zesty guest room

A bedroom with a tangy twist of color-what more could an overnight visitor want?

a guest room doesn't have to look like a retirement home for furniture that has outlived its usefulness elsewhere in the house. In Orlando, designer Catherine Sands uses great artwork and unexpected color combinations to create a space that's soothing and stimulating.

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While color is kept to a minimum in this room, the bed pops with touches of vibrant tangerine. The bedding is primarily a combination of silks set against a headboard upholstered in creamy synthetic suede. A steely gray silk duvet mimics the wall color, while the channel-quilted blanket and shams anchor and accent the bed.

Homeowner Linda Lukman thought her collection of award-winning Indonesian photographs would be the perfect statement to accompany her bedding. The photos are given greater visual importance by keeping the wall color similar to the tones found in the images. Stone, a Benjamin Moore color, links nicely with the beige carpet and makes a great background for the bedding, the unmistakable star of the room. With a mixture of subtle and sassy, this room is definitely ready for its close-up. -TODD CHILDS

best color combos

* Pair a rich chocolate brown wall color with icy blue or fresh mint green fabrics. (It's not like chocolate and mint are strangers.) The cool fabrics with the warmer walls will make a soothing, cozy space.

* Apple green walls are great for kitchens, sunrooms, or any other space with good light. Consider pairing that great green wall with blue toile accents. The blue pops and is a fabulous way to draw attention to key spots in your room.

* Flat black walls (yes, we're serious) look phenomenal in rooms with good light. Paint your trim a crisp white, and your options for fabric colors become almost limitless.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2007
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