This story was part of Sofa Week, our seven-day stretch of, you guessed it, sofas. After years spent styling, sitting on, and searching for the best of the best—from bespoke designs to rare under-$500 gems—we’re compiling our couch knowledge in one comfy spot.

One of the perks of working at Domino is the fact that we look at homes, beautifully individual and dynamic, all day long. And with said perk, we spot commonalities along the way. There are a handful of trademark trends we have grown to expect every season: pastels for spring, vibrant hues for summer, and cozy textures for fall. Then there are those that skew toward the less expected and timeless. Case in point: the best red couches.

A departure from the standard white, beige, or taupe-y seat, this fresh alternative immediately brings a bold dose of color and character to any space. We’ve spotted the primary hue in every shade—from blush and tomato to rust and even rich maroon. And the look is surprisingly more versatile than you may think and can be seamlessly integrated within a wide variety of aesthetics. Below, a closer look at a few of our favorite spaces featuring this particular hue, and how creatives and designers tapped it as the centerpiece of their living quarters or let it blend in with the rest of their decor. Then we share a few shoppable look-alikes (especially if the original was bespoke), to boot. 

Armless Red Sofas

In Slash Objects founder Arielle Assouline-Lichten’s Brooklyn studio, this Ligne Roset sofa is an attention-grabbing conversation starter thanks to its bright velvet upholstery. Thankfully it’s also small-space–friendly, making it an appealing pick for apartment dwellers (even if Assouline-Lichten’s lofted space is quite large). The armless, futon-esque frame allows for the creative’s other vintage finds to shine. Our picks, below, also deliver a love seat-like vibe.

Alcott Hill Parkes 50-Inch Upholstered Settee, Wayfair ($490 was $753)

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Dylan Velvet Bean Bag 2-Seat Sofa, Urban Outfitters ($379)

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Aris Armless Loveseat in Mabel Rose, Crate & Barrel ($2,248)

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Kumo 3-Seater Sofa, Canyon, Hem ($4,949)

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Softline Duet Daybed, Design Within Reach ($1,271 was $1,495)

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Clyde 67-Inch Sofa, Blu Dot ($2,095)

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Square-Arm Red Sofas

With retro wood paneling as the backdrop, this Reath Design custom sofa covered in a deep red-toned velvet by Kravet makes a straightforward, square-arm design instantly more interesting in Brynn Jones’s home. You can do the same with our favorite sofa brands—Floyd, Lulu and Georgia, West Elm, Pottery Barn, and more all offer a range of reds to dress up their simple frames. 

Hadley Plaid Sofa, GreenRow ($4,700)

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Belmont Sofa by Ginny Macdonald, Lulu and Georgia ($3,298)

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Urban Queen Sleeper Sofa (84-Inch), West Elm ($2,599)

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Two-Piece Form Sectional in Sisu Pink/Orange, Floyd ($2,744 was $3,920)

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Curved Red Sofas

We’ll never tire of a velvet sofa, especially one that comes in just the right shade of saturated crimson or a softer red-tinted blush. Add to the material a curvy frame that looks and feels like a hug and we’ve pretty much summed up Anthropologie’s Vera sofa, the very one that can be found in Lathan Thomas’s joyful Brooklyn home. As one reviewer so aptly summarizes, “It’s beautiful from every angle.” We tried to channel that feeling into our finds, below. 

Vera Sofa, Anthropologie ($2,798)

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Orren Ellis 86.61-Inch Upholstered Curved Sofa, Wayfair ($1,700)

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The Chelsea Sofa, 80-Inch, Spice Mohair, Maiden Home ($6,650)

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Gramercy Curved Sofa, Paprika, abc carpet & home ($6,630)

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Emet Three Seat Sofa, Soho Home ($5,195)

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Pumpkin Sofa by Pierre Paulin for Roset Line, Chairish ($4,846)

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Statement Red Sofas

Leave it to a former Prada architect to get experimental with living room design. We still think about the custom-made raspberry sofa—with the perfect fringe detail—that Roberto Baciocchi designed himself. The original proves that, sometimes, color is just the start of a standout piece. If you’re seeking a look as unique as Baciocchi’s Tuscany guesthouse, double down on the bold factor by pairing the shade with a funky silhouette, channel-tufting details, or a pattern.

Grady Pleated Sofa, Serena & Lily ($6,998)

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Saxon Sofa, Ap2B ($2,748)

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Popus Editions Lena 3 Seater Sofa in Red Verone Velvet Upholstery, 1stDibs ($3,703)

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Maisie Channeled Sofa, Rust Velvet, One Kings Lane ($4,395)

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Svenson Sofa, Lava Cannes Velvet ($4,155)

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Offset 3-Seater Sofa, 08 Boucle, Audo ($3,565)

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The post We Found the Best Red Couches, as Inspired by Our Favorite Spaces appeared first on domino.

We simply can’t quit pink. Ever since 2017, the millennial variety has had a hold on everything from our makeup packaging to our bed linens. Then the star-studded Barbie movie catapulted bolder shades of flamingo, fuchsia, and magenta back into the spotlight and our shopping carts. Every hue is on the table, which is all the more reason to set up a pink nursery for your new addition to the family. And it’s very possible to dip a toe into the trend and still keep your baby’s room timeless. Read on for seven pink nurseries that employ lots of layers—and an unexpected accent color or two—to achieve just that.

The Pink Nursery That’s an Ode to a Doên Dress

Doên cofounder Margaret Kleveland had a few tricks up her floral sleeves when she created her daughter’s nostalgic wonderland. First, she skipped a standard dresser for a timeworn English pine dining hutch that tones down the modern lines of the crib. Next, she draped the latter in a blush pink canopy that turns all the other accents—from the chevron rug and ruffled throw pillows to the Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball walls—into one big happy family.

