I’m so jealous of this tropical villa in India! Check out the lush foliage, multiple outdoor terraces and white stucco walls like a huge blank canvas. This villa has tons of potential and in a tropical location, you can be bold and fun with color.
Here is the current villa, with walls in need of some color love.
In each option, I picked a range of colors from the Asian Paints palette, one of the main paint companies in India. Tropical villas always look cheerful, yet refined in warm yellows and terra cotta. Here, bright Sun Dial is the base color, accented with Dark Saffron and black. I little bougainvillea warms up the facade for a more “lived in” feel.
I love this classic pinkish coral color, called Coral Bells. Only a tropical villa can get away with pink and still look respectable!White and black trim give the perfect contrast to keep this look crisp and not too cute.
Lastly, for a more sophisticated look with tasteful shades of green. A dark Broccoli combined with a refreshing Inspiring Green make for a regal villa that blends in with the surrounding foliage.
Stucco homes are so much fun, as they take so well to a rainbow of colors. As I see it, this house looks good in any shade. Have fun!
Continue reading about A Bright Facelift for a Villa in India
This weekend we fled the big city for the fresh air and lovely views of the Hudson Valley. We aren’t lucky enough to own a country house (or have friends who do), so we opted for the next best thing: a bed and breakfast. What luck we had! We found the most charming and down to earth spot in New Paltz, complete with a heated pool, hot tub and koi pond. Our innkeepers at Fox Hill bed and breakfast, Jerry and Jerri, were just lovely and made our brief stay relaxing and memorable.
I found myself completely charmed by their simple home, tastefully adorned with classic antiques like old Singer sewing machine tables and stately wooden bureaus. I don’t usually go for turn of the century antiques, country accents or floral prints, but something about Fox Hill just felt so perfect. Here are a few of my favorite vignettes.
The house was covered in wallpaper in a mix of classic prints. I can imagine doing a small bathroom with a dainty floral or mini pattern. Even a small closet with wallpaper would make for a sweet and unexpected surprise.
Even the ceiling had a pattern!
The details of the decor were so refreshing and made me want to come home and add some girly details to my own house. How sweet is the bow on the lamp?
Well, if you are looking for a weekend getaway in the New York City area, I highly recommend Fox Hill. Definitely hit the hot tub at night and say hi to Jerry and Jerri! For those of us who can’t get away, we can be inspired by a few pretty details that make this bed and breakfast so welcoming.
Our first post on exterior colors comes from reader inquiry. She wanted some ideas for her parents’ house before settling on a final palette. I just love the hacienda bungalow style – complete with arched colonnades and a terra cotta tile roof. I’m certainly envious of this warm weather home.
Spanish style homes often look best in classic Mediterranean palettes. Colors include yellows, peach, pink, olive, terra cotta, brown, white, etc. Think lush, warm earth tones and refreshing cool waters. This is Behr Sunbath, a color that is optimistic and timeless. It also goes well with the terra cotta tiled roof. I created some contrast with bright white trim and a dark brown deck.
Another classic hacienda color is pink (or coral/peach). I chose Behr’s Antique Cameo and again contrasted it with a white deck and brown columns. Make sure the pink/peach doesn’t clash with the terra cotta roof. A warm shade of pink should do the trick and a little Bougainvillea adds another dimension to the palette.
If yellow and pink are too colorful, why not a tasteful beige? I found this nice color from Behr called Cardboard. When used with terra cotta, white and dark chocolate brown, Cardboard is much more interesting than the name implies.
Lastly, and perhaps my favorite, is white with colorful accents. White is very fresh with the roof and greenish-blue trim. The element of the shutters adds even more visual interest with a beautiful tile pattern. I found these lovely Pueblo shutters at Shutterstile. An architectural accent like these shutters is not only distinctive, but can provide inspiration for the entire palette.
I’m always a fan of trying daring colors on interiors and exteriors, but sometimes it’s nice to stick to your architectural roots. Rooting this house in a Spanish hacienda color palette is both festive and classic (and will look great even years from now).
We hope our reader’s parents find something they like!
I was lucky enough to catch my friend in transition between apartments – which means clear photos of big empty rooms! This is a Mochi Home dream, of course, as it’s really easy to quickly play with some different looks.
