As Seen In: Better Homes and Gardens
There are few things more delightful than bold, bright colors. Especially when those colors are done well. Mixing and matching colors can be a bit intimidating, even for those of us that work specifically in the color world of art and design. I left neutrals and earth toned pots behind years ago in favor of pastels, and watercolor brights, which I now fearless mix and apply to my work. But that bright palette does't always translate easily into other aspects of my life.
I recently thrifted a tufted, lime green, crushed velvet, love seat for my living room. The purchase was momentarily panic inducing. I knew I wanted it. The couch was insanely good, but in a I'M-LIME-GREEN-AND-VELVET specific way. Nothing subtle here. That was a LOT of color on that little piece of furniture. And I knew it could dominate my living room. I wasn't sure if I, or my throw pillows were ready for that.
Thankfully there are seemingly endless resources online for color inspiration. I use Pinterest constantly. My Living Room and Kitchen and Dining boards are especially color saturated. Before that love seat came home with me I was obsessively scrolling through pages of "Lime Green Sofa" pins. It took seeing similarly colored pieces in other people's homes for me to confidently complete my purchase. Seeing unexpected things done beautifully is incredibly inspiration for me. That's exactly why the cover of the latest Better Homes and Gardens, first spotted on Eddie Ross's instagram feed left me breathless. The cover features bold, bright colors grouped in entirely fresh, unexpected clusters. (Did you notice that Robin's Egg Blue peeking out from that orange bud vase?! Genius.) Plus it sported the promise of "Color Made Easy." Yes, to everything.
It wasn't until I had already decided I was undoubtedly buying a copy once the issue hit stands that I learned that bowls I'd sent to the Better Homes and Gardens' team at the end of 2013 had made it into the magazine. Now I was totally amped.
I love the mixing of patterns, textures, and colors in this spread. There's a lot to see in this shot, and a lot of reasons why these independently beautiful pieces all work together successfully. Carefully looking at this image is enough to get me excited as I pick out the similar shades of blue, yellow, and coral throughout the table setting that allow unrelated pieces and patterns to work together in a balanced, complemented, and harmonious way. But even more exciting than that visual scavenger hunt, is the fact that this issue breaks down what is in the shot and why it works giving readers the tips and confidence to mix and match pieces in their own homes for a look that is both effortlessly chic and totally livable. And it's not just this photo, the entire issue is filled with bold color combinations you can easily recreate in your own home, and a Color Palette of the Year that'll knock your socks off. It really is Color Made Easy. What's not to love about that?