Colorful Interiors Win

Not surprisingly, the boldest and brightest hues were winners last week in Benjamin Moore's contest for best use of color in architecture and interiors. A lifetime achievement award was presented to the NY design team of William Diamond and Anthony Baratta. Above, an entryway in Captiva, Florida, by Diamond Baratta Design.

Are you suddenly thinking of a tropical getaway? Or maybe a blue box from Tiffany's?

Color in Patterns

Brighten up your winter with a new tropical color combination or two. In this inspirational rethink of a simple chandelier, the fixture was painted a cheerful canary yellow and the shades were re-covered in contrasting wallpaper patterns of pink, yellow and red. Pink trimming on all the shades adds a dash of style and subtly pulls the various papers together.

A whimsical substitute for simply mixing around patterned pillows on the sofa.

Image courtesy of bhg.com

Color of the Year

It's not surprising that the color Pantone, the professional color standard, has selected for its 2010 color of the year is: sort of green. But it's green made better, with a blend of blue and called Turquoise or 15-5519. It evokes the calm image of tropical waters and the vacation we so desperately need at this time of year. (Okay, well maybe I should only speak for myself).

For more info on this or any color, visit Pantone.