The Floor-to-Ceiling Pink Nursery

Dealing with tight quarters? Follow designer Allison Crawford’s lead and use the same hue everywhere. We’re talking walls, molding, ceiling, and even the floating shelves to ensure the room feels as expansive as possible. Crawford went with Clare’s bright coral Pop in this little client’s nursery, which reads cool rather than cliché.

The good kind of baby blues.
Check out our blue nursery ideas →

The Pink Nursery That Masters the Mix

The leafy amber Soane Britain wallpaper overhead, twin scalloped canopies, and coconut shell pendant lamp in this Diablo, California, nursery by designer Marea Clark put the dusty rose walls in a supporting role. And with its subtle gray undertone, the paint color easily swings neutral.

The Fairy-Tale Pink Nursery

Activewear designer Jasmine Tookes’s starting point for turning a guest room into her daughter Mia Victoria’s nursery? “Vintage fairy-tale storybooks,” she told People. Working with Crate & Kids, she made real-life magic with James Alexander’s limewash Rosa Pink and a swath of hunter green wildflower wallpaper, all watched over by a trio of sweet felt animals.

Feeling sage?
We’ve got sage green nursery ideas →

The One-Hit-Wonder Pink Nursery

Gucci’s Heron wallpaper, the hero of this nursery by designer Tara Magel, is undoubtedly a splurge, but it’s the only one you’ll need to make. With everyone’s eyes on the oversize print, the rest of the details, from the daybed to the dresser, can be supersimple.

The Pink Nursery With Arch Support

A salmon pink built-in archway does it all in this nursery by Paris design studio Space Factory. For now, it creates a designated nook for the bassinet, provides enough depth for proper wardrobes on either side, and squeezes in additional storage up top. When the child is older, the open shelving will take on a new role as the bedside “table” for a twin mattress.

The Just Enough Pink Nursery

Can you spot the subtle optical illusion in this nursery by design firm Chango & Co.? At first glance, it seems like every wall is painted white. But look closer, and it becomes clear that the stretch behind the crib is a pastel woodland wallpaper. Thanks to the small-scale motif and pale colorway, it reads more texture than pattern—ideal if you’re not ready for all-pink everything.

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When you picture a blue nursery, you probably think, well, baby. As in baby blue, the color of early-morning skies and many a newborn onesie. We have nothing bad to say about the color—it’s inarguably soothing and pale enough that it can act as a neutral—but we consider it our job to introduce you to a handful of equally sweet shades in the family. As these seven spaces make clear, cornflower, robin’s-egg, and denim blue are just as worthy of your nursery walls (or moldings or floor).

The Robin’s-Egg Blue Nursery

“Sometimes I see nurseries that are very curated in terms of palette, and you feel like you can’t bring anything in that doesn’t coordinate,” explains designer Katherine Thewlis. So for her children’s space, she went floor to ceiling with a toned-down hue, Views by Clare, that was sure to complement everything from a strawberry red lamp to magenta artwork.

The Electric Blue Nursery

Just because a blue is bright doesn’t mean it’s not comforting. For Piera Gelardia, Farrow & Ball’s St. Gile’s Blue was the perfect reflection of her daughter Viva’s personality: energetic but peaceful. “We realized that we wanted her room to be a sanctuary for her to imagine and dream,” she says. 

Feeling sage?
We’ve got sage green nursery ideas →

The Powder Blue Nursery

While this space in Dee Eke’s Long Island City apartment serves as both office and nursery, both zones share a Clare paint color and a cushion of Flor tiles. The multicolored mix underfoot gives the pastel walls a modern edge—but that wasn’t always the plan. Eke had to get creative when the single colorway she started with was discontinued.

The Denim Blue Nursery

Blue is technically the accent hue in this nursery by designer Nicole Hirsch, but in standout finishes, it has just as much impact as the graphic wallpaper. Peep the glossy moldings, painted Old Glory by Benjamin Moore, and one of the coolest gliders we’ve seen, upholstered in a textured denimlike-patchwork print.

The Limewashed Blue Nursery

Forward Interiors’s secret to a blue nursery that’s nowhere near saccharine? Introducing hits of black—you’ll spot it here on the trim, art frame, and custom stained-wood dresser—to contrast with the softness of the Bauwerk Colour walls.

The Botanical Blue Nursery

A no-fail way to choose a paint color is to pull it from another feature you’ve already decided on. In designer Laura Kern Hennessey’s case, that was the magical meadow mural she hand-painted in her son’s nursery. The slate blue on the lower half of the walls is an exact match for the leafy stems above it.

The Goodnight Moon Blue Nursery

Artist Raven Roxanne’s 1875 Charleston, South Carolina, home is awash in understated shades inspired by British brands like DeVol, with one exception: her son’s nursery. The walls are a deep cornflower, while the trim is Kermit-esque green—both from Fine Paints of Europe (E14-33 and E11-29, specifically). It’s a lot of color, but the 13-foot-tall room can handle it. “One of my friends came in and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, it looks like Goodnight Moon,’” Roxanne remembers. “I had never thought about it, but it does.” 

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If there’s one universal concern that consumes new parents, it’s sleep—both your little one’s and your own. In an effort to help everyone catch one or two more z’s upon baby’s arrival, consider a sage green nursery. Color psychologist Tash Bradley once told us that green is a top choice for creating a relaxing environment because “biophilic shades mentally bring us closer to nature and harmony.” So when the nesting stage hits, determine whether you want a splash or top-to-bottom color with the help of these calming sage nurseries. (Psst: We’ve got kids’ room inspiration, too.) Then cross your fingers and toes for some semi-solid shut-eye.

