Rena Bullard's Blog

Decorating with Color: Create a space you will love

I’ve had this book cover ready for at least two years.  It just didn’t seem like the right time to publish.

Since I used the 2019 color of the year, I think now is a good time.

 

 

 

 

#renabullard

Here are the varying values of coral

Benjamin Moore

Sherwin Williams

How to Decorate with Coral

Do you feel the pull towards repainting your favorite room with the color of the year – each year?  Many people do.  Instead of repainting, why not just introduce the color of the year with accessories?  This works well especially if the walls in your space are neutral.

 

 

If your walls are not neutral, try painting an accent wall; it will just take a little more thought and maybe the use of a color wheel.  You will need to consult a color wheel before painting an accent wall to ensure the new color harmonizes with the existing hue.  Coral, which is a value of orange, works well with blues, violets, greens, to name a few.  This may be your opportunity to try a new color scheme.

2019 Color of the Year!

About Pantone Color of the Year

For 20 years, Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings, and industrial design, as well as product, packaging, and graphic design.

The Color of the Year selection process requires thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. To arrive at the selection each year, Pantone’s color experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films in production, traveling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles, play-styles, and socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures, and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.

Reprinted from: https://www.pantone.com/color-intelli...

What are you thankful for?

Happy New Year!

Decorating Disagreements @ Christmas

Sometimes decorating results in a face-off under the mistletoe for couples. I’m often asked how a family can agree on a Christmas tree theme or decorations, period. Well, remember that the tree is not the reason for the season. That said, respect everyone’s opinion.

1. For children, why not give them their own tree for their bedroom or playroom to decorate as they want.

2. If your home is large enough without too much of an open floor-plan, you can have more than one tree. Each person can decorate a tree.  And, remember to work with the existing color scheme which doesn’t have to be red and green.  In this instance, consider the tree to be a neutral color.   If you don’t have my book, D.I.Y Color Confidence (available on Amazon.com), get a free document about color schemes here. http://welcome.renabullard.com/color-...

What about when a family member wants to decorate every inch of the house? Decorating should be subtle and not glaring. Pay attention to high traffic areas. Less is more. Too much becomes overwhelming and distracting. Remember that even seasonal decorations can quickly become clutter, if you go overboard. Typical areas to adorn are:

1. Foyer: Use poinsettias, mistletoe, censored candles.

2. Fireplace: Use poinsettias, censored candles, stockings, villages, lighted garland, topiaries, pear trees, etc.

3. Staircases: Line with garland, or poinsettias.

4. In bathrooms you can use festive hand towels and spray a snow boarder around the mirror. A swag or tear drop type “wreath” on the front of the door is nice, too.

Just remember that the purpose of Christmas is to celebrate and enJOY each other.

4 Party Host Ideas

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Tis the season to attend parties and host parties. Here are 4 ideas to make yours stand out for all the right reasons. And, don’t worry if everyone you know reads this because you will bring your own style and twist to the ideas.

1. Invite the right mix of people. You don’t need to invite everyone you know.  Sounds harsh, but you may not want to invite that person you have to “babysit” because they are unsociable.

2. Based on your guest list, create one or two at the most, signature drinks. By the way, toss the red cups and use real glassware.

3. Use varying sizes and heights of candles to create ambiance. Harsh overhead lights are a no-no. A word of caution, real candles with flames can make your party “hot” and pose a danger. Fortunately there are many electric and censored lights that are attractive and provide a suitable alternative.

4. Create a selfie wall complete with an overhanging mistletoe. Maybe get an over-sized wreath that guests can use to frame their face. Create it in an area away from the main festivities so that you can provide adequate lighting without ruining your candle inspired ambiance. A mirror close by would help your guests to primp before saying “cheese”.

These ideas can be tweaked for entertaining any time of the year. Just have fun!

 

7 Holiday Entertaining Tips

Festive decorating

Here are 7 tips for how you can make your Christmas and holiday entertaining festive and fun for you and your guests. You don’t have to dread the holidays as long as you have a plan.

1. Choose the holiday you can handle.

All holidays are not created equal. Some require more work than others in terms of decorating and food preparation. Be sure to pick the one that plays to your strengths.

2. Set a realistic budget and stick to it.

Dipping into your savings account to throw a lavish holiday party is not a wise choice, especially in these economic times. Instead, establish an account specifically for your holiday entertaining. Squirrel away a little every month so that you are working with a dedicated sum of money for your soirée.

