Contemporary Cribs posted in Elle Decor Magazine

Below are a variety of contemporary style cribs that Elle Decor posted in their recent newsletter. This new contemporary style of crib is for the ultra chic parent that wants to add some style to their nursery. Which is your favorite?

Featured Designer: Elizabeth Dinkel Design Associates

Elizabeth Dinkel from Elizabeth Dinkel Design Associates was featured in High Gloss Magazine in the recent July/August Edition. I thought her showcase of children's rooms was really inspiring and wanted to share her recent work with you.

(Those of you that are interested in learning more about the designer please visit her website at: http://elizabethdinkeldesign.com/home/ or view the latest edition of High Gloss Magazine at: http://www.highglossmagazine.com/read-issue3.)

Design Tip #3 Choosing the Right Paint Color

How many of you have ever brought home a gallon of paint, painted a section of the room, looked back and said "I hate it"? I know I have!! Now that you have a better understanding of the color wheel, and how colors can affect your mood, here are a few tips that I have learned along the way on how to choose the right paint color for your room. 


First and foremost: Bring it home. Don't make a decision based on how a color looks in the store. Take the card home, cut out the chip you like, and stick it on the wall to see it in your room's lighting. Glidden Paint (available at Home Depot) offers peel-and-stick color chips that work like Post-its, safely sticking to walls. If this still doesn't work, try the next tip.
 
Audition a color. The best way to choose a color is to try out a sample.  I was just at the Lowe's picking out paint colors for Dominik's room and saw that they now have sample jars you can purchase for less than $3.00. What a great way to test out a paint color before you purchase the gallon. Make sure that you apply the color to a two-by-two-foot piece of foam board and NOT directly to the wall. You will find that once you apply your chosen paint color over the sample, a sheen and/or shadow of the paint sample will show through. Also, make sure that you position the panel in several parts of the room at different times of the day to gauge the changing light. Benjamin Moore also provides sample jars at a relatively low price. They have great paint!!! 

Make it match. You can have paint custom mixed to match a piece of fabric, carpeting, or wallpaper at any Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or Lowe's store. 
 
Consult a computer. In one of Home Depot's Color Solution Centers, you can use interactive software to "virtually" paint a model room so you can see how different colors will look. Lowe's has kiosks in its Signature Colors Design Centers, where you can experiment with more than a thousand colors from six designer palettes. For an even better sense of how a color will look, both Glidden and Lowe's sell CD-ROMs that let you input digital images of your own room. 
 
Narrow it down. Find a store that works for you and go with it. There are tons of big name stores out there that sell paint, pick one and see what paint selections they have to offer. Keep in mind that when you are selecting a brand of paint, try one with zero VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds). If you don't know what this is its that nasty smell that paint gives off after you place it on the wall. Its not good for the environment and its also not good for you to breathe in. Benjamin Moore has one of my favorite Zero VOC products called: Natura Zero VOC Interior Paint, give it a try!!! Most of the big stores also offer similar zero VOC paint selections. 

Design Tip #2 How Color can Affect Your Mood

Below is a list of colors and a description of how the color may affect your mood: 

Blue

Because peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, it is often used in bedrooms. It is believed that blue slows metabolic activity. Blue can also be cold and depressing or pain relieving. People are more productive in blue rooms. Blue enhances clear thinking, diligence and organization.

Green

Currently a popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature and is the universal healing color. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, nourishing, refreshing color. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Clear perception, self- recognition, and compassion are associated with green.

Red

The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates the heart to beat faster and breathing to increase. Red also increases metabolic activity. As red is the color of love, it is often used as an accent color in decorating. Decorators say that red will attract attention. Self-motivation, leadership and generosity are some qualities of the color red.

Yellow

Cheerful, sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, most people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. Why? Yellow is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration and speeds metabolism. Communication, observation and analysis are some attributes of yellow.

Black

Black is the color of authority and power. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. The qualities of black include self-sufficiency, individualism and protection.

White

White is associated with light. As such, it is often linked to goodness, innocence, purity and virginity. It is also considered to be the color of perfection. When used with intention, white can represent a successful beginning.

Purple

Purple has long been associated with royalty. It strongly symbolizes power, nobility, luxury and ambition. It conveys wealth and sometimes hints at extravagance. Purple is also associated with wisdom, dignity and independence. It is a powerful color in enhancing creativity, mystery and magic.

Design Tip #1: How to Decorate with Color

My first design tip is how to use color to decorate your space. Choosing the right color for your room is not always easy. You have to keep in mind the intensity of color, the hue, the tint and the shade you want to choose. 

I found a great article at: http://www.the-creative-home.com/decorating-with-color.html, which explains everything you need to know about the color wheel and how to create different color schemes using the color wheel. 

Decorating with Color - The Color Wheel

A basic color wheel is made up of 12 colors.  These colors are broken down further into three categories;

• Primary color - red, yellow, blue.  These are pure colors and cannot be made by any other colors
• Secondary color - green, orange, and violet.  Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors - for instance yellow and blue make green.  
• Tertiary color -  yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue violet, blue-green, and yellow-green.  These colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color. 

Decorating with Color - Color Schemes

A color scheme is simply a group of colors that harmonize with each other.  The basic color schemes are:

• Complimentary:   This color scheme uses two colors that are on the opposite side of the color wheel such as red and green or yellow and violet.   Because there is a strong contrast between complimentary colors rooms using this color scheme are bold.   
  Complementary color shades can be broken down further into the following categories;
• Split Complementary – this scheme is used when one color is combined with the two colors on opposite sides of its complementary color.
• Triad – a triad is accomplished when three colors of equal distance to each other on the color wheel are used.  Red, yellow and blue combine to make a triad color scheme.
• Tetrad – by combining to pairs of complimentary colors a tetrad color scheme is created.
• Analogous: Using colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
• Monochromatic:  Using the same color with different shades, tints or tones.  Textural interest should be added to monochromatic color schemes to keep them from getting boring.  In addition, a small bit of color added to accessories will enhance a monochromatic color scheme. 
  
  

Welcome to Precious Little Spaces !!!!

Thank you for browsing the new site. I am glad that its finally up and running. Let me introduce myself briefly and tell you a little more about Precious Little Spaces: 


My name is Jaclyn and I am the Decorator. My specialization is in decorating nurseries, children’s rooms ranging in ages from one to twelve, teenage rooms ages thirteen to eighteen and play areas for kids. For more about my qualifications please visit the Designer Biography page.


My goal for this blog is to provide you with free design tips and display a feature of my favorite interior designers and their recent designs. Feel free to add comments, suggestions, and questions about anything design related. Happy blogging!!!!


Please visit my website at www.preciouslittlespaces.com for my recent work, and up to date nursery and kids bedroom design trends in the market right now!!!