The Sage Green Nursery Celebrating Mother Nature

A nature-inspired paint color (Final Furlong by Little Greene Paint & Paper) was just the beginning when Sophie Ashby of Studio Ashby designed her daughter Gaia’s London nursery. She also brought in more literal takes on flora and fauna in the form of bold botanical upholstery, a painting of the South African mountains by local artist Anna van der Ploeg, and a blooming blown-glass chandelier.

The Sage Green Nursery With Just Enough Contrast

For the perfect complement to her son’s sage nursery, painted in Mossa by Dulux, Australian designer Alessandra Smith simply looked across the color wheel. She landed on terracotta, which made its way onto the crib sheet, floor lamp, and play mat. Muddying up the red and green is what keeps the combo from shouting “Christmas.”

The Texture-on-Texture Sage Green Nursery

For photographer Shannon Oleksak, paneling has been a crucial character builder in her family’s Charleston, South Carolina, new build—you’ll spot it everywhere from the kitchen island to the primary bathroom. The latest place for it to make an appearance is in her son’s nursery, where it gives the feature wall, coated in Sherwin-Williams’s Evergreen Fog, some added dimension. A woven bassinet, shades, and animal artwork help, too.

The Sage Green Nursery That Tricks the Eye

A more sophisticated take on the primary hues that dominate the children’s decor market? Sky blue, marigold, and pops of scarlet red, all against a Sagebrush by Benjamin Moore backdrop. Designer Katie Davis stuck to this softer palette for practical reasons as much as aesthetics; the Houston nursery is on the smaller side, so anything too intense would be overkill.

The Statement-Making Sage Green Nursery

In chunky stripe form, sage can be for maximalists, too. Rather than attempt to hang wallpaper to achieve her “quirky without being babyish” nursery vision (too time-consuming!), British mom Kitty Patterson went the paint route—Verdigris by Edward Bulmer to be exact—pairing the soft color with the palest of blues.

The Sage Green Nursery That’s Not About the Walls

Joanna Landais, founder of Eklektik Studio, worked with the off-center window in this London nursery instead of against it, framing it in arched bookcases (one on the left, two on the right) and built-in closed storage for the inevitable explosion of toys. Although Green 14 by Lick only shows up on the doors and drawers, it steals the show thanks to ribbed fronts and oversize hardware.

The Sage Green Nursery That Divided and Conquered

Not only is a colorblocked half-wall a stellar option for color commitment–phobes, it can help create visual hierarchy. In this English nursery, designed by Born & Bred Studio, the crib and freestanding cabinet (not pictured) are both similar hues to the custom paint shade, encouraging them to fade somewhat into the background. Instead your eye is naturally drawn to the carved black fireplace and industrial floor-to-ceiling windows.

The post 7 Sage Green Nursery Ideas, So That at Least One Spot in Your House Feels Calm appeared first on domino.

We like to think whoever came up with the expression green with envy was talking about kitchen cabinets. Whether it’s a rich shade of emerald, a warm sage, or a restful moss, the color instantly brings zen vibes to a bustling room. 

Even if you already have some go-to shades in mind, it can get a little overwhelming when the time comes to head out to the hardware store. To help, we rounded up our all-time favorite green kitchen cabinets, because a healthy dose of inspiration (and a little jealousy) might be just the kick you need to get started.

The Green Kitchen With Curve Appeal

There was a bit of charm missing from vintage seller Melissa Cattaneo Fontaine’s Colonial in the Atlanta suburbs, but with some reimagining of the cabinets and island, the transformation began. It started with custom door fronts and a lick of paint, then, to match her classic sensibilities, she added a scalloped hood over the range—but in brass to give it a bold finish. 

The Color-Theory Green Kitchen

This London-based couple always knew they wanted to go with green kitchen cabinets, though they were originally leaning into a paler, yellowish laminate. When Pluck founder George Glaiser came on board, he nudged them toward a shade with gray undertones. He paired it with peachy pink skirting for a tried-and-true contrast. “They sit on opposite ends of the color wheel,” says Glaiser. “That’s why the combination works.”

The Green Kitchen That Plays Hide-and-Seek

From a certain angle, you wouldn’t even know this home in the U.K. had pea-colored cabinetry. The shade, from John Lewis of Hungerford‘s Shaker-style line, peeks out from the waterfall edges of these marble counters.

The Green Kitchen Where Old Meets New

It’s a no-brainer why this shade made it into Benjamin Moore’s historic color collection. The grayish hue is timeless and traditional, something you’d find in the English countryside. For an updated twist, Studio McGee paired the color with matte black hardware. 

The Green Kitchen With a Dramatic Duo

The only thing sleeker than these superdark cabinets is a soapstone countertop. Jaclyn Peters pulled off the winning combo on a budget in this Winnipeg, Canada, home by opting for a 6-inch backsplash. 

The Green Kitchen With Tight Corners

Your small space can handle a rich hue—the key is practicing restraint. First-time homeowner Brynn Harlock maintained a bright and airy vibe by painting her uppers white and the lower ones mossy.

The Shaker-Style Green Kitchen

Stepping away from her go-to blues, Emily Henderson went with a sophisticated option with lots of gray undertones from Sherwin-Williams in this Portland, Oregon, house. To amp up the character, the designer splurged on inset Shaker-style cabinets that cost around $25,000 to build and install. 

The Art Deco–Inspired Green Kitchen

Jessica Brigham was on a mission to restore her kitchen’s 1930s spunk as part of the One Room Challenge. Jewel-tone cabinets and glitzy globe light fixtures accomplish just that.

The Teeny-Tiny Green Kitchen

Dabito’s guesthouse kitchenette features just four 24-inch Shaker cabinets from Overstock (the same place he scored the Moroccan cement tile). He painted them with Behr’s Fig Tree in a satin finish, then added pink walls and a graphic backsplash to turn what would otherwise be considered a serious color into a fun statement.

