Whether it be different colors for Base cabinets and Wall cabinets or switching up the color for the island, kitchens with multiple colors of cabinetry are all around. Do you love it, or would you leave it?
via Pinterest
via Home Bunch
via Pinterest
via Southern Living
I often see photos of painted floors in blogs, magazines and on Pinterest. However, this is not something that I see often in person and as an Interior Designer. That has a lot to do with the Denver & Boulder Colorado markets in which I work. Many of my clients live in newer homes with new or nearly new wood floors. Painting them seems like blasphemy. Another group of clients lives in older pockets of Denver, with wonderful homes including bungalows, 1930′s Tudors, and Mid-Century Modern. In these homes we are working to strike a balance between preserving original detail and modernizing the homes for life in this century. Often the floors are original to the home and again off limits to paint. But I am curious about your thoughts on painting wood floors: do you love it or would you leave it?
Cecconi’s in London via Studioilse.
A simple, solid painted floor, via Bradbourne Farm.
A faux mosaic tile design painted on to a floor, via Henry Donovan Motif.
This paint pattern looks like a rug in this hallway. Via Curbly.
A stencil design over a distressed floor makes a dramatic statement. Via Designspiration.
A classic tile pattern painted onto a kitchen floor. Via Hello Tiger.
I want to know what you think. Would you paint your wood floors? Do you love it or would you leave it? Have you painted wood floors before? Please share your photos with us here or on Facebook.
And please chime in on our other Love it or Leave it discussions:
Or, check out the opposite of this post with Painted Ceilings.
Black – the darkest of dark colors. In many cases it’s a staple – a stable and safe bet. In other applications it’s bold and daring. Would you paint your walls black? Would you dare cover the largest surface in any room in black? Black walls – do you love it or would you leave it?
Let me know your thoughts – love it or leave it?
Maybe black is just too much for you, or not your color. Check out my previous post Interior Design Trends: Dark Blue Walls. It’s lovely.
I’ve said it before: ceilings are the most neglected surfaces in any room and in the realm of Interior Design and Decorating. Think about it – have you ever painted a ceiling? If so, did you paint it anything other than white? Hove you ever even thought about your ceilings from a decorative aspect? You should – and I’m going to help you! There are several benefits to treating your ceiling in part of your interior design plan. If you’ve got a shorter room or low ceilings, adding ceiling interest can draw the eye up and make the room feel taller. (Find an example in this post: Designer Tips: Using Bold Wall Color). Conversely, if you’ve got a very high ceiling, a darker paint or more dramatic treatment can help to bring the ceiling down and add a cozier feeling to the space. And simply by adding interest to your ceilings, you just add something special and unique to your rooms and your home.
Painted ceilings
I’ve blogged before about the most simple ceiling treatment: a coat of paint that is anything but white: Painted Ceilings
Here are some additional inspiring paint options.
Papered Ceilings
Wallpaper and metal leafing are great options for adding interest and texture to ceilings.
Special Treatments
Whether with paint, paper, other materials, or a combination, here’s where we get really creative with ceilings. I’m so inspired!
And, my personal favorite of this particular collection, with both coffers and a special design treatment:
If you’d like to see even more of these great ceilings, or to get additional information on those ceilings featured here, check out my Pinterest board appropriately titled Ceilings Need Love Too.
If you’d like advice on where to start with your own ceiling project, read these previous posts with Interior Design Tips: To Paint or Not to Paint… The Ceiling. Before & After: Choosing Wall Color, Designer Tips: Using Bold Wall Color.
And if you do add some interest to your own ceiling, please do share it with us! You can email me directly, share here, or share on Facebook!
Yes, we are still having fun with Happy Colors here at Beautiful Habitat! The Facebook survey revealed the mother of happy colors – pink. Yes, pink was voted most often as the color that just makes you feel happy. This post features several beautifully designed and decorated pink spaces to inspire you to incorporate your happy color into your interiors and your everyday!
That’s a whole lotta pink…
Here is a fine collection of spaces that go all out with pink – walls, floors, furniture and more. Do you find your inspiration here?
Jonathan Adler
And how about Pink Hotel Rooms? This one is the May Fair Hotel in London.
