bird bowl (accessory) on a shelf, thou shalt feel free to use whatever means necessary to obtain that special something.”

Costa Brava frames from BurkeDecor.com $40

Freckled Fish pillow, Anthropologie.com $58

What accessory do you HAVE to have? 

Thou shalt not be afraid of orange:  “Thou shalt use orange copiously in thy interior…”  and maybe the exterior too?

Photo via ApartmentTherapy.com

Photo from somewhere in my archive notebooks.

 Thou shalt play ping pong:  “… shall play ping pong with thy spouse rather than sitting around watching TV.”  (he’s designed a very unusal ping pong table and I couldn’t find the photo again!)

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house:  “In fact, after following these commandments, thy neighbor might covet thy house.”

Bedroom from digsdigs.com via freshome.com

SMILES

Many of his ‘commandments’ made me smile – as was intended.  The lesson I take away from these commandments is not to take home decor too seriously.  Don’t put extra stress on yourself to create some perfect magazine version of a home but instead work to make it a place that suits you.  It should be comfortable, stylish and filled with the personalities of your family.  Cindy and I are here to help you achieve that, so when you have a question just contact us….we’d love to help.