Bliss Tile and a Color Consult

The other day I did a color consult for a lady. She had started a minor remodel after the dishwasher flooded, but had hit a wall when it came to paint colors. I fell completely in love with her main starting point... a gorgeous linear glass and stone tile.   I like it so much I've contemplated using it in my own kitchen.

Bliss Tile – Cappuccino Linear Mosaic – stone and glass

It's a great mix of neutrals and it blends so well with my own kitchen materials, that it's really tempting. Anyhoo, back to the color consult. I'll call her EW. Ms. EW had originally called me needing some help picking colors for an open concept family, dining, and kitchen area. Before our appointment, though, she  happened upon a color she just fell in love with at her dentist office! Don't you  just love it? I swear, inspiration can come from anywhere. After finding out the color, she picked up a sample and brought it by for me to look at with a section of her back splash tile (above) and new counter top material (below).

Galaxy Black Granite Tile

She also brought me a small box she'd picked up at a store that she loved the colors of. Perfect! Really, at this point I didn't have a whole lot left to do short of picking some coordinating colors and helping her tye it all together. The color she'd already picked from the dentist office was a medium neutral khaki.

Sherwin Williams Colonial Revival Stone – SW2827

Honestly, I was rather impressed because the color simply couldn't have matched the tile any better if a pro had done it! Before leaving, she made sure I understood one thing specifically: she was NOT a blue person and that was completely off the table. Bummer. Truth be told, that starting color looks fantastic with a lot of blues. Oh, well. Maybe on another consult...:) She did say she liked red...

After talking for quite a while and visiting her home, this was our final palette:

I could tell she was trying to move into a more colorful mode and her family was really encouraging her to. But, after looking at her furniture that was staying, cabinet color, appliances, lighting, flooring, and such, I encouraged her to get color in a different way. I could tell she really like the greenish khakki and was hesitant to use something else. Since it was an open concept, I suggested she keep the colors all in the same broad family that she liked. You want to make your home to please you, not everyone else. Color can always be brought in in other ways.Family room, hallway, and foyer: SW Colonial Revival - her already chosen color (above). Dining room in SW6104 Kaffee:

Paint the tiny bit of wall space in kitchen over tile and around the window in a soft creamy tone to match the grout. Something like SW6385 Dover White.

SW 6385 Dover White

Paint the interior of the front door a soft black like SW 6258 Tricorn Black.

SW 6258 Tricorn Black

And lastly, use the red she'd contemplated using as an accent color on furnishing and accents versus on the wall. Keep it easy to change out should she grow tired of it. Some ways it could be brought in are by way of oriental rugs with the deep crimson red, red artwork, red fabric for draperies, or reupholstering the seats of the dining chairs, just to name a few.

I also suggested she change out the shiney brass hardware and light fixtures for old or oil rubbed bronze. I pointed out that her fixtures had a good shapes and if money was tight, she could just spray paint them.

Now, I just can't wait to go back and get some pictures of the finished rooms to share. I'd have taken some before pictures, but she was rather embarrassed at the state of disarray flooding dishwashers can leave your house in.

This weekend is the one year anniversary of the death of Ms. E.W.'s beloved husband. She broke my heart as she told me the story. As I left, I couldn't help but wonder if God hadn't arranged that meeting for much more than simply color consulting. This is a bittersweet time for her. As fun as it is for her to get to do some updating, this is the house they built together and it's hard. But, as she said, there comes a  point when it's time to start to rebuild your life and make some changes (I think that was how she put it.) I really think the biggest thing she needed was just some encouragement and a little direction, which I hope I was able to deliver.