In the Pink!! My Love of the Color Pink for Rooms is Pretty Obvious

Maybe it's because I'm female...but I just love the color pink.  I love pink rooms, pink lemonade, pink shirts, pink dresses - cotton candy - just about anything pink. My living room walls and draperies are pink...my dining room walls and ceiling are pink!

The walls read pink - but my recipe was a peach base color, followed by a layer of pearl metallic paint - then glazed with cinnamon tones.

The Chinoiserie mural helps to break up the pink a bit

I chose to create a pink-like metallic tone because the room is fairly dark - not much natural light comes through at all. When the light hits the walls - there's a natural glow in these room that I absolutely love.  The great architect Renzo Mongiardino said that every room has its finest hour - but my rooms look great just about any time. 

In my kitchen, I had a custom demilune made for part of my island.  Of course - it had to be some version of pink.  But - I made it a coral-like glazed metallic (because I know that Richard probably would have put his foot down if it had been a full-out pink!).

I'm in good company though - lots of designers have had their way with pink.

Uber-Designer Carleton Varney and friends from Cote de Texas

How beautiful is this - from Nellavetrina

Pink & Black - a great combination.  From the blog, Ladies of Design

Magenta is pink too!  From designer, Jerry Jacobs

Closeup of the portmantiere, from Jerry Jacobs.  An elegant way to decorate a bar area.

A pink rug - by Madeline Weinrib

A coral and red bedroom by designer, Mary MacDonald, from Veranda Magazine

Or - maybe just a small accent of pink, like this chandelier from Currey & Company

Some advice for using pink: 

• If you love the color but are afraid of it being "too much" in a room, use it in small doses - an accent wall, some pink pillows or other accessories.
• Try a deeper shade or hue of pink, like coral, fuschia or magenta
• Experiment by painting some chairs or small side tables pink
• Use pink as a base color, then use brown or cinnamon toned glazes over it to lessen the pink.

So - think pink for at least one or two of your rooms.  They will stand out and make you happy every time you see them!

Kitchen Cabinet Makeover: From Drab to Fab

One of my favorite things to do is to redo kitchen cabinets.  It's a great money-saver and it can really transform your kitchen.  Here's one that we did not too long ago.

First, we had the homeowner add some crown moldings - then we did a base color and the first coat of glaze

Here I am putting the first coat of glaze on...

I then did a oak woodgraining that matched the cabinetry.  Since the tones of the oak were different in some places, I had to change my recipe a bit here and there!  I then did a border stencil to look like inlaid wood on the soffit to bring your eye up - and to be more decorative.  

It really changed this kitchen!  The cabinets appear taller and it's a more modern look disguising the soffits!  This is a great idea for anyone who wants to update their kitchen...but especially when you are selling your home - this can really make a difference to a potential buyer.

We are doing another kitchen makeover like this the end of this month - only we are doing an antique cream finish over oak cabinetry. I will post those pics as soon as the project is finished!

If you would like to transform your Long Island home creatively, call Linda at 631 793-1315 for a complimentary design consultation.

Studio of Decorative Arts has two locations:  Great River NY and Huntington NY.