Naturally Blue Green

What are two ubiquitous colors that we see every day without fail? If you guessed blue and green then you are right. The sky is blue and seen pretty much every day either peeking through clouds or when the sky is so clear you can see to Mars. Lush green can be seen everywhere and everyday just by popping your head outside or driving around looking at the pristine landscaping of The Villages. It is no doubt that all shades of blue are widely loved and a favorite across all cultures. If humans could pick their eye color the most requested would be blue according to Google. So then if blue and green are so well loved by Mother Nature, should we not utilize these colors in the world of decorating? Let’s take a peek into the living room of a courtyard villa and see how blue meets green to create a calming and harmonious space somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Goal
I helped the homeowner style the villa about seven years ago when they were part timers. At that time they wanted bright, sunny, and fresh. We all loved what we accomplished but it was time to scratch the seven year decorating itch when the villa became their permanent residence. This week we will look at the living room and next week the amazing kitchen transformation.

• Paint
Though the bright sunny yellow gold was awesome and complemented the black and white touches we wanted to bring down the temperature just a bit. The home owner wanted the space to feel relaxing like a soft embrace now that they were living here full time. We accomplished this by choosing the wall color Rainwashed SW 6211. This color is neutral because it is tempered with a green base and just a hint of grey. The grey is not detectable, but it is necessary to create neutrality. This color is the perfect combination of green and blue working in harmony. When this paint is applied it may appear a bit green but as it dries it turns to blue like magic. This blue is the best blue because it is neutral and relaxing. I love that we did not have to change much in the space and we were able to use a completely different paint color.

• Flooring
Usually, when people move to Florida on a more permanent basis they decide to get serious about flooring. The homeowners chose a beautiful engineered hardwood that we had installed throughout the home. Hot Tip: if you have tile and don’t want to remove it then engineered hardwood is a great option. It is the only product that can be installed and abut to tile smoothly with no threshold.

• Shutters
The homeowners did have shutters installed and the header added to the top seven years ago. This look as you can see does stand the test of time.

• Vertislide
We removed the vertical from the slider and added a product called a vertislide. This is a honey comb blind that slides from side to side. As you can see in the photo it allows light to diffuse while offering complete privacy. Also, the honey combs create heat chambers that collect the heat from the sun and hold it offering a source of insulation. We added a white wooden cornice above the vertislide to dress the window, hide the mechanics, and create visual continuity with the large shuttered window at the back of the room.

• Rug
The homeowners did need a new area rug. We decided to play up the blue and the green in the space. The new rug is an 8×11 and it has a very striking pattern. The colors of the rug range from many hues of blue to greens mixed into the patter. It looks amazing and all we had to change was the pillows. We added new pillows to the space and it looks great.

• Lamps
The new lamps were a want, not a need. The old lamps would have been fine but the homeowner found these two amazing navy pottery lamps and they worked great in the space. We recycled the old lamps into the office.

• Décor and art
All of the décor and all of the art remained just as it was in the room when it was yellow. We did add a fiddle leaf tree in the right back corner of the space but that was it. I love a remake like this because it shows the power of blue, green, and timeless design.

P.S. –Attention all club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com or Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below