Color

Interior designer Heather Schmitt has a sophisticated eye for complementary color palettes. But in any room, there’s never just one right answer. Here’s her advice on enhancing your living space with color.

• Borrow from your environment. If you live in a home surrounded by trees and forests, try grass green with crisp white for a fresh look; if you live by the beach, use soothing shades of sand, cool grays and ocean blues.

• Saturated hues like chocolate, espresso and slate gray are popular now. Accent an inky palette with off-white to keep a room from feeling like a cave. Another hot combination: green, gold and caramel. Dress up this trio for an aura of royalty, or play it funky for a retro look.

• A major glamour theme has taken over interior design. It’s the look of 1940s Hollywood, when stars like Rita Hayworth seemed to live in satin dresses. The colors and fabrics are rich and luxurious, with metallics like gold and silver, and jewel tones like plum, amethyst and sapphire.

• To add a touch of color to your living space, start with rugs, pictureframe matting and fresh flowers. Other options include reupholstering a couch or a chair and setting a cheerful table during non-mealtime hours.

• “I think colors are reflective of one’s personality,” says Schmitt. “I am really into lemon yellow and bright, vibrant colors. I like to combine them with black and off-white. Airy, light and happy colors make me feel good.”

Contact the designer at 760-438-7964 or heatherschmitt.com.

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