Pink Kitchen! Could you do it? via Kitchen Clarity
I can hardly feature a pink kitchen without a pink bath. This is a modern update from the pink bathrooms of the early 1990′s. Mauve toilets are not a good way to do pink bathrooms… ever. via Grant K Gibson Interior Design
I vote Designer Betsey Johnson as the queen of pink. Check out her home!
A little less pink, please
These well-decorated spaces have incorporated a little less pink, but still pack in the glamor and fun that pink provides.
If you’ve visited the Beautiful Habitat blog before, you know that I have a love of painted and papered ceilings. This room is certainly unique with pink ceiling and moldings to accompany white walls. Quite an interior design statement! via Apartment Therapy
Here is a great example of punching up a neautral room with color. Adding just a pink rug and pink pouf to an all-white bedroom makes an interesting and fun design. via Ohdeedoh
Following the white and pink room is a similar concept of adding pink to gray. This is a beautiful and feminine bedroom design! via Country Living
Why confine your happiness to the indoors? Take your decor, and pink, to the great outdoors. via House Beautiful
If you’re not ready to commit to pink, or it doesn’t work with other selections that you’ve made for your home, you can always get a shot of happiness from some fresh pink flowers.
Let’s go all the way!
If you truly love pink and want to go well outside of the box, how about a pink Christmas? This room, via Toby Fairly, is not just a pink holiday, but on top of a very bold interior decorating plan of pink, pink, pink.
For more on the Happy Color Series, read on:
Is your happy color missing? Drop me a line about the color you turn to to brighten your day, wardrobe or interiors, and I’ll be happy to include it!
A trend that I am currently loving is that of dramatic dark blue walls, typically paired with white furniture. Sometimes a splash of the light green or yellow is included for a fresh color palette. The blues range from navy, to deep turquoise to dusty denim. The result is always dramatic, yet the rooms can feel crisp and fun or elegant at the same time.
I admit I am a little biased when it comes to loving this trend because I did it for a client last year. This is the home office/guest room of a beautiful 1930′s Bungalow in the Sloane’s Lake area west of Denver, Colorado.
Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design and Decoration
What do you think of this trend? Would you do dark walls in your home?
The next color up on our list of Happy Colors is Red.
Lots of Red
via Etsy
Red lacquered cabinetry would be a very bold move on it’s own. Add red lacquer to the appliances, walls and ceiling and you’ve got a statement-making space.
via The Kitchen
Red walls make a great backdrop for lighter colored artwork.
Source Unknown
This bold bedroom design uses both a vibrant and more muted red tones along with graphic patterns. See more of this room here: Love it or Leave it: Red Patterned Bedroom 
Mary McDonald via Veranda
Black, White and Red
Red is a perfect accent to schemes that are black and white, or to schemes that are gray. Yes, you could place any color in these rooms and it would really stand out as an accent, but there is just something special about red in these rooms…
via Decorpad
via House to Home
And I couldn’t post without including another banquette, this lovey red banquette adds a great pop to a dining nook and overall gray room. I love banquettes and you can read more about them here: An Ode to Banquettes
Source Unknown
via House Beautiful
Red Accents
While red is stunning with Black & White, or gray, it is also a great accent with other color schemes, in large and small doses.
Source Unknown
via Domino Magazine
via House to Home
And what says Red and Happiness as much as a red wagon?
Via U Create
For more on the Happy Color Series:
It’s hard to dispute yellow as a Happy Color. Yellow is associated with joy, sunshine, warmth and freshness. Just look at any child’s drawing and you’re likely to see a bright yellow sun or a yellow happy face. I love yellow and have used it in both my own, and client’s homes. And this is certainly not the first time I’ve mentioned yellow in the Beautiful Habitat blog.
Yellow is a big bold happy color, so let’s start with the boldest of yellow rooms.
Whole Lotta Yellow
via tumblr
via The Style Files
via Eddie Ross
Even when not used as an overall color or on walls, yellow still makes a big impact in rooms and interiors.
via Pattern Hound
via Coastal Living
Yellow wallpaper makes a great statment on it’s own
or as a backdrop to other artwork
via Belle Maison
And if that’s too much yellow for you, remember that it does make a great accent color in more neutral decor.
