Color Roundup: Fuchsia in Interior Design

I don’t know what it is…but I have been seeing this color EVERYWHERE lately. Wasn’t a version of it, Honeysuckle, the Color of the year for 2011?  What happened to Emerald Green?

I see it, in its warmer tones, in wedding color schemes…

via Martha Stewart Weddings

In Clothing…

On Etsy,  bolero via and tutu via

 Or, with some purple added, in home furnishings…

Nina chair from World Market; Ikat pillows from Furbish and Arianna Belle

I remember when I was 15 and my oldest brother was getting married, his wife-to-be chose fuchsia for the bridesmaids’ dresses. The reason?  Not because she loved the color – but that she got the dresses for free from a friend’s wedding party.   She had 3 sisters and, thinking economically, she figured it was best for eveyone.  Except me –  I hated this dress and I couldn’t wait until the day was over.   It was a shiny silk taffeta and it fell to the shoulders (a little too fancy and sexy for my 15 year old body!).

But, as I got older, I learned to really love this color – especially when I realized it looked good on me! Whether my hair was brunette, red or blonde as it is now – it always seemed to bring out the best in me. And, I think that the color brings out the best in rooms as well.

Love it in nurseries…

Via

Via

 You don’t have to use a lot of it…sometimes a touch of the color will perk up a room

Photograph by Gilles Trillard

 Or in the entryway…

                               Via

Or…in a hallway or on a door via

I love it in bedrooms.  Jamie Drake did a beautiful job with the hue one year at the Kips Bay Designer Showhouse – love the moire fabric he used on the walls.

Here’s a closeup…

The other side of the bedroom…

 Jamie Drake Via Traditional Home

 So, whether it’s the hot pink variety or a pink with some purple in it, fuchsia is just such a lovely color to use in your home {or all over your blog…can you tell I love it?} Here are some paint colors to try and some other colors to use with this hue…

• For a rich color, try Benjamin Moore’s Royal Fuchsia
• Want to go deeper…with more purple?  Benjamin Moore’s Pink Corsage
• Want some lighter colors?  Benjamin Moore’s Primrose Petals and Misty Rose
• For a light and modern look, combine fuchsia with gray (like the nursery pic above) or try a few shades of gray and black and feature fuchsia as an accent color.
• Add orange plus other shades of fuchsia and warm pink fabrics like Jamie Drake did in the Kips Bay Showhouse
• Pair with chocolate brown for a traditional look

Let me know if you have used this color and how you used it!  If you need any color or design help, just call or email me.  I would be glad to help!

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