The Green Kitchen That’s Minty Fresh

There’s nothing childish about this candy-colored space. Designer Lauren Bug chose the playful hue when she realized green kitchen cabinets suited the walnut-wood floors better than the pale blue she had originally been considering.

The Farmhouse Green Kitchen 

The addition of glass doors can elevate standard millwork to star status. Jaclyn Peters mastered the new-school rustic look with the addition of a vintage rug and industrial drawer pulls. 

The British Green Kitchen

Designer Laura Stephens went old school in this London galley kitchen by swathing the cupboards in a rich mustardy shade and covering the walls in tongue-and-groove paneling that can withstand dampness and changes in temperature.

The ’70s Green Kitchen

Tara Marshall and Meghan Bannon of Fort Architecture leaned into this maple leaf–shaped Canada home’s retro feel. They sourced teak for the integrated paneled refrigerator and upper shelving to blend with the existing wood throughout the house, and painted the new lowers an olive hue that “feels contemporary but nostalgic at the same time.”

The Green Kitchen That’s a Bit Beige

After replacing this space’s stylized cabinet fronts with slab doors, designer Natalie Myers painted everything Berkshire Beige by Benjamin Moore, a pale green-gray that skews sage depending on the time of day.

The Green Kitchen That’s Almost Yellow 

Lourdes Hernández’s pastel cabinets read retro— not nursery—next to her Smeg refrigerator and multitone ceramic pendant lamps. So what are you waiting for? You’ve got the green light.

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When London-based fashion creative Deborah Brett first saw her two-story, 1930s-era home-to-be, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. “It seemed very grown-up,” she recalls. At the time, Brett and her husband, filmmaker Tom Edmunds, had just married, and buying such an expansive family property felt a little too soon—like they were speeding “two or three leaps ahead.”

Still, there was something charming about the red-brick structure, with its sweeping front steps, big bay windows, and backyard that edged onto the bucolic woodland of Holland Park. The previous owners had lived there for 30 years and raised five children. “You could feel the love as soon as you walked in,” says Brett. She asked her father—who had been less than enthusiastic about the other potential candidates—for a second opinion. He took one look and was shockingly adamant: This house was a keeper.

Loved as it was, the building required “a lot of work,” says Brett—practical stuff, such as a new roof, new windows, and a new boiler, plus plenty of cosmetic changes. The newlyweds restored the original Art Deco details, installing vintage chandeliers, a hand-painted de Gournay panel in the entryway, and oak parquet floors in a large-scale herringbone pattern inspired by apartments they’d seen in Paris. The French theme followed suit with a color palette of eau de nil green, lilac, and Christian Dior gray. “Very elegant and a lot of glass,” Brett notes of the overall effect.

Life hummed along and they welcomed a child, then a second. The growing family—which by then also included a live-in nanny—suddenly found themselves crammed into the smallest spaces that hadn’t been updated: a cozy kitchen and nooklike living room. The sweeping back parlor once used for entertaining sat neglected, a relic of life before diapers, toddlers, and toys. When Brett discovered a third baby was on the way, she knew the house needed an overhaul—and quick.

Time was of the essence, but the couple approached the next round of renovations with the same creative problem-solving usually reserved for their work on fashion shoots and film sets, deliberating over each possible configuration and remeasuring at every turn. They completely opened up the first-floor layout to highlight the gorgeous back garden. However, Brett was adamant that the exterior of the building—and her prized bay windows—not be altered. So they tapped their original contractor, who “already knew the house back to front,” to expand downward, creating a new double basement for a laundry room, garage, and more.

With the structural aspects settled, they turned their attention to refreshing the decor. “I was really nervous about getting a designer in who would force me to lose the things I loved,” Brett confides. But after seeing the work of Hubert Zandberg at a friend’s place—and how thoughtfully he’d incorporated her beloved old pieces—Brett knew she’d found the ideal collaborator. Zandberg was as enthused as she was about keeping the Deco chandeliers she’d sourced, and, together, they reupholstered the interior of an antique Swedish armoire (a wedding gift from Brett’s aunt and uncle) to use as a wardrobe in one of her daughter’s bedrooms. Preserving the de Gournay panel in the entrance hall was also a must; they boarded it up with a protective covering and crossed their fingers while the basement was dug. Several months later, they found that not only had it survived but it looked better than ever, thanks to the shade of petrol green-blue Zandberg had recommended for the surrounding walls. “It brought out the colors in a totally different way—almost like we had a new painting on the wall,” says Brett.

The verdant colorway proved a revelatory connection point for the rest of the home. Brett, an avid ceramist who studied textile design at Central Saint Martins, had long been a fan of foliage motifs, so to “bring the garden inside,” she stuck to a palette of leafy patterns and various dark green and gray hues throughout—a concept she admits could have been risky in a city known for such gloomy weather. “I have never been afraid of dark spaces,” Brett admits, laughing. “There’s something cocooning and enveloping about them.”

Adding to that effect was her penchant for combining fabrics in different textures—a talent honed during her long fashion career and reflected in her “tone-on-tone” dressing style. In the living room, two shades of velvet were used for the custom-made sofa. A fern motif created by her close friends at fashion label Clements Ribeiro appears in the room’s reading corner. “I loved it so much I made them print an extra nine yards to cover my chair in,” Brett explains. In the kitchen, she leaned into the all-green palette, choosing dark emerald tiles for the backsplash and extending them all the way up and over the shelves above the sink. The design was executed by Hubert Zandberg Interiors. 

“When you’re making these decisions they can [feel] quite big and scary,” says Brett of the home’s green-centric curation. “But there’s a way to create the right balance—and that’s definitely through color.”

