Crushing On Colour: Alena of Oh, It's Just Perfect!

Today's Crushing on Colour post comes to us from the lovely Alena of Oh, It's Just Perfect! I can't think of a better blog title than that, can you? Alena always manages to find the best bits and bobs, and describes herself as an Etsy and Chai tea addict - can you say best friends?!!

Hi 10 Rooms readers! I'm Alena from Oh, It's Just Perfect! and I've been a huge fan of 10 Rooms for a while now, so I'm pretty excited to be guest posting here today about my favorite color. Blue has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember. Not just any blue, but bold, bright blues like sapphire blue, royal blue and cobalt blue. I love the brightness, the intensity and that it actually works with my skin tone (my skin tone is pale, pale, pale). So, while Anne-Marie is living it up on her girl's trip, we can partake in some virtual shopping for some bold and bright blue items.

Cobalt Knob. 

Samarkand Dinnerware. 

Peek-A-Boo Lace Dress. 

Louisa Settee. 

Alena

Thanks so much, Alena! I always love a bit of saturated colour, but especially these rich blues - and you've included my favourite settee from Anthro - oh, to have that in the budget! x Anne-Marie

Crushing on Colour : Lisa from Lisa Roy

So happy to have Lisa of Lisa Roy {A Designer Obsessed with pretty things, beautiful spaces, interesting places and...handbags!} here today posting about her colour crush for the Crushing on Colour series. Lisa has lived all over the world (she resides in Dubai currently), but her style remains true - fresh, with a light, easygoing vacation vibe that just makes you want to kick back and relax.

Hello to all of you lovely 10 Rooms readers!

I'm Lisa from Lisa Roy {a designer obsessed with pretty things, beautiful spaces, interesting places and...handbags!}

I'm thrilled to be invited to take part in Anne-Marie's amazing series Crushing on Colour! 

Today is all about my colour crush:

Aqua is one of those colours that just evokes feelings of calm, that gorgeous watery hue that makes you 

just sigh a big relaxing sigh. 

So it's no wonder that aqua has been playing a huge role in bathrooms...

but it is also a perfect way to add a casual seaside feel to a home...

Looking for something as little less casual? Aqua can work in a more sophisticated space as well...

Maybe you don't want to commit to a wall colour but would rather bring in some accessories?

Or you're looking for a fresh new colour for the exterior of your home...

Aqua is a soft, refreshing colour that pairs so well with others like celadon, orange, brown, pink, all the blues and raspberry, to name a few. Whether you choose it in a wall colour, for accessories, or for a piece in your wardrobe, it's sure to make you think you're living by the sea, even if you live in the city.

As for me, I'd love to be scootin' to a seaside cafe on one of these...

So, have you embraced the freshness of aqua?

Thanks Anne-Marie for inviting me to talk about my favourite colour crush!

lisa

Thank you, Lisa, for that take-me-away moment! Such a beautiful, escapist colour - like a tonic for the soul. We have this in our home gym and in Coco's room, and there is no other colour that feels so refreshing. Would be quite happy in any of the spaces you've featured :) x Anne-Marie

Crushing on Colour: Holly from HVH Interiors

Let's start off this melange of blogger talent with a Crushing on Colour post from Holly of HVH Interiors. Holly is an Interior Designer and her blog is full of interesting finds and a very warm, modern aesthetic. I especially love the Moodboard Mondays!

Hello 10 Rooms readers! I'm Holly, an interior design consultant and blogger over at HvH Interiors. It is such a great pleasure to meet you all here to talk about one of my favourite topics - color. What better place to do that than the "Crushing on Color" guest blog series?! Thank you so much to Anne-Marie for having me.

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So let's jump right in, shall we? These days, when it comes to interior design, I have a serious crush on GREY. Grey is often overlooked as a color because it is an achromatic or neutral colour. Yet, it has so much potential. It's my silent hero. Admittedly, grey does have a bit of a bad rap. It is often associated with notions like dullness, bad weather, old age, boredom, and conformity. But this last 'flaw' is what makes grey so great in my eyes. It conforms - blends, adapts, and supports - it can be so many things and it's all up to you to decide.

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To understand the versatility of grey, one must realize that there are endless varieties of it, just like with other colours. Grey can be just as cool as it can be warm and therefore it can be easily and appropriately adapted to any interior colour scheme.

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My favourite interior scheme at the moment is Grey paired with other neutrals, such as white, black and brown. I find it very calming and grounding. Metallic Greys can add a bit of glamor or industrial flair. Grey paired with wood can often results in this cozy, rustic feeling.

