You have it. Your neighbor has it. Everyone has it. That illusive something is the sum total of your tastes, interests, and lifestyle all rolled up into one neat little package stamped “Personal Style.”  Commitment to your own style is the courage to be yourself and express it in a free spirited way. There’s no more appropriate vehicle for self-expression than your home. Committing yourself to an individual style means living with the things you love, uninhibited by rigid decorating rules and outdated color clichés.

Let nature’s palette color your world

Nowhere other than in nature is there such a glorious collage of color. Her magical paint box yields an infinite variety of tint and tone to soothe or enliven, soften or vivify. Here and following, we will show you how color schemes taken from nature can be the most persuasive, powerful, and personal of all decorating element, how color diverts and directs the eye, creates illusion, communicated emotion, and carries off personal style with panache. Hope to inspire you to dip your decorating brush into nature’s palette and color your won very personal world.

Petal Pale Ivory

The pale palette used to create this serene room scheme is as subdued as the fragile petals of dogwood blossoms. Although the delicate ivory petals seem all of color, a closer look reveals subtle shadings of tint and tone. The same holds true in this sophisticated no color scheme. Slight gradations of hue, created by changes in texture and pattern, give the room its beauty and prevent it from lapsing into uniformity. Tow lithographs add lively colors

Rich Earthy Brown

Create drama with down to earth hues like these by contrasting colors to make the mix work. Each of the color in this daring never dull room has little zing when used alone. But by placing them together and juxtaposing light and dark values, each color is sharpened and defined. A surround of dark hues provides the intimate, cozy ambience. Hunter green patterned carpet cushions the follow while walls upholstered in a handsome brown felt seem to recede. To add bold color contrast and a dash of daring a rolled arm sofa and chair are wrapped in a dramatic diagonal stripe. Matching slipper chairs, covered in a crisp oyster white fabric, are edged with the same sassy stripe.

Blush of Fruit Tones

What could be more refreshing than a sleeping sprit reminiscent of soothing summer sherbet? This restful room scheme began with focus on a favorite piece: an area rug in a melt of coral and earthy brown tones. Cued form the carpet, walls are washed in the same coral tones to give a feeling of intimacy. Filtering of the fruit toned color scheme appears on bedding and the rainbow hued cushion on the bentwood love seat.

To give the color scheme center stage, clean lined furnishings and the shadow box window treatment are color keyed with soft white.