The Goods

Palm Leaf III Sling Chair by Orara Studio, Society6 ($175)

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Arthemus Round Rattan Wall Mirror by Bayou Breeze, Wayfair ($53)

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Small Flow Bowl in Blue, DB Ceramics ($100)

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Live Calathea Ornata Pinstripe Plant in Pot, CB2 ($65)

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When we previously tapped brands like Behr, Benjamin Moore, PPG, and Dunn-Edwards for their best-selling paints for home exteriors, we were given a long list of shades of white, beige, gray, greige, and black. Because to no one’s surprise, most people consider painting their house any hue on the color wheel a risk. But when we asked designers and renovators like Kirsten Blazek of A 1000 X Better and Kele Dobrinski, one-half of Colossus Mfg., at the end of last year for their thoughts on all things facades, we heard a call for more green. Specifically, the pros predicted a shift to moody shades with hits of blue and brown in them. “For character homes, we love to go with an almost-black or a dark olive green,” Blazek notes. Before you go and get lost in a pile of paint chips, test out these six green swatches on your siding. 

Studio Green by Farrow & Ball 

And And And Studio used the darkest green Farrow & Ball sells on this Los Angeles home, which explains why it almost looks charcoal when the shade from the surrounding trees hits it just right. In the sun? It skews a rich forest green. “That variation softens the reading of the house and does a great job of blending in with the garden,” says the firm’s principal, Annie Ritz. 

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Studio Green, Farrow & Ball

Muddled Basil by Sherwin-Williams

The best way Danica Gadeken, the creator of the interior design blog Nadine Stay, can describe her house color is by comparing it to the texture of velvet. The hue is “buttery soft,” and that’s in part due to her careful choosing of a satin sheen. Unlike a flat finish, it is more forgiving when it comes to hosing off dirt and “adds a luster that feels luxe,” she attests. 

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Muddled Basil, Sherwin-Williams

Dill by Sherwin-Williams

Not only does this pick go well with brick siding, it also looks great with wood—all at the same time, as Caroline Edwards and Nicholas Kraft’s Laurel Canyon home proves. The overall goal of the couple’s renovation was to stay true to the neighborhood’s rock-and-roll roots, and a groovy green like this, with warm hints of yellow, give it a nostalgic feel without skewing pea green. 

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Dill, Sherwin-Williams

Jasper by Sherwin-Williams

Michigan-based design and build company KLH Custom Homes combined two fresh ideas on this lake house. In addition to loving all things verdant, designer Liz Hoekzma is digging cement board siding (also known as LP or Hardie board) right now. It can be painted and repainted easily, plus the spacing and orientation is customizable, and it’s more cost-effective than shiplap. 

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Jasper, Sherwin-Williams

Weekend Upstate by Backdrop

In case you were questioning green’s versatility throughout the seasons, photographer Anna Petrow’s Kansas City home—swathed in this dusty blue-green that plays nicely with snowfall—will calm your nerves. 

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Weekend Upstate, Backdrop

Morris Trellis by Morris & Co.

Don’t leave your front door out of all the fun. If you decide to go with a pick that skews black, it can make for a dramatic entrance with a historic feel (this hue is pulled from one of Morris & Co.’s earliest designs in the 1860s). Your neighbors will naturally be filled with envy, and that’s really what curb appeal is all about. 

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Morris Trellis, Morris & Co.

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Sunflowers. Poppies. Wildflowers. Teeny-tiny, blown-up big, textural. Framed by piped edges, splashed across beds, painted. Flowers spring up everywhere in the home of photographer Nicki Sebastian; her husband, Roni; and their two daughters, Cami and Cece. 

The blossoms aren’t only meaningful in their exuberance. For Nicki, they’re a symbol of community and healing through what she calls the darkest part of her life. Following a routine checkup just three weeks after moving into their circa-1940s ranch in L.A.’s Westchester neighborhood, Nicki was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer that meant she would immediately have to decamp from their dream scenario. “I was plucked out of my life and put in a hospital in a bubble for six months,” she remembers. “My new home became UCLA.” 

Over that stretch of time, “flowers became the way in which people supported me through the cancer experience,” Nicki says. Friends and followers would share photos of blooms on Instagram and tag her. Since she wasn’t allowed to have visitors, a group of her closest friends even dressed up as sunflowers and held up signs outside of her window that read ”Nick This in the Bud.“ “It was both heartbreaking and beautiful and wonderful and just intense all at once,” she recalls. 

Through it all, Nicki remained thankful for the home they had found after a two-year-long hunt. Reconciling her and Roni’s taste in interiors took time—he leans modern; she is drawn to traditional bordering on cottagecore—but as soon as they stepped inside in January 2021, there was no need to draw up a treaty. They not only loved its proximity to the beach and the quaint character of the neighborhood, but the price for the square footage wasn’t bad either. 

“I could just picture our family growing up here,” Nicki says of the warm, light-filled interiors. It also surprisingly reminded her of the house she grew up in on the other side of the country, in Pennsylvania. The curved doorways, doorbell nook, and long hallway with a coat closet—all were characteristics she didn’t know were so familiar to her. She initially wanted whitewashed walls and to figure things out from there, but after finishing treatment, the home took on an entirely new meaning, becoming a sanctuary.

While the ample natural light had initially driven her to keep things airy and bright, joy took the steering wheel in the aftermath of her illness. And after so much time in a bare hospital room (“That’s all I stared at for six months”), Nicki wanted vibrant, abundant energy. “I wasn’t able to get out and about for quite some time because of my compromised immune system, so it was really important that I was surrounded by color and cheer and positivity, and things that reflected my girls,” she says. So she turned to a powerful sign of rebirth: flowers. By infusing the family’s everyday objects and spaces with botanical patterns, whether on art, bedding, or wallpaper, Nicki says she’s always reminded of the support she received.

In many ways, the interiors are as much a study in collaboration and friendship as they are family. Nicki notes that the brands she works with regularly on shoots—Jenni Kayne, Heather Taylor Home, Dôen, Everhem—have been influential in how she decorated. “Being around all of these elements and photographing them for so long, it just seemed like a natural progression to have them in my own living space,” she says. Surrounding herself with the creations of people she knows and loves only contributes to the happiness factor.

