Decorating With Red, White & Blue

Filed under: Color, Your Home, Projects, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Design, etc

Inject all-American color into your home with this pop of patriotism.

Summer is officially here. Take your cue from the brightly hued and boldly patterned stars and stripes that wave proudly overhead and go patriotic -- use the flag's red, white or blue as inspiration to redecorate an entire room or add some simple summer sizzle.

RED

Interior Decorator Amy Lau of Amy Lau Design thinks of red as "a perfect representation of energy and boldness." But there's no need to go all out when using a strong color. The richness of red is so dramatic that a little goes a long way. Use it in moderation. Wallpapering above a chair rail in red, for example, brings warmth to a room, adding depth and power.

Sprinkling several red accessories throughout a room will bring cohesiveness by uniting the elements to the eye -- a vase, a throw pillow, a painting on the wall. Red has that bonding power. As fashion and interior designer Donna Karan notes, it is the "color that brings everything together."

Products, clockwise from top left:

Tulip #4 by Thurston Howes, 14"W, $350, Zatista.
Five Alarm Hook, 4"H, $14, Anthopologie.
Red Baroque-Style Mirror, 30"W, $475, Horchow.
Motel Double Glider, 49"W, $175, Crate&Barrel.
LJUSÅS UVÅS in Red, 17"H, $40, IKEA
Red Double-Walled Thermo Carafe by Chambord by Bodum,34oz, $40, Cooking.com.
Paints, Top to Bottom: Poppy by Benjamin Moore, Oh So Red by Valspar, Incarnadine by Farrow & Ball.

How to use red in your home
1. Add just a hint of color. Your accents will pop when they are used throughout the room.

2. Used in a foyer or entryway, red can be particularly effective. It will energize the space and draw people in.

3. An easy place to add the color is with pillows, decorative accents and lighting.

4. Colored glassware is a nice way to bring red into your home.


WHITE

"White," Donna Karan says, "acts as a backdrop." It can be a wonderful blank canvas on which to paint. But decorating with white can also be tricky. If you wish to create a modern and clean space, minimalism works best. If you're looking for a soft or romantic look, then layering is probably the way to go (adding lots of white in different textures and accessories). All in all textures in varying shades add visual interest to the non-color, while shades of white from ivory to pale yellow provide depth. All white rooms in a bath or kitchen is crisp, but I love it in a living room where it's open and inviting.



Products, clockwise from top left:

Charade Bath Set, $18-$48 per piece, Jonathan Adler.
Concave White Wallpaper, 33 ft. roll, $70, Graham & Brown.
Lack Wall Shelf, 51"W, $30, IKEA.
Kirie 01 Bamboo Clock, 7.5"W, $78, DecoyLab.
Bent Wood Chair in High Gloss White, 35"H, $199, Brocade Home.
Garden Seat, 18"H, $139, Ballard Designs.


How to use white in your home
1. Use textured fabrics such as silks, linens, wovens, faux furs, cut velvets and damasks to bring visual interest to a room. Adding tones and shades of white to keep it from looking sterile and cold.

2. Transparent fabrics can arouse feelings of romance and softness.

3. Paint wood pieces white to lighten up the space and make it appear larger.

4. A white kitchen is a canvas on which an ever evolving decorating plan can emerge again and again.


BLUE

In contrast to the fire of red, there is the stability and calmness of blue. Lau notes that it is "a calming and relaxing color." Blue, especially dark blue and navy, can be strong and steady, deeply rooted within a palette, or soft and soothing lending barely a hint of color. Whether paired with white or other colors, it is always evocative of the sea. Blue and its many hues and tonalities is an easy-to-use color and works throughout the home. Using blue in fabrics, rugs, paint and wallpaper will ground any design scheme.

Products, clockwise from top left:

Parrot, Sommelier corkscrew, 5"H, $60, Alessi.
Rio Collapsible Storage Basket in Blue, 20"H, $18, World Market.
Paints, Top to Bottom: Santa Monica Blue by Benjamin Moore, Quarry Pond by Valspar, Drawing Room Blue by Farrow & Ball.
Whale folded notes, 8 for $16, Carrot & Stick Press.
Louisa Settee, 59"W, $2,498, Anthropologie.
Outdoor Graphic Links Rug by Thom Filicia, 6"L, Williams Sonoma Home.
Studio Sofa by Nate Berkus, 46"L x 34"H, $499,. HSN.


How to use blue in your home
1. Pair it with white for a crisp, modern look.

2. Use varying shades of blue, from the palest ice blue to the deepest dark blue, to create layers and depth.

3. Blue in the bathroom further invokes the feelings of water and serenity.

4. Use darker tones in pillows and rugs to create the greatest impact.

5. Provide contrast to your decorating palette with colors that will not overwhelm, but rather enhance your theme color. For example, pair yellow with dark blue; bright peony pink with medium tones; and softer neutral shades such as ivory, taupe and linen with light blues.

You'll see more 4th of July ideas on ShelterPop next week but you should also see the fantastic things going on at Holidash!
Craft a 4th of July Flower (Adorable)
Throw a Retro 4th of July

 

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