The Fabric Maverick Says: Fight your Fear of Color- Hue, Saturation, Value! OH,MY!

Victoria wandered into my office last week with an interesting question.  She constantly hears questions from customers concerning color.  It does not matter if it is a quilt, selecting fabric for a dress or redecorating a room. Fabric Maverick, Please where do I start?

I looked at her for a moment.  I pushed my stack of reference books out of the way and reached for another book referencing color.

"Victoria, Here is a book on color theory. It will define the components of color such as saturation, value and hue. It will give you basic ideas.  It is like going to school and taking a class.  The information you learn in that class does not come together until you put it into practice. A color wheel is an excellent tool!

People can select a color they like. The colors next to that key color will blend with it creating a harmonious, flowing feel. For example, if red is your key color.  Then shades of orange and purple will create a harmonious feel. If you want to add a touch of color use a contrast of color such as green.  If you are feeling bold add a triad color such as blue.  This will add a lot of visual excitement. If you are a person who is not comfortable with a lot of color or you are trying to blend several personalities in your home, stay with the neutrals such as shades of black, gray, white or brown.  Add accent colors in colors that you like in pillows, artwork and accessories. These are easy to change when you tire of them.

Manufacturers have made some it easy for people by creating collections of fabric. Quilt fabric designers have color collections for everyone.  If you like bold colors, Free Spirit and Westminster have some lively designs from Amy Butler, Joel Dewberry, Jane Sassman, etc.  Moda have great traditional designs from 3 Sisters, American Jane, April Cornell, etc.  There is something for everyone.

Home Decor manufacturers also have fabric collections. P. Kaufmann and Waverly are still leaders in creating pleasing collections. You will have noted that shades of brown have dominated the home fashion market. Walking through an "Open House" will give you ideas on what colors are currently in style.  What if you do not care for the color of the moment? I suggest clipping pictures of rooms that you like and save them until you are ready to redecorate. Several people I work with are planning to "refresh" at least one room this summer. Victoria has already painted a guest bedroom apple green. She is pulling her fabrics together now.  Normally I would suggest picking your fabric first, then selecting the paint color. Nancy is going to be working on an outdoor redo. Leslie and Robin are working on rooms.  These rooms may not be done in current "fashion" colors but they will reflect the personality of each of the individuals. There will be no major furniture changes.  You will see how fabric can change a room. Just like Donna Babylon, we have more splash than cash. In the coming months, we will be showing what we have done and how we did it.  Stay tuned.