Nicki mixes in secondhand finds from Facebook Marketplace or vintage stores to round everything out. Her eclectic touch is especially felt in the couple’s second-floor bedroom; she refers to it as the nest, where she says she has “spent more time than I ever imagined.” Their bed is piled high with patterns: floral sheets and pillows by Nicki’s friend Hillary Justin from Bliss and Mischief; gingham pillows by Heather Taylor; a patchwork quilt from Nickey Kehoe. The neighboring armchair adds to the cozy, collaborative feel. After thrifting it, Taylor sent her a few monochrome gingham tablecloths she had in stock; instead of saving them for dinner parties, Nicki smartly had the seat reupholstered with them. 

But perhaps her favorite object is propped up on their vintage dresser. Designed for Nicki by Jimmy Marble to mark the beginning of her remission, the Every Yes Ever print holds a significant place in her heart. “The first light from sunrise just happens to hit the piece square in the center, which I know to be Jesse,” she says, acknowledging her friend and Jimmy’s late wife, Jesse Chamberlain Marble, who passed away in June 2021 due to lymphoma.

The girls’ rooms are drenched in colors—pink and “dinosaur green,” Cece’s request—that Nicki says reflects exactly who they are right now. That is, with a little help from Mom. “I gave them the Farrow & Ball palette to choose from,” she says, laughing. The brilliant trick of turning two closets in Cece’s room into a reading spot and storage corner extended the square footage with very little effort. “As a kid, I was obsessed with forts and nooks and little hideaways. I would always claim corners of closets and make them my clubhouses,” Nicki says of her inspiration for the change. Another kind of obsession also factored in: throw pillows. “You truly cannot max out on ruffled gingham pillows,” she declares, laughing, as evidenced by how many Taylor creations are scattered around.  

The statement embodies Nicki’s current mentality. She insists there hasn’t been a minute that she hasn’t had fun giving life to their space. “It could be because of what I had been through, and just feeling this immense gratitude for having a second chance and the opportunity to create a haven for my family to grow into,” she says.

Finally at a stage where the family can host, they do so regularly. (There were many months, due to both the pandemic and Nicki’s recovery, when they had to restrict guests.) Now she loves to encourage play for both adults and little ones alike. There’s almost always a 1,000-piece puzzle on the dining room table; a Lego spread has taken up residence in the living room’s bay window; and the back couch (RH by way of Facebook Marketplace) acts as a “big foam pit” for kids speeding between point A and B. The energy that the home radiates is life-giving for Nicki.  

“I find myself just taking moments away from my laptop and looking around and smiling to myself,” she muses. “I know that sounds so cheesy, but it’s 100 percent true.” And wherever she is, she’s never far from flowers. 

The Goods

Cascade Meadow Wallpaper, 30-Foot Roll, Hygge West for Schoolhouse ($245)

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Lichen, Farrow & Ball ($130)

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Pacific Bed, Queen, Jenni Kayne ($4,595)

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Santa Barbara Rattan Round Pendant, Serena & Lily ($698)

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The post Flowers Got This L.A. Photographer Through 6 Months in the Hospital, So She Made Her Home an Ode to Them appeared first on domino.

At the home of self-taught interior stylist and designer Stacey-Ann Blake, splashes of color and unexpected pops of pattern abound: A tomato red sofa sits by the fireplace; paint-splattered wallpaper enlivens her daughter Cheyenne’s nursery; and although Blake’s aesthetic is eccentric, each decision is deliberate. “I live with a space for a bit, envision how I want it to look and feel, and take my time finding quality pieces,” says the mom of three. “I’m Jamaican. My approach is influenced by my culture.” 

Known to her more than 50,000 Instagram followers as @designaddictmom, Blake (a schoolteacher by profession) sparked a passion for design while living in Italy. But it wasn’t until she was pregnant and on maternity leave with her firstborn, Zion, in 2008, that she discovered the world of blogging—“a by-product of being a military wife,” she says. Her husband, Andre, now a retired United States Army Special Forces Green Beret, could be deployed for up to a year when he was on active duty. “I was alone a lot,” she continues. “And I had a voracious appetite for interior magazines.” Blake chuckles as she recounts her initial experiments: “Each time my husband would return home, our walls would be a different color.” With a growing belly and an influx of free time, Blake was inspired to build her own digital platform. The family pad became her laboratory for showcasing joyful home improvement projects—a statement patchwork ottoman here, a whimsical light fixture there. Eventually, major brands caught on and partnerships with Target and Universal Studios followed. 

When construction on the family’s current home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, began in 2010, Blake oversaw the design of the ranch-style property, which took eight months to complete, often while she was solo parenting and juggling a toddler on her hip (Ian, their middle child, arrived in 2011). “I chose a blueprint that facilitated living with young children,” Blake says of the airy, open layout topped by a cathedral ceiling. “It was important for us to be able to see them from different spaces as they played.” She also added dormer windows to allow extra light to flood in—a crucial element for her 30-plus plants to thrive.  

The sunroom houses the majority of the potted beauties, and the most coveted of the pack, Glory, dominates the bright space. “She’s definitely worth her diva status,” says Blake of the over-the-top fiddle-leaf fig tree, whose robust fan base on social media coerced her into starting an account: @glorythefig. “Taking care of them is a form of self-care,” she continues. “[Plants] help change the vibe of your home and your overall health.” (Blake’s green thumb extends to the bountiful fruit and veggie gardens in the backyard, too—a nod to her Caribbean heritage: “I come from a family of farmers, so I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.”) 

