Tag Archives: style

Decorating Using the Color Pink

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In the past pink was seen as a color that only suited little girls. Thanks to Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton and the other grown up little girls pink has become a big fad. In fact it is a flirtatious and childish shade of pink that is Pantone’s color of the year in 2011.

To look less childish the best thing to do is mix your pink paint with a touch of brown. This will give a more modern color scheme. At the moment tan and pink or brown and pink is more fashionable than black and pink. Still glossy black and pink is a definitely sexy look for a boudoir, bedroom or bathroom.

If you choose to decorate in a cool, blue based pin then you can mix it with a warm red or fuchsia. Pink alongside tangerine or lime green adds a great deal of pep and cheer to a room. It is a color combination that is great for guest bathrooms and children’s room.

If you really want to mute the pink color then try balancing it with corals and rose colors that are balanced against sage green and mustard yellow colors. Pink also looks very nice with silver or gold. Pink, black and silver together gives you a very James Bond type of effect.

In general, the lighter a pink is the more it will soften a space. It suits the shabby chic style and some sixties and seventies retro styles. Bedrooms were also very pink in the 1940s and many designers today are following the glamour of those rooms by applying satin fabrics and buttons to headboards and closets and clothing beds in satin sheets.

One great thing about the color pink that sex sirens have known for years is that the color is very flattering when reflected from the walls onto the skin giving one a more youthful appearance.

Pink vases and crystal bowls full of rose quartz, pink flowers or seashells can help add a pink touch to any room. You can also add pink lava lamps to your decorating scheme or add pink drawer pulls to a piece of furniture. A pink lampshade can also change an ordinary lamp into a sexy one.

The best time of year to find pink furniture and other décor is just after St. Valentine’s Day when all of the red hued objects go on sale. You can also find pink chandeliers, candleholders, shams and other items in children’s stores.

Decorating With Tropical Chic

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Tropical chic is a popular, exotic way to decorate any room. Jungle themes, vivid colors and natural woods are part of the look. The style is reminiscent of the wild while at the same time becoming sophisticated and peaceful. Different textures of wood are mixed with intricate animal and plant patterns to create a visual interest that makes you feel like you are lounging in the middle of a tropical forest.

Common motifs on fabrics using this style include stylized palm trees, banana leaf prints, pineapples, coconuts, monkeys and large exotic blossoms. Furniture often is made out of rattan or wood and then covered with large cushions covered with grass clothe, leather and prints. The furniture tends to casual, comfortable and unstructured and slightly larger than usual.

When animal or floral patterns are not used then paints and fabrics tend to be in neutral tones such as ivory, cream, beige, khaki, camel, tan deep brown, mustard yellow, crimson, avocado, light sage, mustard yellow, crimson and banana yellow. Accents are in crimsons, corals, dark brown, black and gold. Patterns are big and not tiny or demure.

Another characteristic of this look is giant looking furniture that seems that it might embrace you… Wicker, bamboo, iron and rattan are created in a larger scale so that people look like they are disappearing into the comfort of the room. Rugs and curtains tend to have Zebra, giraffe or leopard prints.

Window coverings should be natural. Linen panels, plantation shutters or bamboo or matchstick blinds suit the look of this room. This matches grass cloth mats, wicker baskets and folding screens that are also a signature part of this look.

The artwork that looks best with this décor is usually one that is done in demure browns, oranges and greens. Forest scenes and animal scenes are typical. Go for large simple vases filled with sheathes of bamboo or large single blossoms of exotics such as the Birds of Paradise or Orchids.

When it comes to a dining room tableware might be made of bamboo and the plates out of natural colored stone wear. Rattan or textured colored placemats can complete the look. Rattan or bamboo tables painted black or natural with thick glass paned tops are also characteristic of this look.

Stand alone large plants such as palm trees in pots are an inexpensive addition to a room in which the Tropical Chic theme is attempting to be expressed.