I’ve always loved bright colors.  I did go through the obligatory hot pink phase when I was in the third grade, but other than that, purple has been my favorite color through the ages.  Only in the past decade or so have I been delighted to learn that purple is not only great for accessories and fingernail polish, but it also works for couches, and even walls if it’s done in the right shade.  And just like with outfits, when you paint your walls in strong colors, the right furniture and accessories are key to offset that and bring the room together.  I’m in love with the Diva Chair from Mackenzie Childs (OK, so I guess I’m not completely over the hot pink thing yet).

Jennifer Boles has a few things to say in her design blog The Peak of Chic (which I subscribe to and love, by the way). In her Go Dark! post, she reiterates the idea that dark walls need bright accessories;  Count the Colors showcases some of the most beautiful and wildly designed spaces out there.

I first started to notice the trend for dark walls on some of the design shows on cable TV  and again in an article by Jaime Derringer on Shelterpop called “Trend Watch: Gray Walls.” The article also that emphasizes lighting, whether natural or otherwise, is a key ingredient to creating a successfully designed space with dark or dramatic wall colors.

One home that has definitely taken color up a notch is the restored 1886 Queen Anne style townhouse in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem, and owned by Sean Altman and Inna Dukach.

Stay tuned for a future post with Sean and Inna, in which I’ll find out what inspired them in their color choices how they balanced them with accessories and furnishings.

The apartment I currently share with my husband Andy and two cats does not lend itself to stark wall colors, because the rooms are too small, and we don’t have much natural light.  But it doesn’t stop me from dreaming in technicolor, and I’m onto a surprising update in our living room thanks to a rug that was given to us by my aunt and uncle.  The rug contains a geometric pattern with a light golden yellow, and a few different shades of green from a light celery to a borderline sage.  Since we moved our futon into the living room, I’ll be looking for a futon cover to pick up on one of the ligther greens in the rug.  In a typical fit of excitement, I rushed off to the store one day to pick up paint cards, and thought I had settled on Mango Gold by Ralph Lauren. But then I picked up a specialty magazine called Color Made Easy, in which I saw an entire room painted in this shade, and now I’m thinking even one wall may be too bright.  Thanks to the magazine, I’m now considering Glidden’s Del Sol.  I know the simple solution is to get sample cans of each and do small swatches.  But it will also be fun to call up local designer Andrew Graham, and try to catch his color workshop on December 16.

In addition to a post with Andrew Graham, I promise to provide evidence of my newly accented wall on my Community page.  Until then, color your world–and brightly!

Last 5 posts by KellyThacher

• O Tannenbaum . . . - December 23rd, 2009
• Lighting a Candle - December 22nd, 2009
• All For Show - December 21st, 2009
• Faking it with Flowers - December 20th, 2009
• Color Clinic - December 19th, 2009

Author: Kelly Thacher

Kelly has been a writer since she was in grade school where she received early recognition for her Young Author's project. Magazines like Home Entertainment, Luxury Consumer Electronics, Vertical Living, Luxury Home and the Robb Report were happy to have Kelly's editing talents on various projects. A series of career twists and turns has offered her invaluable experience in journalism, magazine and book publishing, and fiction writing.

Kelly Thacher has written 30 articles for us.