That ability to nurture happy, healthy little sprouts translates into the kids’ spaces, where self-expression is key. Extending across an entire wall in Zion and Ian’s bedroom is a world map that was integrated into their bedtime routine so that when Andre was away, he wouldn’t just be an abstract figure. Each night the mural presented an opportunity for conversation. “We could talk about and point to where Dada was in the world and tell him good night,” explains Blake. “It’s an ongoing tool that we use all the time, and they still love it.” On the opposite end of the room is the children’s gallery wall, which showcases their drawings (the artistic gene runs deep) among framed pieces by Joan Miró and Ed Heck, so “they can see their work on display and be proud of what they’ve done.” When choosing the paint, “I was mindful to find a color that was not noisy,” says Blake. “Zion is autistic, so I researched calming shades.” She found the “most mellow” of blues (Twinkle Twinkle, which has since been repainted in Brittany Blue, both by Benjamin Moore), which all three siblings enjoy in the serene play zone. 

Throughout the house, Blake’s signature statement paint selections serve as vibrant backdrops, especially for her art collection to really shine. In the hot pink foyer, a windswept scene by Jonathan Green and a striking portrait by Erin Robinson hang alongside artifacts and sculptures picked up in Jamaica and Italy. Justina Blakeney created the abstract work in the main bedroom, and the digital prints perched against the wall are by Montreal-based studio EdB & Paprika. “My travels play a big part in my design decisions,” says Blake. “Seeing how others live and how they use color is an inspiration for me.” 

Even the geometric overlay on the expansive living room bookcase (actually a cleverly disguised trio of lacquered wood sliding doors) features a pop of orange (her favorite hue). Filled with color-coded titles—everything from The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon to The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho—with room for toys to be tucked into the bottom cubbies, the Technicolor library is the true heart of the home.

Of course, no matter what the design project, Blake always keeps her three children in mind. “The spaces aren’t cluttered and I’m cognizant of sharp edges—there’s a flow,” she explains. “They are taught to respect the furniture, but no room is off-limits.” So if Cheyenne decides to climb up on a chair to make forts (a favorite activity), the kid-friendly quarters are there to delight at every turn. And that love for creating comfortable, feel-good interiors is becoming a household interest: Having seen the recent renovation of the main bathroom, “Zion said to me, ‘So when are you going to renovate our bathroom?’” Blake relays with a laugh. 

The Goods

Nelson Sunburst Clock by George Nelson for Vitra, Lumens ($544)

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Coral Gables Paint, Benjamin Moore (starting from $53)

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World Map Mural by York Wallcoverings, Amazon ($200)

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See Green Print by Brooklyn Dolly, Etsy ($75)

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6 Books for Raising Socially Aware Citizens

“These titles are great for increasing awareness of global issues,” says Blake, who teaches in an international school system.

1. If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche A glimpse into the homes of people around the globe—from a Venetian palazzo to a traditional New Mexican pueblo—with stunning illustrations.
2. Islandborn by Junot Díaz Being Jamaican, I gravitated toward Islandborn and found it relatable—a story about the power of belonging and imagination.
3. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña A bus trip through the city sparks questions from a curious boy to his grandma, who offers perspective on helping others and finding beauty in unexpected places.
4. My School in the Rainforest by Margriet Ruurs Provides insight into what school looks like for children in different parts of the world—Afghanistan, the Sahara, Guatemala—through photo essays taken by the teachers.  
5. Tree of Dreams by Laura Resau With a great theme and a heartwarming story line, Tree of Dreams shows how our food choices (in this case chocolate) directly affect other people, as well as the environment.
6. We Are All Born Free by Amnesty International An illustrated version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this book highlights the importance of tolerance with a child-friendly message. 

This story was originally published in our Kids 2020 issue with the headline “Bright and Bold.”

The post In This North Carolina Family’s Prismatic Home, Hot Pink and Neon Coral Are Neutrals appeared first on domino.

Bold enough to fulfill your cravings for color, but easy enough to live in your house forever, blue kitchens are staking their claim. But are you really surprised? Blue paint colors have been trending in a big way for the past few years. And while we’ve seen the hue take shape in saturated bedrooms and pattern-forward bathrooms, the color lends itself particularly well to the heart of the home.

From matte sapphire to midnight, we’ve seen just about every shade work wonders for kitchens. So how do you know which swatch is right for you? We asked the owners and designers behind 18 of our favorite blue kitchen cabinets to find out. Read on for the exact paint colors to try for the same looks.

The Farmhouse Blue: Marea Baja by Sherwin-Williams

Designer Charlie Ferrer pulled from this Hamptons home’s original blue and white color palette during the renovation, resulting in harlequin checks on the hardwood floors and this “cool denim blue” on the cabinetry. “A room doesn’t have to be cottagey to feel whimsical,” he says—and we think this sophisticated mix of color and pattern embodies that motto. 

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Marea Baja, Sherwin-Williams

The Blue for Tall Cabinets: Bluebird by Paint & Paper Library 

If you want to sneak other paint colors into your kitchen, consider relegating blue to a wall of tall pantry cabinets. This breezy blue lends a sense of airiness to this kitchen, designed by Lizzie Green. 

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Bluebird, Paint & Paper Library

The Blue Trifecta: Pale Powder, Light Blue, and De Nimes by Farrow & Ball

Washington, D.C.–based designer Zoe Feldman gave the kitchen’s existing cabinets a gradient facelift by using a variety of blue paints (the walls are Pale Powder, the medium door fronts are Light Blue, and the pantry cupboards are De Nimes, all by Farrow & Ball). “When you squint your eyes, they kind of smudge together,” says Feldman. “It’s very calming.”