I used some window coverings from The Shade Store as inspiration. You can see how the right window treatment can really set the style of a room, even without any furniture. Here it goes:
An empty bedroom.
Classy green silk inverted pleat drapes. I kept it monochrome with a complementary shade of celery on the walls. I also darkened the floor to an eco-friendly deep brown bamboo.
This is a really sexy panel system in a Chilewich fabric. I dream about dividing a loft space with panels like this. Here, it works for a subdued bachelor pad bedroom.
Lastly, a more feminine tulip shade in pink silk. This is also practical, as it doesn’t block the AC/heater (although it doesn’t hide it either). I couldn’t resist an accent wall, which would look lovely behind a bed.
Hopefully, this will remind you not to neglect your windows!
There are so many colors in the world, how do you find a palette that’s right for you? Color inspiration is anywhere and everywhere. One of my favorite blogs, Kris’s Color Stripes, knows that better than anyone. I absolutely adore Kris’s lovely palettes inspired by everything from nature to cities to artwork…even insects! If you are looking for fresh new combos, this is a great place to start.
I picked 4 of Kris’s recent color stripes and tried them out on our friend’s very bright (and clean!) Hong Kong apartment.
Cherry Blossom Palette
First, a spring (and Japanese) inspired cherry blossom palette. You can see how the color stripes are pulled directly from the photo to create endless custom palettes. I thought the dining room would look great as a dramatic accent wall and the black doesn’t disappoint!
Venetian Palette
Who doesn’t love Venice? These colors make a warm, inviting space. I always love shades of terra cotta and the green is just the right shade of olive. Also notice how we added a throw blanket on the couch to pull the color across the room. The walls include art from CB2 and West Elm.
Rustic Door Palette
Next, a modern room inspired by rustic architectural details. Blue and brown are an excellent combination that can be both modern and classic. To give it a little playfulness, you can also include the aqua color stripe. Big paper lanterns and live bamboo freshen up the whole look.
Sweet Treats Palette
I couldn’t finish this post without a proper striped wall, of course! Again, the dining room wall is the perfect place to highlight the lovely sweet treat palette. With a wall this bold, you don’t need much art. However, a bold light from CB2 helps balance the strong graphic pattern.
I’ve been following Kris’s Color Stripes for awhile and we hope you can find inspiration, too. Why not use your own favorite things or places to inspire a palette for your home?
Continue reading about Finding Inspiration: Kris’s Color Stripes
We are just itching for the Spring weather to finally arrive here in New York City. While we wait, we thought we could give a an old Queens apartment a dose of spring color. To get some inspiration, we like to browse around on Desire to Inspire and look for images and colors. These charming, yet minimal spaces look so fresh in shades of white and grown-up pastels-spring at its most subtle. We are also fond of bright pops of color, which always keep us in a good mood.
Here’s how we applied some spring color in Astoria. This apartment has great bones – old-school arched doorways and light flooding into the main living area.
We always love a warm, tuscan orange. Here we combined it with a shade of butter, for a delicate and inviting room.
This apartment faces east and gets tons of light. It may be nice to cool it down with a most lovely pastel purple. We love purple because it’s cool, calm, but somehow still full of passion.
Lastly, for a pop of color, how about a warm gray paired with an electric purple-pink? We love the surprising shock of color as you turn into the kitchen from the living room.
What are your favorite spring colors?
Just because a bathroom may not be huge, doesn’t mean you should skimp on the color. Adding some color punch here is actually an easy way to make your entire home feel more finished. So, don’t neglect it!
Ah, a nice clean slate. The bones of this bathroom are clean and straightforward, making for an easy transformation.
First, a coat of deep blue paint on the wall, and already the bathroom is more interesting.
Sometimes, it’s nice to paint the fixtures. Here, we darkened the base of the sink, to give the bathroom some grounding. Then, all it needs are some accessories. We added some lights and a classic (but not too girly) black toile shower curtain.
For something a little more masculine (or at least gender neutral), here’s a palette of contrasting greens. We particularly love the dark olive ceiling and outdoor-like metal light fixture.
The owner of this apartment is a girl after our own hearts—not afraid to go bold with color! She painted the bathroom in an unapologetic combination of deep fuchsia and purple. Though it’s hard to see in the photo, our favorite part is the flamingo shower curtain.
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