I have a decorating question.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

How come all the furniture out there and drapes and such have yellow or beige or brown undertones? Everything is drab, and nothing has clear, pure colors. I never seen pure intense saturated colors with no black in them. I don't see clean pastels either. I don't like red or yellow.

My ideal house would have white walls and wooden floors with oriental rugs, white miniblinds in the windows and pure colors on the furniture. I got a nasty burnt orange sofa recovered in dark blue short nap upholstery fabric with an 8" tall sinewave pattern in it, and I love it!!! I also got a leather recliner recovered in the same deep blue.

[applegrove]

1. There is an organization called the color lobby that comes up with

the colors for consumer goods every year. Then the car manufacturers, decor stores and designers everywhere follow what those colors will be. Seems you are in a bad year that is out of sinc with your likes and dislikes. Go with leather I would say. And try and find stuff you like because the colour lobby will change the "fashion" colors every year.

The longer you will have a decor item (say a couch or curtains) the less fasionable colours you should choose. The more you want to go with your gut IMHO.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. I don't think the brown influence is a one-year thing.

I think it's been going on for decades.

All the pictures I see in magazines have drab golden brown colors in them. YUCK!!!

Coincidentally, I have very fair skin and hair, and I look like death warmed over in beige, yellow or brown. My skin has pink undertones. I'm fine in black and my best color is pink or peach.


I didn't want to buy a new sofa. This one was a donation from our friendly neighborhood Unitarians. It's over eight feet long and sturdy, so I figured gutting it and redoing it with new foam cushions and everything was the way to go.

[unpossibles]

2. you can find these colors but it will take some searching

as someone who redid their bedroom, and whose taste is different enough to make it a challenge, I hear ya.

[siligut]

3. Having furniture recovered really is a good way to go.

Especially when you find something with a great backbone. You have an original piece that suits your taste and you have helped save the environment.

[flvegan]

5. You'd want some kind of window treatment to bring out the orientals.

Especially on hardwood.

What?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. I've got white miniblinds. The windows are very old and tall and narrow.

I think the windows are 2 feet wide and six feet tall. The house was built with square nails, so it's at least a hundred years old.

My grandma had big ugly wooden valances with double draw curtains which I took down.

[flvegan]

7. 6 feet tall?

Okay, nevermind. You can't do subtle 6 foot window treatments. Sounds like a fantastic place, though.

[femmocrat]

8. I've noticed that everything is brown lately, too.

Either brown or green. Have the earth tones of the 70s made a comeback? ewwwww

[ThomCat]

9. Because if you use all pure, clear colors

your house will look like it was designed by Disney or Dr. Seuss. :P

Having a neutral base allows you to highlight colors in important spots, without every bit of color competing for attention from every direction.