Colors: Where to Start

The number one thing that people get stumped on in a space is colors.  How do you pick colors?  Where do you start?  How do you make colors flow from room to room? A current color trend that I have to say that I'm on board with (and never thought I would be) is white.  White or another light neutral can be an amazing backdrop to display colorful artwork, amazing furniture, or simply your quirky finds.  Even with white walls, however, you still need to keep a color palate in mind for a room to ensure that it feels cohesive as a whole.

One of my favorite ways to start a room design is with an inspiration piece.  This could be a painting, a rug, a pillow- just something with a bit of visual interest.

This gorgeous rug from Etsy (which is sadly no longer available) was the catalyst for this color scheme.  Rich blues, soft pinks, and a splash of yellow.

Translating that into a room environment, I would allow the tile to be classic and neutral while playing up the colors from the rug.  The fun part is that you don't have to use the same value of each color- in the below space, I played with the blue a bit, bringing in a darker version with the navy in the curtain and lighter values in the painting.

Color should be fun, not intimidating!  True there are pretty much endless colors to pick from, but if you give yourself a palette to work within, you'll have room to play an the confidence that it'll all work together.

Sources *may contain affiliate links*

Flushmount light, Rejuvenation

Shower Curtain, Anthropologie (no longer available and I'm devastated)

Artwork, 24sevenARTs Etsy

Turkish Towel, One Kings Lane

Mirrors, Wayfair

Towel Hooks, viadeinavigli Etsy

Faucet, Home Depot

Vanity Top, Signature Hardware

Vanity, Kohler

Vintage Rug, realvintageshop Etsy

Towel Ring & Toilet Paper Holder, Lowe's

Around the Web

Even though this winter hasn't been drastically cold or snowy, it's still been winter and hibernation is hard to fight.  While my to-do list continues to grow, so does my inspiration list, so I figured I would share some things that have caught my attention around the web recently. *Please practice responsible pinning and sourcing by visiting the original sources that I have linked, and pin directly from their pages.  Thanks!!**

White kitchens are EVERYWHERE these days.  I'm guilty of a few myself, but there are so many more options than just replacing or painting cabinets when it comes to modernizing and freshening up a dark, dated kitchen.  Jen Stagg took her client's space from dark and gloomy to bright and airy.  Check out the befores and more juicy afters on her blog, With Heart.

As a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady, I'm always drawn to cat furniture that doesn't look it.  This gorgeous piece from the Korean pet furniture company, Stay Stay would look just as chic displaying a record collection and turntable as it does as a cat bunkbed.

image via A.Park.C.

If you haven't seen Target's new kids home collection, Pillowfort by now, you might be living under a rock, but I'd be happy to help you see the light.  I swear every time I turn around, Target is stepping up their style game.  While all together, the items create adorable kid spaces, many of the items could mix amazingly in with almost any decor to add a whimsical touch.  I mean, come on.... there's a stuffed unicorn head to mount on your wall.  10 year old me wants one.  Next friend to have a baby is getting the octopus (because it's probably not socially acceptable for a 31 year old with no kids to buy herself one...)

And if you're just itching for Spring, like I am, an easy switch-up to brighten your space is artwork.  Over the weekend, I came across this post of a very simply DIY macrame wall hanging on Brit+Co.  Normally textile wall hangings are a bit too boho for my particular tastes, but this one's just simple and graphic.  I dig it.

Speaking of simple and graphic, fresh off the blog presses this morning: Everything is Awesome.  Chelsea at Lovely Indeed whipped up this printable artwork that's sure to get the Lego Movie song stuck in your head, which I consider a bonus- that song always boosts my energy by about 75%!

What's caught your attention in recent days?  Are you adding DIYs to your spring to do list like I am?

Happy 2016!

Good morning, friends and happy new year!  2015 sure was a crazy year, and I have high hopes for 2016 already. I have some awesome posts in the works for you, but before I jump head first into the juicy 2016 posts, I wanted to ease into 2016 a little with a look back on the highlights of the past year.

Millie, flip house #4, I think is by far the stand-out star of 2015.  Not only is she the most exhausting, trying, exciting flip house I've done, but she reciprocated my love by selling from the very first open house.

That kitchen still makes me grin ear to ear.

And how can I talk about that house without mentioning the original bathroom, which was also featured as a Room of the Day on Houzz.

And as the year went on, the ball got rolling on my design business, Copper Dot Interiors and I shared this completed dining space from a client.

I joined an amazing group of bloggers to Swap it Like it's HOT and made over thrift store items in both the spring and the fall.  (In the interest of full disclosure, I feel that I need to mention that no, the succulents are no longer alive......not through the fault of a design flaw, but of my outright neglect, then overzealous watering)

I answered your Q&As about flipping and tackled a bit of curb appeal on flip #5, Dori.

In between the 2 flips, the spotlight turned on my own house where we uncovered and refinished the 116 year old wood floors,

and built a new non-eyesore of a window seat for our furry friends.

Phew, no wonder 2015 exhausted me!  2016 is stacking up to be even bigger and brighter.  In the coming weeks, I'll be posting about my completed TV cabinet, installing a carpet stair runner, and the mini-transformation of our rental condo kitchen.  With my plate filling up with design clients, I'm hoping to do a bit less grunt labor this year and more fun design work and creative DIYs to share with you!

Bring it on 2016!!