Color wave: brighten your home with summery hues from our beach-inspired palette

Sunset, July, 2004 by Ann Bertelsen

The easiest and least expensive way to change the look of your interior is to paint it. But there's a catch: With some manufacturers offering more than 100 shades of blue alone, today's huge array of color choices can be overwhelming. To simplify the selection process and take the guesswork out of color combinations, we created a palette of 20 colors--shown on the next pages--designed for summer decorating. These pale blues, greens, and sandy neutrals can make any room look like it's just steps away from the beach.

To illustrate ways to use the palette, we asked photo stylist Emma Star Jensen, who had recently moved to Oakland, California, from Australia, for help. She loaned us the living room in her newly purchased bungalow to use as a decorating laboratory. With Jensen, we selected 5 of the seaside colors, and pulled in furnishings to complement them. The result is a serene and relaxing environment that's full of inspiration.

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Color tips

Here's a breakdown of what Emma Star Jensen did and how you, too, can pull it together.

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* Choose a main wall color and add accent hues. We chose a soft blue (Sky's the Limit) for the walls and used green (Hillsmere) as an accent in the interior of the glass-fronted cabinets.

* Call out architectural features. We used a different accent color (Malibu Beige) around the window to give it more prominence. The shade was repeated on the wall in the kitchen that can be seen from the living room.

* Use a contrasting trim color. We painted the doors and trim of the cabinets a soft white (Swan Wing) to make them stand out against the blue walls, and we painted the baseboards in a flattering neutral (New Linen).

* Incorporate colors of furnishings. Use fabric and accessories to play up or contrast with the anchor colors. The pale blue ottoman between the sandy-colored sofa and chair matches the blue walls, and the green inside the cabinet rounds out the look. "Blue can be a rather cool color when used alone, but team it with a green in a similar tone and you get instant warmth," Jensen says.

* Add sculptural interest. We used vessels of different shapes and sizes. Jensen's collection of pitchers and vases looks artistic against the green backdrop.

Seaside allure

We worked with Kelly-Moore color stylist Mary Lawlor to select from 1,362 hues in the company's new system, ColorXperience. Each of the three new paint palettes--"The West in Color"--includes 20 hues inspired by a region: the seaside (shown), the mountains, and the desert. All the colors in each palette work with one another, whether you're painting an accent wall or using several shades in one room. The magazine printing process affects color reproduction, so allow for paint variation. See page 131 for more information and color-chip reference numbers.

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More style ideas

Use your chosen palette in backgrounds, accents, fabrics, and accessories for a unified look.

* Keep displays understated (A). We painted an existing divider white (Swan Wing) and used it to display predominantly clear glass objects; the partition and the display combine to form a subtle frame for views into the colorful room beyond.

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* Add an organic touch (B). Try to have something natural in your environment, such as cut flowers or a potted plant. We put sprigs of white hyacinth in a glass tumbler and placed it on a tray with candles. The deep blue candle next to the hyacinth adds additional color and depth.

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* Details count (C). We pulled in pillows to match some of the pink seashells seen here on a blue platter. The shells also reinforce the seaside theme.

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* Break up symmetry (D). The casual stacking of blue, green, and white ceramics unite the color palette. The different sizes of plates and bowls create an informal look.

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* Color the backdrop (E). The green-painted cupboard interior creates an elegant foil for simple ceramics.

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* Balance colors (F). Varying textures and hues in these pillows play off one another and distribute color around the room. The delicate fabrics contrast with the coarsely woven sisal rug in the living room.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY THOMAS J. STORY

STYLING BY EMMA STAR JENSEN