Posted on: December 28, 2009
Go with the flow
From kitchen to tabletop, here's how to make any color scheme work
By Dawn Klingensmith
CTW Features
Whether you're buying new or just making do, merge the end of 2009 with the fresh beginnings of 2010 from every angle, says Los Angeles-based interior designer Sarah Barnard. She points to a trend of personalized palettes and unexpected themes that stray far from the tradition.
And don't forget the elements beyond wall colors and fabric textures - think new cooking traditions, menu sampling and works-in-progress on the tabletop. Consider Andrea Nguyen's "Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More" (Ten Speed Press, 2009), Angela Boggiano's "Pie" (Mitchell Beazley, 2009), Vefa Alexiadou's "Vefa's Kitchen" (Phaidon Press Inc., 2009) and "Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day" (Ten Speed Press, 2009).
Plum, ivory and chocolate brown rank at the top of the hot color list for Lisa Gorjestani, founder of Los Angeles-based Details Event Planning. Barnard likes smoky silver and blue.
When your colors work together, you can fearlessly mix textures within those tones, Barnard says. Working with a client's palette of burnt orange, berry-red and gold, she pulled together a silk table runner, wool napkins, natural feather napkin rings and fireclay dishes. An antique alabaster-footed bowl served as the centerpiece.
Placemats are another unifying element. To marry just about any two colors imaginable, Barnard recommends Crate & Barrel's Mosaic recycled placemats, made of shredded juice boxes compressed into boards. Each is one of a kind and neutral, with random speckles of bright colors. Juliska's Jardin du Monde line of dinnerware has a whitewash finish, which you can accent with any color, and though inspired by geometric gardens, the patterns are suggestive of snowflakes. Honoring tradition is part of the holidays, but don't be afraid to incorporate some trendy or edgy food and decorations.
"Have fun with it," says Linda Bettencourt, the owner of San Francisco-based Studio B Design. "The holidays only come [and go] once a year."