beige

...now browsing by tag

Mixing Beige Undertones

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

A lot of people write and ask me about mixing undertones in a room and which beige undertones work well together in a room to create that unified, cohesive ‘pulled together’ look.

Here is a letter I wanted to share with you regarding this confusion that I received from a designer friend who wrote, “What are the combinations that you DO want to put together? For instance, one client I have right now has a very orangey-wood furniture in her dining room.

The pink beiges look terrible with it. So I know they’re wrong. But when you have orangey or yellow colors, you’re supposed to use yellow undertones?

I.e. are you supposed to match the undertones in the different elements in the room?

What about the complement – in this case, the nearest thing to a complement of the orangey color would be green. So would green undertones work with it?”

I know it can be confusing so I wanted to give you a few simple guidelines that I use when working with mixing beige undertones.

Rule # 1- Beige has either pink/red, green, yellow or orange undertones. As I explained in this post here, the best advice I can give you when trying to determine an undertone of a color is to compare them together. Put your beige samples right up next to each other to help you see the differences between them.

Huntington Beige / BM HC-21

Pink/Red Undertones Huntington Beige Green Undertones

Yellow undertones Boardwalk – Orange Undertones

Rule # 2- When you are working with beige undertones- keep it in the beige family. Do not worry about the complement color or the color undertones of other colors such as gray, green or blue. This is something that seems to confuse people. Just think of the undertones of the beige you are working with.

Rule # 3- Know which undertones to mix to create a unified room. To create the best put together, coordinated look when mixing undertones is to keep the red undertones with red undertones, yellow with yellow, green with green and orange with orange undertones.

So my answer in deciding which wall color would work best, was for her to first look for the dominating beige undertone in the room, which in her case was the very orangey-wood furniture:

Then pull out your orangey beige color samples which will give this room that complete, harmonious look by keeping the orange undertone of the walls together with the strong orange undertones of the existing furniture.

BM Golden Mist Orange Undertones

Just remember to use the same beige undertones throughout the room to avoid mixing the wrong undertones together.

Hope this helps you understand those tricky beige undertones a little better. Thoughts?

If you need help selecting paint colors for your home, contact me today.

Top Five Tips to Understanding Beige Undertones

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Pinned Image pinterest

1) Determine the undertone. All beige colors have either a red/pink, yellow, green or orange undertone. Period. That’s all you have to understand and learn. The color examples I have chosen below have very obvious undertones to help you ‘see’ the color underneath.

stonehouse 1039 red undertones shelburne buff hc-28 yellow undertones

orange undertones manchester tan hc-81 green undertones

2) Remember to Compare. The easiest way to see the undertones in beige is by comparing the color to another beige that you know the undertone is either red, yellow, green or orange. Illustrated above are good examples of the undertones. Pick up a sample of each and carry them with you to help you compare to each other.

Pinned Image pinterest

3) Understand the color red. The most difficult beige undertone to work with is:

Pinned Image pinterest

Red. Those red undertones just do not play well with others! Especially pinky beige with yellow beige because the yellow beige ends up looking ‘dirty’ next to the pinky beige. I have found the best colors to work with a red/pink beige are browns, cream and dark blues.

House Beautiful

4) Know which undertones to mix to create a unified room. To create the best put together, coordinated look when mixing undertones is to keep the red undertones with red undertones, yellow with yellow, green with green and orange with orange undertones.

Pinned Image

5) Practice makes perfect! The good news is that after you learn what is not working in a room with the undertones, you will be able to correct the mistake. Take a look at your carpet (is it a pinky beige?) and compare it to the beautiful Powell Buff that you painted your walls. Now that you have learned that pinky beige and yellow beige do not work together you can easily ‘fix’ the whole rooms looks by changing the wall color to a pinky beige also, such as shaker beige hc-45.

So I hope this helped you understand beige colors and their undertones better. If you want to be a color superstar like me, you have to take Maria’s True Color Expert workshop!

Comments?

My Interview with Maria Killam

Monday, January 10th, 2011

What do you think you know about Maria Killam?

Maria Killam, top interior designer and the creative mind behind the popular blog ‘ Colour Me Happy,’ agreed to sit down and answer a few questions inquiring minds want to know! She has a passion for colour and she is known for creating happy, warm, comfortable and inspired spaces for her clients.

Kelly:

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not blogging (or thinking about blogging, or looking for pictures, or shopping for blogging, etc.) ? : )

That is such a good question. I was having a conversation with a new friend the other day and she asked me if I’d seen 2 of the latest movies and I said no. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to the show. What I like to do when I’m not blogging is spend time with my family and see my nephews.

Colour me Happy

What was your most challenging design project?

As a new designer I found the most challenging spaces to be the ones where there was no inspiration whatsoever and the client was not clear about what they wanted either. Now that I have a ‘look’ that I’m hired for, I find it much easier to pull a space together from scratch, based on the clients likes and preferences of course.

What was the best thing you’ve ever bought/done for a customer?

