Color Inspiration

Beach trail foliage near Glyngore, Denmark 

Purple Green Color Board

Fresh summer colors inspired by a few flowers that I happened to see on my way to coffee this morning.

Keeping it simple!

I am enjoying the herbs and flowers from our yard this summer and I have been inspired by the fresh colors and shapes of lemons and avocados from the market. Bringing them together in a simple vignette for the kitchen island only takes a few minutes and is well worth the effort! Don't forget to add some herbs to your flower arrangement. They look beautiful and smell fabulous. 

Also try collecting items from around your home to create an interesting yet clean tablescape. Groupings of three or five items work nicely together. You can combine them by shape, color, or texture. Add some fresh flowers or greenery and you have a simple eye catching display that will last for weeks. The yellow vases shown in the photo below have been residing in our living room since we unpacked our household shipment from China. It was time to move things around! Mixing things up feels like shopping in your own home! It's fun and free!

Peonies Color Inspiration

I have an abundance of Peonies this summer and they have inspired a new color board.
I think a textile print or an art quilt would be fabulous in these colors!

Container Gardening

Every spring our patio containers need a general face lift. Choosing plants and foliage can be a challenge.

This year I selected mostly foliage with a few pops of color to add interest. When choosing foliage, look for a variety of colors, textures, and leaf shape and size. For example the soft fern shaped foliage in the top left of the photo is very complimentary to the large red leaves of the Coleus in the top right of the photo.

I almost always select a few white flowers because they really "pop" against different shades of foliage. We are hosting a fourth of July party at our home later in the summer so I also chose several varieties of red flowers.


When arranging the plants in the containers remember to place some that will "trail" down the front or side of the pot as they grow. Grouping plants by color is an affective way to create focal points in the containers.

Color Inspiration

This entry door photograph was taken in Portland, Oregon on Sunday.
The rich color combination can be used as inspiration for design and decoration. 

Lemons and Mint Tablescape

Create a colorful tablescape with lemons and fresh mint. It only takes a few minutes and the result is eye catching.

How to: Start with a white plate, add lemons, and finish by tucking in a few sprigs of fresh mint. Whal-la! A pop of summer color for your kitchen.