3. Strategically invite guests.

Resist the urge to invite everyone you know. And, do not feel obligated to invite someone so that they will in turn invite you to their party. That would smack of insincerity. Instead, invite people you genuinely like and want to share the occasion with. It is also a good idea to consider the personalities and interests of your guests. The last thing you want is for your happy holiday gathering to be ruined by tension in the air so thick you could cut it with your kitchen knife.

4. Use an engaging invitation.

Although we are in the age of emails and e-vites, an old fashioned invitation sent via snail mail still cannot be beat. Show your guests you care enough to spend the postage to send a tangible invitation. Remember, the invitation is the first glimpse of what your holiday gathering will be like. It is your opportunity to whet the appetites of your guests by creatively preparing them for the event to come. Make sure the invitation is appropriate to the style of gathering you intend to have. For instance, an engraved invitation would be a waste for an informal holiday brunch. Another word on cyberspace communications, computers have been known to crash taking with it your e-vite not to mention the in box so full that your e-vite is not read until weeks later. Your chances of having your invitation noticed and responded to are greater using the old fashioned method. Your invitation should clearly state the amount of people invited from each household and whether or not it is an adult party or if children are welcome. Also, save yourself a great deal of stress by placing calls to everyone who did not RSVP. You want to avoid preparing for 10 people only to have 20 guests arrive instead.

5. Plan a menu you can make ahead.

Depending on the time of day your holiday event takes place, plan to prepare as much food ahead of time; even two to three days ahead, if possible. If you decide to assign dishes for your guests to bring, make sure your main course is not walking in three hours late. It is always best to ask guests to bring dessert or a beverage or flowers.

6. Make your holiday party memorable.

Your guests will remember your party. It is up to you to decide what they remember. Be daring and different. If you own a piano, why not hire a musician to play during the cocktail hour or during dinner? If guests have small children, hire a responsible teenager to watch them in an upstairs bedroom or in the family room. Hire a niece or nephew to pass appetizers, take coats, or load the dish washer. Decide ahead of time what you would like your guests to remember about your holiday gathering then plan to provide an atmosphere that will produce those thoughts. My husband and I renewed our wedding vows for our 10th anniversary. The celebration was on a Thursday which meant many of our guests would be arriving right after work. We decided ahead of time we needed them to be able to enjoy the evening from the start not 1 or 2 hours after they unwound from a long day. So, we asked the staff at the reception hall to greet each guest at the door with a warm smile and to say, “Welcome to the celebration.” The staff then handed each guest a glass of bubbly as they crossed the threshold. The bubbly beverage can be champagne or sparkling apple cider. Days later, many guests shared with us that before they even sat down they were able to shake off the day and be present at the celebration. Even if your event is at your home, hire a couple of teenagers to do the same thing.

7. Give your guests a parting gift.

The best gift anyone can receive (other than a bag of money) is a photo of themselves. During your holiday party, take posed Polaroid pictures of guests. I know digital cameras are the rage, but if you take a Polaroid picture you will be able to affix a prepared label to the bottom that thanks them for attending with your name and the date. Every time they look at the picture they will remember your amazing holiday party.

Merry Christmas

There is something about the holidays that make most people want to deck their halls and adorn their homes with festive decorations. But, in the excitement of it all there are a few do’s and don’ts you should consider when it comes to holiday decorating. Take a look at this list and see if you agree.

Don’t wait until the last minute to decide on a color scheme. Everything doesn’t have to be red or green.

Do plan ahead so that you are not caught off guard even though the holidays arrive at the same time every year. Take a look at other vibrant hues like gold and blue and incorporate them into your decorating plan.

Don’t run out and buy new decorations. Remember to reuse, re-purpose and recycle.

Do call a friend or family member and exchange decorations you both may be weary of displaying in your own homes.

Don’t be scatter-brained with your decorating.

Do focus and create eye appealing focal points in high traffic areas.

Don’t expect everything you’ve packed away last year to work this year.

Do take a day to go through all of your decorations and make sure all the lights work and the bulbs for your candles have not been damaged, etc.

Don’t assume the batteries in your “junk drawer” will work.

Do purchase a new batch of batteries to have on hand, just in case.

Don’t be predictable and place the same old decorations in the same old places.

Do be creative and use your decorations in different spaces in your home.

Don’t compete with your neighbors’ outdoor decorations.

Do decorate the outside of your home with what works for you.

And, most importantly…Don’t make decorating a chore. If you don’t feel like decorating this year then don’t. The decorations are not what make the holidays special.

Do take time to simply enjoy the holidays and all that it represents with your family and friends.