Yellow Accents
Starting with a lovely yellow banquette. I love banquettes and you can read more about them here: An Ode to Banquettes
via Palmer-Weiss
Lovely Bedrooms, both via SAS Interiors
via CB2
A wonderful room for a girl, via Douglas Friedman
An easy DIY accent via Brooklyn Limestone.
Have you used yellow in your home? Or maybe you’ve been too intimidated to try this bold hue? Share with us here, or on Facebook!
For more on the Happy Color Series:
A few weeks ago I asked on Facebook and Twitter “What color makes you happiest?”. It was meant to be just some fun on a Friday afternoon. However, the responses inspired me to write a series of posts featuring these happy colors in beautifully designed rooms. My interior design philosophy has always been to live with the things and colors that you love. Afterall, your home should make you happy and feel good. My hope is that these post will inspire you to incorporate your own happy colors more into your design and decorating plans.
Our happy colors series has already featured Purple and Orange. Today we are going to focus on lime and apple greens. Much like with our previous colors, there are so many ways to incorporate greens into your home. You can use small splashes to large doses and in hues ranging from light and sweet to super bold and intense.
Let’s start with large doses of green in different intensities.
This green-on-green wallpaper makes a bold statement in this kitchen nook decor. It works so well on the tall wall and is a piece or artwork in itself.
via HGTV
This apple green kitchen is adorable. The custom painted cabinets are not overwhelming because of the frosted glass panels, which helps to break up and soften the green. I love the use of different cabinet sizes taken all the way to the ceiling – it’s smart kitchen design and use of space.
via My Home Ideas
Below is another kitchen that uses large doses of green without overwhelming. The green here is more of a lime green. This bold color is well balanced in this kitchen because it is only on the walls and softened by (and warms up) the stainless steel appliances and industrial cabinets.
via Design Sponge
And now, for the super bold in lime green walls… These rooms take lime walls to the extreme. If you’d like this look in your home, choosing the correct shade of green will take some time. Find tips here: Choosing Paint Colors or hire an expert to save you time and money.
A very bold and bright nursery. This super bright and intense shade of lime is balanced with white and an equally bold turquoise. It’s certainly not shy, but in my opinion, it works.
via Ohdeedoh
This bathroom also has a very bold and intense shade of lime green. Powder rooms are a great place to go really bold (also dining rooms and foyers). You don’t spend a lot of time in these spaces, so won’t become overwhelmed or tired of the color as quickly, Yet your guests will visit these 3 spaces, so you can really make a statement.
via Country Living
Green does not have to be applied is such large doses to create an impact and make you happy. Here are some more subtle and suggestive ways to use green in your interiors.
This bedroom balances lime green, chocolate brown and white for a beautiful and restful retreat.
This Dining Room by Jonathan Adler is another wonderful balance of lime and chocolate. The lime brightens the room and definitely adds the “happy”.
An accent piece of furniture is a great way to add color to you home. Below is a beautiful painted chest – great DIY project. Also below is the Forest chair, which adds interest with it’s green color and unique shape.
via Interior Stylist
via Burostoel
How about a lime green vintage bathtub? It’s the perfect statement piece is an otherwise white bathroom. If you’re not feeling so bold, you could just opt for the lime and white towels in your bath.
via Feedly
For a perfectly balanced living room that incorporates green, use it on curtains, a small stool or chair, and other accessories.
via Decor Pad
Have you used lime or apple green in your home? Share with us here or on Facebook.
Have I featured your happy color, yet? If not, tell me about your color and I’ll be happy to add it to the series.
Continuing on our topic of colors that make you happy, today we are on Orange. I love to use orange in rooms and agree that it is a happy color. It’s a warm and vibrant color that combines the happiness of yellow with the energy of red.
One of my favorite interior design plans features orange and has been seen in the Beautiful Habitat blog before in Spring Inspired Rooms.
Like last week’s post which featured purple as our happy color, orange can by used in different intensities for very different results.
As a wall color paired with neutrals.
via Bright Bazaar
As a bold accent color
via Beautiful Habitat Interior Design & Decoration
via Martha Stewart
via My Home Ideas
via House to Home
via FLIK by Design
And rooms that just go all out with Orange
From Sixx Designs via Desire to Inspire
via House to Home
Older Posts that feature Orange Interiors and Decor:
Have you ever used or considered using orange in your home decor? Share with us here, or on Facebook.
