Lisa Mende Design: What Are Your Favorite Colors To Use In Decorating?

Color plays such an important part in my world.

I find that my favorite colors continue to be my favorite colors no matter my mood!

I like blues, greens and pops of a bright like pink, yellow, or orange.

I vary the shade of the colors depending on where I am using them.

I tend to like bright colors in my living spaces and soft colors in my bedrooms.

Miles Redd in House Beautiful

Love the Vesuvius fabric by Clarence House on the sofa and the

custom Moroccan rug by Metropolitan Carpet

Do you follow the trends or stick to your tried and true favorites?

Are you a vanilla girl, who keeps thing neutral or a Dior girl

who likes a lot of color?

Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Clean, crisp, lovely neutral interior with beautiful plant chandelier!

Do you prefer an absence of color?

Susan Sargent

The vibrance of color as shown in this Susan Sargent dining room!

Are you like me and prefer lots of color?

Could be you are somewhere in between? Do you know?

Have you ever really searched yourself to identify what your

"true" color favorites are or do you let

"Frank at the paint store" decide your colors

for fear you would choose wrongly?

Sometimes we find that trying new colors can give

us a new prospective on life. Trade those beige walls for a soft color!

As Nike says, "Just do it"!

I often laugh at the predictions of the color forecasters.

Exactly who rushes out and buys "honeysuckle" because it is "the color of 2011"?

I might buy a pillow or an accessory in that color but never a paint unless

I was already considering the color for a specific space.

Pantone color "Honeysuckle" 2011

My beach house is decorated in the vibrate caribbean

colors of lime, aqua, hot pink and yellow. It is a "happy house",

one part Dr. Suess and three parts caribbean vibe.

When I was decorating that house and would show people

my paints and fabrics, I always got the same reaction,

"Wow, that's bright"!

(It was a nice way if saying, lady you are making a big mistake!)

I stayed true to what I wanted and the outcome was good!

Funny how it all came together on a shoestring budget!

Friends who visit my little "beach hut" always comment on how "fun"

they think the colors are. Most people wouldn't consider using

those colors in their main residence. Guess that is where the

designer in me comes out... I consider nothing permanent and find that

change is good for the soul! After all, a good designer can correct any mistakes, right?

When I leave my beach house every August,

and come screeching into Charlotte the day before school starts,

I immediately miss my the color. I have decided when I redecorate my

Charlotte house I am going to change it up a bit.

I love color on the walls at the beach, but I think in Charlotte, I will

keep the walls neutral and bring the color in the accessories.

Here are some things I found in the Global Views showroom that I L.O.V.E.D.!!!......

Lately, I have become slightly obsessed with the combination of

turquoise, chartreuse and orange..

If I vary the choice of colors but still maintain a vibrant color palate, I might be

able to bring a little of the beach home with me....

Global Views

Spotted this great pillow when I entered the showroom.

Love the colors and the peacocks! You know the old saying...

"Birds of a feather flock together" which is actually the name of my beach house!

Global Views
Another awesomely regal peacock! Love the moss
covered stones in the glass canisters behind the peacock.
Again, I am loving the mix of the chartreuse and aqua! Works for me!

Global Views

Notice how the aqua, turquoise and chartreuse rug

is designed to mimic a peacock's feather.

Would be perfect in my dining room or breakfast room!

Global Views

The aqua, turquoise and green ceramic plates, bowls and vases add

just the right amount of color on this woven wooden console.

Don't you love the lamps? Those tall shades are great looking!

Look around your house, that boring dark wood console can come alive

just by adding some colored ceramic pieces. It doesn't have to cost a fortune,

run over to Homegoods, Z Gallerie or Marshalls and pick up a few!

Global Views

The great thing about the Global Views collection is they will do their designs in several color ways. It just happened to be my lucky day, as the other colors were orange and green with a dash of pink! I think my love of orange began when my son went to Auburn! Orange just started popping up all over our house his freshman year! It also appeared in my wardrobe,

which brings me to another interesting point....Do you wear the colors you choose for your home? I remember reading once that the glamourous movie stars of the 50's dressed to match their homes because they wanted to look good in their surroundings, they even had pink bulbs in all their lamps so their skin would glow....