Spring Color * top 5 picks for 2011.

I consider myself a reasonable girl, who adores a gentle, zen, earthy, paint palette to create a lamb of a backdrop in which to embellish with bright pops of color. And when my clients admit reluctantly to being paralyzed in fear (regarding color), I do not hypnotize them into chartreuse, we just go with it...

But this Spring I'm having a moment, a year, a phase... It's really more like an awakening in which I, as others, have been influenced by outside forces and decided it's okay to take risk, dive into the world of unexpected shades/bright chroma, and throw caution to the wind. It may be temporary, or not?

To fuel this fire was a seasonal wardrobe sprucing including a blinding orange trench coat, a citron sweater, Revlon "Minted" nail polish (I'm obsessed, go ahead and laugh), a renewed love for shades of pink, etc...


To summarize in a phrase, ICE CREAM COLORS, reminiscent of the 1960's but with a modern twist. So without further ado, here are the Color Zen picks for Spring 2011!


1. From Mint to Apple- Mixed Shades of Green! Mint green, dare we call it "seafoam", is heavy on my mind. It feels very retro... yet fresh? I love it mixed with other shades as in the first photo. Try Benjamin Moore light pistachio 2034-60, feather green 625, lime twist 425, and citron cocktail 410.


2. Pale Turquoise. Love this example but I'm particularly intrigued by the range of color from yellow/green to blue/green, mixed together in interesting ways, tempered by an abundance of white. Try Benjamin Moore annapolis green 687 and heavenly blue 709.

3. Citron. My life's love... Flash back- I asked my mother if she would buy me a sweater in this shade from The Limited (when the store was really cool in the 80's, ha) (I was like 14), and she said, are you sure about that color?? I remember thinking... how much better can a color get? Never cease to love this happy hue. For the season I prefer it almost pushed to a yellow and paler than usual. Try Benjamin Moore rainforest dew 2146-50 and lemon twist 394.


4. Pink. Very pale shades with a few pops of bright... Mix it with white or throw it against a pale gray backdrop, it's a sure-fire way to add good energy to a room. Try Benjamin Moore pensacola pink 1184, rose rococo 1275, and marry me 1289.


5. White. And last but not least, one of my all time favorites... to cleanse our palette. Have you noticed the abundance of white in fashion and decor? It goes perfectly with all the bright colors listed above, and creates perfect balance. Don't be shy... Try Benjamin Moore white dove 0c-17, swiss coffee oc-45, and ballet white oc-9.

So there you have it, Mixed Shades of Green, Pale Turquoise, Citron, Pink, and White... Feeling the love?


One last thing for you... Check out these Benjamin Moore paint colors from 1969! See the similarities?


(thank you House to Home UK, Chic and Cheap Nursery, Practical Enrichment, Better Homes and Gardens, urbanloftonline.com (pillow), Domino, House to Home UK, and creaturecomfortsblog.com for the photos)