Creating the perfect color palette

Many of us want to embrace color in our homes but can be unsure how to do it thoughtfully. Andrea Larson Kout, an interior designer at The Mansion in Coralville, recently worked with homeowners to do just that - bring several deep, rich colors into the interior design in a pleasing, timeless palette.

'They had contemplated building and moving but decided to stay where they are,” Kout said of the southeast Cedar Rapids homeowners.

With young children, the homeowners treasured their lot with mature trees on a quiet cul-de-sac. A major addition bumped out the back and side of the house, increasing the home's square footage from under 3,500 to 6,000 square feet. The expansion doubled the size of the living room, expanded the kitchen and added a master suite and laundry room.

The traditional style of the home lent itself well to several deep hues, the first being a rich emerald green the homeowners had long wanted to include in their home. Working with The Mansion, they designed a small bar nook set off by a distinctive green wallpaper. 'It's a really thick, kind of lacquered wallpaper,” in the exact shade of emerald green the homeowners love, Kout said.

Another strong color that was incorporated in several rooms is a medium/navy blue - from the blue draperies and plaid blue ottoman to the blue cabinets in the kitchen.

'The kitchen island is that Hale Navy Blue from Benjamin Moore which is super popular,” she said.

Kout said it can be difficult to balance stronger colors from room to room. 'It can be hard. It worked here because the family room is all cool, gray tones

and then the living room is the rich tones, and in between them is neutral,” she said. 'The dining room separates the two spaces.”

She suggests selectively sprinkling a darker color, like the navy blue, throughout several rooms. 'The touches of color lead your eye from one room

to the next, and in that way, you can get it to all flow together.”

The emerald green from the bar also is carried through in several thoughtful ways, in emerald suede chairs and green trim in the bathroom.

And don't feel like you need to include strong, richly hued colors in each room. In the home, the master bedroom is decorated in much softer tones. 'It's very soothing,” Kout said.