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Pale Powder, Farrow & Ball

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Light Blue, Farrow & Ball

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De Nimes, Farrow & Ball

The Boutique Hotel Blue: Beach Glass by Benjamin Moore

The kitchen at Daunt’s Albatross Motel will make you want to book a ticket to Montauk ASAP. Designer Oliver Haslegrave, founder of Brooklyn-based Home Studios, chose a soothing blue with hints of gray and seafoam that play nicely with the flagstone floors and cobalt backsplash. 

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Beach Glass, Benjamin Moore

The Tropical Blue: Soft Turquoise by Behr

In artist Abel Macias’s Los Angeles home, the kitchen is painted a vibrant turquoise to match the original 1920s linoleum floor. “We couldn’t change the tile, so we decided to fully embrace it,” he told us.

Soft Turquoise, Behr ($5)

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The Gray Blue: Bleu Byzance by Argile Pinture

In Julia Rouzaud’s kitchen, a complete gut reno, a rich gray-blue coats the cabinetry. Paired with a burnt terracotta hood and rosewood hardware, the shade appears more like cornflower in person.

Bleu Byzance, Argile Pintures

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The Sky Blue: Solitude by Benjamin Moore 

Designer Elizabeth Stamos saved close to $30,000 on her kitchen remodel by keeping her existing Shaker-style cherrywood cabinets and simply painting the fronts in this sophisticated shade. She added trim to the top of the cupboards for a bespoke look. 

Solitude, Benjamin Moore

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The Grounding Blue: Blue Note by Benjamin Moore 

The saturated navy blue island in this Studio McGee–designed space acts as a centering force in the almost-completely-white room. The subway tile and crisp white uppers have so much more character thanks to the statement moment. 

Blue Note by Benjamin Moore

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The English Blue: Hicks Blue by Little Greene 

Classic and modern all at once, the dreamy matte shade that Tiffany Grant-Riley chose for her Edwardian house in Kent, England, was a fitting choice for the historic space (the home is more than a century old). After dousing the cupboards in the color, she painted the wall next to them so it reads like one unit. 

Hicks Blue by Little Greene

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The Retro Blue: Lambeth Walk by Mylands

Calling all white kitchen devotees: Consider this seamless London kitchen by Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio the ultimate case for embracing subtle color. Given the pale blue hue’s vintage vibes, the pair took a contemporary approach to the cabinetry by opting for cutouts over hardware. “We had cherrywood put in the backs of the finger-pull handles on the drawers to reference the original cherrywood doors throughout the apartment,” says Whitehead. “The warmth of the cherrywood works beautifully with the cool blue.”

Lambeth Walk by Mylands, Mylands ($5)

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The Barely There Blue: Kentucky Haze by Benjamin Moore

Inspired by the pale gray hues of the U.S. coastline and the earth tones of the Southwestern desert, this soft, neutral blue effortlessly marries the colors of the American landscape. It seems only fitting that the shade found a place in Kim West’s Austin home. In true camouflage form, the inset appliances blend right into the picturesque background.  

Kentucky Haze by Benjamin Moore, Benjamin Moore ($4)

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The Oceanic Blue: Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball

In this coastal Maine home, designed by Heidi Lachapelle Interiors, a maritime blue rounds out the waterfront views beyond. While the subtly aged and not-too-nautical choice was largely inspired by a large oil painting that sits in the same space, this color stands on its own.

Oval Room Blue by Farrow and Ball, Farrow and Ball ($5)

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The Fan-Favorite Blue: Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball

It’s easy to see why Hague Blue has become one of the most popular swatches for the kitchen and beyond: This color is incredibly versatile. In a serene San Francisco home by Saffron and Poe, the striking shade takes on a Mediterranean point of view against a graphic tiled backsplash.  

Hague Blue by Farrow and Ball, Farrow and Ball ($5)

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The Professional Blue: Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore

Formal, tailored, and totally classic, Gentleman’s Gray is the blue swatch equivalent of a wise British man in a top hat. That said, the hue’s sophistication lends itself particularly well to edgy and contemporary designs. Just take this unexpected kitchen by Black Lacquer Design. Juxtaposed with a rich slab of black marble, the matte color feels decidedly fresh.  

Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore

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The Feels-Like-Vacation Blue: In the Tropics by Benjamin Moore

Reminiscent of turquoise waters in the Caribbean, one can almost feel the warm ocean breeze in Edith Young’s New York City kitchen. Given its sultry tones, Young used the swatch cleverly, honing in on a smaller space so that its luxurious color could have major visual impact.

In the Tropics by Benjamin Moore, Benjamin Moore ($5)

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The Background Blue: Heron Blue by Portola

Tending toward traditional, this balanced hue can go coastal cool or inland sophisticate, depending on the materials, fixtures, and other design details you incorporate into the space. In the case of this beachside retreat in Marina Del Rey, Stefani Stein invoked the laid-back aesthetic of a California rancher by matching the color with a quartzite countertop, farmhouse sink, and oak floors.

Heron Blue by Portola, Portola ($5)

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The Relaxed Bohemian Blue: Boro by PaperMint

Australian designer Sibella Court’s free spirit shines in her Sydney kitchen, where a “subtle but stormy palette” reigns supreme. The moody, sea-inspired indigo she chose for the island and cabinets picks up on the relaxed yet eclectic vibe and serves as an anchor for the humble materials used throughout her home, like zinc, brass, rope, leather, and cane.

Boro by PaperMint, PaperMint ($5)

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The Green-Blue: Olympus Green by Benjamin Moore

When Homepolish designer Barbie Palomino and her husband, Jason, were renovating their 100-year-old Los Angeles home, she wanted green and he wanted blue. Cue the perfect compromise. A Carrara quartz countertop sets the scene for a fresh and clean space, while the bluish green cabinet color gives the room the playful feel it was looking for.

Olympus Green by Benjamin Moore, Benjamin Moore ($5)

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The post The 18 Best Paint Colors for Blue Kitchen Cabinets, Straight From Our Favorite Spaces appeared first on domino.