Home Glow Up with John S. Gore of B Graham Interiors

Have you often times heard the expression “she is well put together” or “he is well coordinated”? Most of us have heard it many times. Did you know that this expression can also apply to your home? Is it coordinated, well put together and flow from room to room? If not, consider a few simple tips to get you headed in the right direction for a harmonious color scheme.

Beginning with a neutral palette for walls and trim in the whites, greys or beige families creates a unified backdrop for pattern and color that gives each room its own personality. Whenever possible, limit your color palette to three or four colors and alternate in various shades in the different rooms of the home. When selecting colors, consider the mood or atmosphere you want to create. Calm and restful blues and greys or vibrant and edgy orange, yellow and lime greens. If beginning, for example, with a pattern for sofa pillows and two upholstered chairs and you can’t decide which colors dominate, squint and you will automatically see the main colors stand out. These colors should make up the majority of the palette in the room with the dominant color used on the walls, or on larger upholstered pieces. For example, when a red, blue and tan pattern is used, the tan could be for walls, the blue in a velvet for the sofa and the blue also for the draperies. Pops of red in accent pillows is a good start. Existing artwork can also begin the palette, using the same squinting concept to establish the main colors. If you are repainting the walls, or changing the room’s layout, consider moving wall art and accessories from one place to another for a whole new and fresher look.

We do that often in our showroom to create a fresh new appearance. Lighting can influence the way color is perceived, test your paint colors in several areas of the room before you begin. Add interest in the room by mixing materials, patterns, and textures. However, make sure additions blend with and compliment rather than clash with the original palette. As you move from room to room, let each room have it’s own personality and mood but with a variation in intensity of the original colors. Add additional pops of color to enhance the original selections. As you progress, add one of a kind items as conversation pieces of interest. Even in a contemporary setting an antique clock, painting, or unusual artifact can help to personalize your room. Color coordination is such an important step in getting it together in your home and helping to make your space your own.