Bring the Spring

Today marked the first day of spring, so that means it's time to spruce up your decor with some spring color!

Pantone has announced the "it" colors of Spring 2008 and although they relate their colors to fashion, I've found home decor from Ikea in all 10 colors. With that many options you're sure to find at least one color you can incorporate to bring in the spring!

Last year I talked about how easy and inexpensive it could be to change a few accessories each season, or even pick your favorite season, and change out things in your decor to renew the look and feel of a space.I also showed some pictures of my "spring update" Ikea is a great place to buy those accessories, they have great prices, fun colors, and they are WORLDWIDE! You can't always have items shipped to you, but check for an Ikea near you, believe me the deals are worth the drive.

The above items can provide a change in your space from something as small as a candle, or as large as a sofa; with prices ranging from $3.99 to $599.99. Check Ikea out and start your spring update!

Where there's Smoke there's Fire...Ring the Alarm

That's right...where there's SMOKE there's FIRE! Whether dealing with interior decor or fashion, and even automobiles the colors grey and red have complimented one another for a long time. Even though grey is a neutral and can be combined with other hues, you can't deny that red and grey still make a great pair. Here are some spaces to remind just how well they look together.

This Circuit Rug ($498.00) found at Chiasso combines several shades of grey with red for a contemporary feel.

The space (above left) features a dark grey sectional with red accents brought in through a pillow, the desk chair and a tapestry on the wall. An already furnished apartment in Paris, France (above top) features a Red-Orange sofa, grey walls, and two cement accent tables to combine the colors. The loft like space (above bottom) features glossy red cubes with heather grey side chairs for an eclectic mix once coupled with the brown sofa and slate flooring of the space.

courtesy of Crate and Barrel, West Elm, and Cb2

Because it's been soooo long since we featured music on Hue, I thought this was quite appropriate, Enjoy!

Gray Matter

The color gray has hit the scene in a major way...lately I've been seeing gray hues in everything from home decor to runway shows and it's been picked as one of the hot paint colors by HG for 2007.

I had a reader who was planning on buying a gray sofa ask "what shades look good with gray", and to answer their question...ALL colors look good with gray if you pick the correct tones. What some people don't realize is that gray is like a neutral color, you can mix it with anything and it'll look good. The color wheels shown above are considered depictions of the "Real Color Wheel" on both the color and gray scales if you're familiar with using a color wheel this may be of some assistance.

I've put together rugs featuring various patterns and prints that include the color gray to show how well it works with different hues. The rugs below include both warm and cool colors mixed with different shades of gray.


I chose rugs as samples because rugs are a quick way to make a big change in a room. Once you change out a rug you can use the other colors included to choose pillows, other fabrics, artwork, and accessories that will go in your space.