Please tell me you sang that title to the tune of The Brady Bunch. If not, take a minute—I’ll wait.
Now that we have that out of the way, I wanted to share our go-to inspiration when planning colors for the new house: a napkin we found on clearance at Crate & Barrel. You might recognize it from an earlier post on our Thanksgiving table.
I’m serious. That napkin is basically the Sue Sylvester of Casa Petersik when it comes to selecting colors and settling on a whole-house palette. It’s bold, bossy, and undeniably fun—fortunately without an actual bullhorn (Burger would not approve).
When we picked the color for the back of the built-in bookcases, the napkin was our starting point. The same goes for the blue-green-gray we chose for our bedroom walls and an artichoke-green we’re considering for the kitchen. Our process is simple: we pull paint swatches, hold them up on each wall to see how they read in that room’s light, choose a favorite, and then make sure it plays nicely with the napkin before buying paint. We’re not matching every color exactly to the napkin—we pick what looks best in each space, then confirm it “goes” with Sue.
Swatches don’t always photograph the same way they look on a wall (lighting changes everything), but here’s a rundown of what we were working with: the top swatch is the blue-green-gray we used in the bedroom (Carolina Inn Club Aqua by Valspar). The second swatch is the shade we painted on the back of the bookcases (Dragonfly from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line). The third is a potential kitchen color we’re considering for when we finally tackle that room (Agave, also from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line). The fourth is a deep plummy aubergine with chocolate undertones (Caponata, Benjamin Moore Affinity), which I’d love to use somewhere once I muster the courage. The bottom swatch is a layered, moody deep teal I’m working up the nerve to use in the hall bathroom (Benjamin Moore’s Teal Ocean)—photos do not do its depth justice.
Why does that napkin speak to us? We’re not entirely sure. We simply like the colors and how they work together. If these tones look good on a small square of fabric, why wouldn’t they translate to a house? It might be an unconventional method, but we’re committed to it. And Sue is easy to carry in my purse when we’re out shopping, so we can quickly check whether a piece will harmonize with the palette. If something looks right with the napkin, it will probably look right in our home.
Who knows exactly where we’ll end up? We’re taking it one step at a time, and we’re resolved to be bolder with color and pattern this time around than we were in our first house—especially now that we have the little one. We’re favoring playful pops of color over the all-neutral, beachy look we did before. It should be a lot more fun.