Yellow Painted Love.

If you read this blog on a regular basis you know some things about me: I love the color yellow, and I have a fondness for painted furniture. Most of the furniture in my apartment is painted--mostly just greens or one piece is blue. I have decided that I'm tired of my blue dresser in particular and decided to paint it yellow. Here is a little yellow painted inspo I've come across.

Martha Stewart offers a really helpful tutorial on painted furniture. I love how she used an accent yellow color on the trims and drawer pulls.

I love the color combination of blue and yellow which works well because my walls are painted blue. This relaxed looking living room is by Lynn Morgan. Doesn't this table look like an Oomph table? They should do a sunshine yellow color.

I love the pretty textiles in this room; the carpet, the suzani quilt, and the scroll upholstered headboard. The texture continues in the matching night stands in a mustard/gold tone of yellow. From House Beautiful designed by Johnathan Berger.

This room is the epitome of sunshine; designed by Eddie Ross. I'd love to know what paint color Eddie chose...

Okay, so now back to me. Here is my dresser which is a distressed blue finish:

Here it is after I re-organized the surface of it with all my make up (what make up?) and jewelry. See what I mean with the competing blues? It's time for a change.


These are the paint colors I'm choosing between and I'd like your opinions also.

Haystack by Martha Stewart Paint from Home Depot. My apologies but imagine this a little bit more on the lemon side of yellow.

Sunbeam by Glidden. Not quite this intense in person.

Golden Honey by Benjamin Moore

So far, my head says Sunbeam by Glidden but my heart says Haystack by Martha. What do you guys think? This project probably won't be finished for about 2 weeks so I'm going to need a decision right away. My plan for the knobs are a turquoise knob from Anthropologie I believe. Don't you worry, I'll give constant updates. Thoughts??

Alicia B.

A Green for Winter

As I was working out in my head what colors I could use for my New Year's Eve party (which has taken a turn in a more relaxed direction), I was thinking what would be holiday but not Christmas? My colors were silvers, whites, and greens. I think the sparkle of the silver with the green color would be just festive enough but not scream Christmas at the same time. I've also been seeing light greens nearly everywhere against whites, gilt woods, and silvers.

This interior by Nate Berkus may be in my top 20 favorites and not just because of the patriotic moment in the back. The tiny pops of green among the neutrals is very subtle but makes the room fresher.

I saw this chest in the Wisteria catalogue today and was instantly enamored. It's so simple but it has so much texture.

This is a little vignette from a Lynn Morgan interior. Even using a plant is a great way to add green to a room. Like I said above, I'm super drawn to the metal tones with green.

This is really bringing the outdoors in in this Eddie Ross interior! The ferns are so sweet and natural with the brass lamp.

In this rustic and mostly white/creme interior, the green from the plants softens it. I love that layered display on the mantle. From Country Living.

This is a perfect neutral holiday scene. Even if it's not Winter these colors look warm and fresh. Bierly Drake.

An interior using Anne Selke fabrics has more light fresh mossy greens with a faux bamboo upholstered ottoman. I adore her fabrics; they're so fresh and whimsical.

These interiors are certainly inspiring for my little NYE get together. I'm thinking of using some of my same trees that I have for Christmas but remove the red elements and replace them with green. Perhaps the green theme is a good one for New Years as well; turning over a new leaf for a new year, that sort of thing. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back to New York and things get a little less abstract.



Alicia B.

White Interiors for a Color Monger

I have a bit of a reputation for being a color monger, so I thought I'd expand my palette, so to speak, and love on some white rooms. I'm finding them very calming and full of personality as they can't rely on color to make them beautiful.

Marie Claire Maison. These beams and this little elevated seating area looks like a great place for a mini party with tapas and mojitos with friends!

This living room is designed by Lynn Morgan. It looks so peaceful with the pretty pale colors and the tall simple drapery (not to mention the amazing beams and wooden brackets).

This is a tres romantic bedroom, oui? Love the fur, love the headboard, swoon over the chandelier. Elle Decor.

What a lovely dressing room. I love the contrast of the deep rich floors with the sweet feminine wall paper and white walls. Madeline Stuart.

This is designed by Benjamin Noriega Ortiz, who loves to design with white. If you need tips on how to live in a white home, skip on over to If the Lampshade Fits who reviewed BNO's home from the NY Times.

So, what's the verdict? I'm thinking very beautiful to look at, but not practical for someone like me to live in. They are graceful, feminine, and calming looking to be sure, but every time there is a little bit of color, I'm more drawn to that in the end. Happy Thursday!


Alicia B.