Crayon manufacturer Crayola has announced it will celebrate National Crayon Day tomorrow, March 31, by
dropping a color from its 24-crayon basic box. Tune in for the big announcement of precisely
which color will melt into oblivion at 8:45 a.m. EST Friday on Facebook.
Not that it will make any difference, but the company invites you also to share your preference for what to keep at #ShareYourFave.
That 24-crayon pack currently includes primary and secondary colors red, yellow, blue, orange, green and violet, along with neutrals black, white, gray and brown. We can assume those are safe, but what of the crossovers yellow-orange, blue-green, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-green, blue-violet, violet-red and green-yellow? That leaves scarlet, indigo, carnation pink, dandelion, apricot and cerulean.
What does all this have to do with home décor? Probably not a lot, since Pantone is the goddess we bow to and its mix-masters keep inventing new rather than pulling old because they’re always happy to have one more page to charge for.
Meanwhile, here are some 24 links to articles I've collected on how to use color in your home—one for each and every color is the soon-to-be history 24-color box. Enjoy!
1.
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| One Kings Lane / Patrick Mele |
One Kings Lane dishes with designer
Patrick Mele, using one of his most recent design projects to illustrate the six referenced lessons. There’s also a Q&A complete with extra tips at the end. Don’t miss it!
2.
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| Simon Upton photo / Matteo Bonnetti, designer |
This introduction to the new
AD editor begins with a John Ruskin quote that seems to say it all: “The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.” But why? Astley tells us what she thinks. Gorgeous photos from the pages of
AD.
3.
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| Emily Henderson Styled / Espacio Living |
Unless you’re fluent in Spanish, you’ll need to translate (opposite mouse-click on text, select “translate”) this sampling of colorful living rooms put together by
Espacio Living. Too much trouble? Not to worry. The photos speak volumes on their own. Look and learn!
4.
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| Julia Lynn photo |
AD interviews designer
Angie Hranowsky, who never met a color combo she couldn’t get to shake hands and play nice. The secret, she says, is matching
values. Read along and see what she means as she dissects choices from a recent project in a Sullivans Island, SC, home.
5.
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| Via jelanieshop |
Discover the roles played by color-coding, combining, contrast and balance, similar hues, focus, fun, and lighting.
6.
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| Palettable |
Learn all about a new on-line tool called Palettable that can help you choose a whole-house or single-room palette.
7.
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| Laurel Bern Interiors |
Start with a color you love, of course. But there’s more. Much more. So follow the link to take it all in, why don'tcha?
8.
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| EKB Interiors |
Nothing to read here, but lots of eye-candy combinations that work and how!
9.
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| Thomas Loof photo |
Are you really getting more when you pay for a pricier paint? The short answer is yes. The long answer—that is, WHAT you’re getting—is in these easy reads from AD. You’ll learn all about how pigments and resins affect coverage, drying time and durability, along with tips on testing out a color before you commit.
10.
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| Glidden |
Melissa Michaels, blogger and author of several books, always makes tough subjects simple for those of us whose decorating careers are no less important simply because they begin and end at our own front doors.
11.
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| Refined Interiors / Houzz |
Some experts say the hunt for the perfect home colors begins right here, in your wardrobe. What colors do you wear often? For me, it’s magenta and turquoise, and yes, they’re everywhere in my home because they make me happy. Memories and feelings play roles as well. Get some advice and inspiration from the experts.
12.
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| Tidbits & Twine |
Masstone, undertone, simultaneous contrast, hue, shade, color wheel, complements—is your head spinning yet? It won’t be after reading this easy-to-understand guide before you head out for the paint store.
13.
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| AD |
The short answer is
yes. Now read this interview with Dr. Mary Gregerson, president of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Environment, Population, and Conservation Psychology, to find out
how.
14.
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| Tamara Gavin photo |
Remember from grade school? That’s see through and not. But there’s more to it than that when you apply it to your home. Clear up whatever you feel particularly dense about with this short read.
15.
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| Colin Miller photo / Haus Interiors |
Dark walls are all the rage, but dark paint strikes fear in the heart of most husbands, if not their decorating partners as well. Here’s what to know to get your courage up and make your mark by going dark.
16.
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| Michelle Arcila photo |
But if dark’s not in the cards for you, find this at the other end of the spectrum. Discover the attributes of Tissue Pink on your walls. It’s just as raging as dark and not nearly so scary.
17.
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| West Elm |
It’s all about pattern, art, grounding, lateral thinking, and a judicious use of pop colors. Follow the link for the low-down.
18.
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| Behr |
If all this talk about color has whipped you into a decorating frenzy but on trend matters to you, check out what the paint companies say you should buy.
19.
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| Farrow & Ball |
This article narrows down the previous even more while also expanding. Learn what amongst Farrow & Ball’s palette of 132 gorgeous tones is trending in March 2017, through the eyes of journalist Kate Watson-Smyth.
For more fun and inspiration...
20.
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| Sophie Thé |
If you can’t make the trip, this is the go-to review of one stylist’s Instagram-logged journey. What a scrapbook of inspiration for infusing your own home with exotic color!
21.
To find out just where this is, as well as 14 additional color-crazy spots, hop on over to
Sunday Chapter. Then, imagine these places as inspiration for decorating your very own home.
22.
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| Kitchenaid |
Read how the color experts weigh in on how and why these soft, fluffy shades make their mark. Hint: It goes back a lot farther than Rose Quartz and Serenity, 2016’s Pantone colors of the year.
23.
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| Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers |
The good, the bad, and the ugly about the history of red, yellow, blue, green, purple, black, and white pigments. Find out just how lucky we are (or not) today.
24.
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| Elle Decor |
Before you decide what colors to use in your home, you might want to know what they stand for—or at least what they stood for once, and where they came from. This link gives you a full-scale infographic with all the nitty-gritty.
If you want more…
- Follow my Pinterest board, Color Porn, for more links about color as I find them, and all my boards, for that matter, for more links about everything home décor!
- Click on the (affiliate) links below to check out (and/or purchase) the classic tomes on color history and theory.
- Don’t miss a post of BoHo Home. Get to-your-inbox posts by becoming a follower, using one of the subscription services at the bottom of this page. Or, follow my blog with Bloglovin, a social-media platform that puts all the blogs you choose to follow in one, easy-to-access location that won't clutter up your inbox.
Books on color history
Classic books on color
Books on color in interior design today
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