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If Grey paired with neutrals is too subdued for your taste, look what happens when Grey gets paired with colour. Whether we're talking big colour or just hints and accents, Grey allows the colours to pop and shine via simultaneous contrast.

image links: left (1, 2, 3) right (1, 2, 3)

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Grey is full of potential because you can give it the life you want, depending on what you surround it by. Whether you prefer an interior that is deep and intense or airy and soft, Grey can play a key role. So, dear readers, what are your thoughts on Grey? Best Wishes! Holly

Thanks, Holly! That was an absolutely beautiful post. You found so many inspiring interiors! Grey has become a staple in today's palettes, hasn't it? I love that it provides such a clean backdrop for whatever else you place with it - because I'm always looking for a little smidgeon of colour in there somewhere! x Anne-Marie

wishing you

wishing you.....

dreams of the sea

 

by now we've made it to the south so for the next two weeks there will be some rather fabulous ladies guest posting in the Crushing on Colour series... their posts are stunning - hope you'll stop by and enjoy :)


have a wonderful couple of weeks - x am







picture links sea bathing suit beyond boat sofa geode ink toes

yay or nay: pinterest

Oh, how it pains me to write this post. I've seen this going around pinterest the last little bit, but was ignoring it, because I didn't want my blissful pinterest addiction to come to a halt. Have you read the article this links to? It makes you take a closer look at the policies we all skimmed over in 2.3 seconds flat while gleefully rubbing our hands together that we were onboard this amazing site, with it's plethora of jaw-dropping images, and links to everything that we need to know about RIGHT THIS SECOND :)

Here are the highlights of the article....

Point of contention No. 1 -  Pinterest reserves the right to use every image we upload of our own in ANY WAY they please. That once we upload an image, it becomes their property. Not cool.

Point of contention No. 2 - We, the users, are legally responsible should someone sue interest over their images being used without their permission. That means while we may be pinning things to try and give an artist/blogger/designer exposure, or at the very least, appreciation - if they decide we have violated their rights by pinning the image WE, not pinterest are liable for damages.

I'm very sad to say that if the pinterest-powers-that-be don't re-think this, I will be one of the deserters - no amount of eye candy is worth being sued over. That's a bit of a bummer, because after pinterest I don't know if I can go back to google images, sorting throughout three thousand crappola photos trying to find just one that is blog-worthy.... for example, a wallpaper search on both....

Anyhow, some food for thought, right?  Thought you may want to check it out, lovelies...

As of Wednesday morning I will be enroute to the sunshine, and I have a couple of posts for you, and then the sweetest six bloggers are going to be visiting here, with six Crushing on Colour posts - hope you'll come by and leave them a comment - because their posts are bee-utiful.... have a fabulous few weeks, catch you all on the flip side... xo






pinterest 1 2 3 4 5 

wishing you

a weekend of breathtaking beauty....

spending the weekend packing for the beach and having friends over for dinner... see you all monday! x am






image sources art cafe books fabric  

keeping a masculine office welcoming

A friend of mine is moving into an office space after many years of working from home. The space is very small (150 square feet), but has a window and plenty of light. He purchased an antique bankers desk, and an ultra-modern black leather chair. Then he stopped buying, stepped back, and realized that the two styles are drastically different.  Feeling stuck, he e-mailed me and asked if I had any ideas to move the design along.

Now, as for style, I know this guy pretty well.. and his is a Ralph Lauren/Restoration Hardware/J.Crew world. I'm thinking burnished leathers and warm woods, all mixed up with a bit of tradition and luxe - and fortunately that works with his profession, which is in finance. The only thing that doesn't quite fit is the chair, and so we need to make it disappear into the design, right? Would you like to see what I am sending him back?


First,  I think the palette should remain neutral because of the nature of his business. So far we have orange-toned woods and black, so incorporating pale warm grey walls, while creating a darker wall (black or dark grey) behind the desk will allow the space to breathe while giving that black chair a home. If he would like, he could incorperate a wall of black bookshelves behind his desk, like the third pic shows - this is my personal preference.

Adding accessories that have classic appeal but feel modern are the key to linking the modern lines of his desk chair and the classic design of his desk.

How about adding a little comfort for his clients? Let's repeat the caramel tones here, with some sumptuous leather and link it all together with a hard-working sisal carpet. Architectural prints keep everyone focused on the task at hand, which involves real estate.

What do you think? Masculine yet welcoming? Professional yet comfortable?




images sources: black gallery wall vintage table open shelving
art  architectural print chevron print door print armchairs work light leather boxes desktop side table