Desert Dreaming: 05/19/11

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Color Inspiration....the tropics

I don't know if it's just me, but my taste changes in the home decor area every couple of years. Could it be just an influence from what I see in stores, boutiques, online, Bloggers, I can't honestly say. Since I was a very small girl, I have always loved palm trees, and anything that was tropical in nature. In my very early teens, I fell totally in love with the desert southwest, and this love affair for both, has never wavered. Though I will admit, when I lived in the west, I had very tropical colors and decor in my home, then when I left the West for Florida, I brought the desert southwest flavor with me, and totally had my home decorated with pieces we collected over the years while living out there.  I still cherish all my Indian pottery, paintings, artwork, Mexican pieces, etc. and find a way to incorporate it into my home, it holds so many wonderful memories.

So, here I go again...ready for a change, but it's not really a change, I call it more of an addition. I guess this is getting a bit confusing, but that is my dilemma. I not only love the Desert Southwest and the Tropics, but I am totally passionate about the mid-century modern look, along with Vintage Hawaiian Theme and Hollywood Regency, and that's me.  Some would call my taste eclectic, I call it more a love of different flavors and trying to incorporate those into my home without it looking as though I can't make up my mind and still have a warm inviting flow to it - not an easy task.

Being Latina, I love bright bold colors, but not primary colors, those more in the tropical palette and that of the desert southwest's rich earth tones.  I think a home should be a definite reflection of those places, things and pieces you love, a place when you have family and friends to your home they feel comfortable, happy and that it's a place they like to come and spend special time with you.

Over the last year, I've been picking out wall colors, furniture, and more accessories, placing them in the file on my computer's desk top, and purchasing new pieces that I "couldn't do without" (that's my excuse to my husband - it works). The other day as I was going through this file and some of my recent purchases, that I have stored safely in the closet of my "Relax" room, that is when I realized, I am just a mixture of the above and it's what makes me, my husband and daughter happy ...so I'm going to forge ahead and begin the re-decorating process. Since summer is right around the corner and we've finally decided on the exterior color...my thoughts have been on the warm tropical colors of the ocean, tropical flowers, sand, nature and the desert.  I am not a lover of pastels, other than in clothing, but deeper shades of the tropics. At the present time our walls in the great room are a shade of olive green, and we love the warmth of it - it's time for a change. Our kitchen is terra-cotta, and I want to go with more of a Koa (Hawaiian wood) color. And, I need a lighter shade in the great room and dinning room. I'm so confused, I have always been bold, but I'm not sure if I am ready for a teal or a medium mango color on my great room walls, but will have them for all my accessories, paintings and other accents in those colors, and of course with a little bit of bamboo. I love anything earthy, especially in woods and bamboo. So, I've made up my mind (I think), and my husband and daughter agree...light colored walls in an earth tone shade in the great room and dinning room, Koa brown in the kitchen with opal colored glass tiles for the back splash, and lots and lots of beautiful tropical colors. It will take several months to complete this project with all the ideas going around in my mind, but hope to show the completed projects by summers end, or at least before Thanksgiving.

I just wonder, is there anyone else out there going through the same decorating dilemma? I'm not one who likes to copy someone else's designs, but I love other's ideas. It's so nice to get input and look at other peoples homes and use those pictures as inspiration, I think most of us do. I found these beautiful pictures on line. Some of these are going to be in my color palette, especially the teals, blues, mango, greens and sand, and more. I know about the rule of three, but I don't follow that with color, just like in nature, the more color, the more beautiful!!! I think this is an easy solution, and since my husband and I love doing the work ourselves, when complete, I will be very happy. Any suggestions, ideas or input, please feel free to jump in and let me know. All the women I have met through Blogging are so sweet, inspirational and honest, so it would mean a lot to me, even if you're new to my page, feel free to jump in, I would love to hear from you. I love adventures, and to me, this is going to be one.

First off, I think the colors on this map of Hawaii are beautiful, but maybe a little deeper shades of them, I would prefer

Great Palette of Tropical Colors

Love the Orchid Green or Honeydew Green Color of the Frozen Cocktail

Just Beautiful, the Blue Green Grasses, Marine Blue Background with the Color of the Flamingo

Love Each One of These Colors Together - doesn't the drink look fabulous!!!

Though This is Not My Photograph, It Is Almost the Exact View We Had From Our Hotel in Lahaina on the Island of Maui with the Beautiful Color Teal of the Pacific and the Cabana Blue on the Beach Chairs, Along With the Warm Color of the Sand - Just says "Tropical"