The best thing is when the accessories and lamps arrive and the house suddenly becomes cozy and filled with atmosphere.

Maria Killam Design

What was your favorite job ever?

Okay this might sound cheesy but I love each house I get to decorate from the beginning so I can’t say one is better than the other. The space that is the most ‘my look’ were the last two homes that I decorated. The loft in Yaletown and the large home in White Rock.

Maria Killam Design

Now that we know how to determine the undertones of beige, because of all your great posts teaching us, what color would you suggest to paint the walls if you wanted to downplay the pinky beige in a carpet?

The only colours you are left with (besides pink) is green, blue, purple, or grays with those undertones. Most people aren’t going to paint the main areas of their house purple or blue so then you are left with green which makes the carpet look even more pink. So to downplay the pinky beige you need gray tones (still with green or even pink undertones but grayed down) like Natural Linen, Manchester Tan, Smoky Taupe, Revere Pewter or the other option would be to paint the walls a dark and dramatic colour (anything except yellow would work) and then because there is so much contrast the carpet starts to look neutral.

How do you help others see the difference between a pinky beige and a greenish beige?

By comparing one to another. The minute I show a client (or anyone), they see it immediately.

What’s the number one piece of advice that you would give couples who are just starting to decorate on their own?

That is a tough one. Working with $5,000, I would suggest to them to find a designer that will be able to help them make IKEA furnishings look beautiful and fun.

What design project are you most proud of and why?

I loved the loft I did in Yaletown. It has such a great fresh look to it and the drapes really make the room (it was a rental so she didn’t want to paint the whole thing, which is why we just did the green accent wall). It also made the cover of the September 2009 Issue of BC Home. I still have 20 copies of that magazine around here somewhere.

Maria Killam Design

Would you like to share your goals with us for ‘Colour Me Happy’ in 2011?

My goals this year are many but a big one is to publish an ebook. The title is a secret.

Maria Killam Design

Thank you so much Maria. It was fun and interesting speaking with you about blogging, decorating and everything in between! I hope you all enjoyed the interview as much as I enjoyed having her here!

Comments? Other questions you would like to ask Maria?

If you would like to make your home warm and comfortable, call me today for a home or on-line consultation!

Share on Facebook

Posted in color, Guest Posts, Interior Decorating | 9 Responses »
Tags: beige, ben moore, color, Colour Me Happy, Maria Killam, working with beige

Help Selecting Paint Colors

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

We know that paint is the easiest and least inexpensive way to update and refresh a room without having to change anything else. So why are we always holding back and afraid of making the wrong color decision?

Do you tend to stress out and seem to run around in circles when it is time to select a paint color for your home?

Do you put off the project again and again because you are so hassled and anxious about it?

Are you having trouble knowing exactly where and how to start your decorating project??

File Photo

These are the most common dilemmas I hear when talking with clients about choosing a paint color. They just freeze up because they do not know where to start and then end up painting boring beige again to be safe or end up not painting at all. Just think how proud you would be every time you walked in the room to see what a gorgeous room you did yourself! And believe me, the right paint color is what brings the room alive, what makes it go from drab to beautiful, and what brings everything in the room together.

Kelly Bernier Designs

Well, if you would like to start the new year by learning the basics of color selection for your home, check out my video: The Magic of Paint – Choosing Wall Colors For Your Home. It is especially geared toward those homeowner’s who need help figuring out where to actually begin the decorating process. It helps guide you step by step on how to ask yourself the right questions before you even begin making color choices in your home.

You will also learn how to begin the paint selection process using your existing furnishings. The video is fun and educational with many decorator hints and tricks. One tip I talked about in the video was that by adding a black element, for instance a black box, a black picture frame or other black accent piece, you clarify and enhance all the other colors in the room. Try it- it really works!

During the month of January only, “The Magic of Paint” DVD will be offered for only $12.00 which also includes shipping and handling!!

You can read more about and see reviews here on Amazon but the only way to receive this discount is purchasing here through my website.

Bloopers are included at the end of video for your enjoyment. I had a great time making it!

Comments?

If you need help selecting the perfect paint colors for your home, call me today!

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Apr
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Restyling Home by Kelly

Sharing decorating advice, design inspiration, color selection help and hints & tips I've learned along the way.

beige

...now browsing by tag

Mixing Beige Undertones

Top Five Tips to Understanding Beige Undertones

My Interview with Maria Killam

Kelly:

What was the best thing you’ve ever bought/done for a customer?

What was your favorite job ever?

Now that we know how to determine the undertones of beige, because of all your great posts teaching us, what color would you suggest to paint the walls if you wanted to downplay the pinky beige in a carpet?

How do you help others see the difference between a pinky beige and a greenish beige?

What’s the number one piece of advice that you would give couples who are just starting to decorate on their own?

What design project are you most proud of and why?

Would you like to share your goals with us for ‘Colour Me Happy’ in 2011?

Help Selecting Paint Colors