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Using A Cloth Napkin For Color Scheme Inspiration

Please tell me you sung that title to the tune of the Brady Bunch? If not I’ll give you a minute to get to it.

Now that we have that out of the way, I thought I’d share our inspiration command center when it comes to the new house. It’s this napkin that we scored on clearance from Crate & Barrel (which you might recognize from this post of yore).

Napkin Alone

I kid you not. That napkin is like the Sue Sylvester of Casa Petersik when it comes to picking colors and pinning down that ever elusive whole-house-color-scheme. She’s loud. She’s totally in charge. And she’s fun to watch. Thankfully no bullhorn though. That wouldn’t go over well with Burger.

When it came time to choose a color for the back of the built-in bookcases, Ms. Napkin was the inspiration. Same with our bedroom walls and the artichokey green color that we’re thinking about in the kitchen. We literally pull swatches, hang them on the wall in each room to see what we like, decide on a favorite, and then make sure that they look nice next to El Napkin before running to the store to get paint. We definitely haven’t been holding swatches up to the napkin to find a perfect match to every color or anything (we’re picking based on what looks best on the wall in each room, and then just making sure it “goes” with Sue). Look, here we have some of our favorite swatches with her:

Napkin Swatches

Not all of the swatches are reading exactly as they look on the wall (which of course is par for the course, so always hold something up to the wall in your space to see how it looks depending on the lighting sitch), but the top swatch is our blue-green-gray bedroom swatch (looking quite tame next to all that color and pattern): Catalina Crescent Roll Carolina Inn Club Aqua by Valspar (get that joke here). The second swatch (which is reading less dark and moody in this pic) is the color that we used on the back of the bookcases (Dragonfly from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line). The third one is the color we’re contemplating for the kitchen walls… when we finally work up the momentum to tackle that room (Agave from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line). The fourth one is a deep aubergine plummy tone with chocolate undertones (Caponata from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line) that we’d love to work in somewhere when I put on my big girl pants and grow some cojones). And the bottom swatch is a super layered and moody deep teal (the photo does its depth of color no justice) that I’m working up the guts to use in the hall bathroom (Benjamin Moore’s Teal Ocean). Yeah, it should be interesting to say the least…

What is it about that napkin that speaks to us? We have no idea. Other than the fact that we like the colors and we like how they look together. So if they can work on a square of fabric why shouldn’t they work in a house? It might be a foolish plan of attack, but we intend to see it through either way. And it’s so easy to pop Sue in my purse and keep her with us when we’re out shopping. Because even though our colors don’t match her to a T, they definitely “go.” So if we see something that goes with El Napkin, it probably will go with our house. Look, it even looks good with my Christmas teapot from the hubs. Nicely done Mr. Petersik.

Napkin Kettle

Who really knows where we’ll end up. We’re just taking things one day at a time and are definitely dedicated to taking more risks with bold color and pattern than we did in our first house. Especially with the bambino around. We’re just feeling the more-playful-splashes-of-color approach over the whole beachy-airy-neutral thing that we did last time. Should be fun.

Comments

  2. susan says

    Love the theme of using ‘the napkin’ colors. Great colors, fun, whimsical, with it, current and all those other great adjectives. Can’s wait to see more colors go up. susan

    Reply

  4. Kristina says

    I have been struggling with continuity in our house. I love the napkin! My style is more bold and I love this fabric I had stretched over canvas and hung on my living room wall. All the colors in our house so far go with it. I am going to use it as a guide, it’s perfect! Thanks so much! You two are the best teachers! A question…do you include Clara’s room when considering the overall look of your house?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Kristina,

      We did! Her room is a light pink with purple and gray undertones which actually looks great against the napkin. It’s not a specific color found in the napkin, but it definitely goes!

      xo,
      s

  5. pam says

    I did the same thing with a napkin from Longaberger when we re-modeled our kitchen. They’re very easy to carry around with you so quick decisions are much easier when you find the perfect items unexpectedly on sale.
    Good thing I didn’t start painting my bedroom – 2 weeks after I ordered the duvet cover from West Elm, I get a message saying it’s no longer available. Not happy with that “customer service” at all. Now to find a new inspiration piece for the master bedroom…

    Reply

  6. Ever - The red house by the lake says

    I love this approach! So many people seem to think that colors must be difficult and hard instead of just finding something that they enjoy and use that as a base. In time, one always find other colors that can compliment or change the first choice (as I think red or a deep pink/magenta could do in your palette).

    Reply

  7. Kelley says

    Every time y’all do the Carolina Blue joke all I hear in my head is “It’s the Catalina Wine Mixer!” joke from Step Brothers. Probably not appropriate, but I laugh every time.

    Reply

  8. Andrea says

    Oh, I love those tear-sheets! And picking your colors from a napkin is an insanely portable way to make sure they all work.

    Can’t wait to see more. You guys seriously are home improvement heroes. I love reading this blog.

    Reply

  9. Isabella says

    Tee-hee, I notice you (deliberately?) left out a living room color! Maybe you’ve painted it already…can’t wait! The agave looks even better on myperfectcolor.com – muddier, I think. Looking forward to seeing it with the gray living areas and white cabinets!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Isabella,

      We’ve been searching for the perfect muddy gray color for the dining room, office, and living room- but we haven’t settled on the perfect shade just yet. Soon hopefully!

      xo,
      s

  10. Katy B says

    I am so in love with navy right now, and of course grey like everyone else. I hope this trend stays around as long as my former love, and now strong distaste, for brown.
    You know I have looked at that picture from the House Beautiful on many occassion and never noticed the little ottoman tucked under the table. This of course, is not a new idea (is anything these days). But, I have been wanting a goldtone coffee table with a passion, only to realize we needed an ottomon. Looks like I could have both. Never dawned on before I saw that picture again. Also, I love the painting and orange pillows.
    I just purchased a vintage Kilim rug with mostly red, blue, green, and earth tones. Do you think you could mix a little orange pillows in? Maybe too much, but I want to try.
    As always, thanks for the inspiration!!

    Reply

  12. Mindy says

    Dude, now I’m going to be signing Fresh Prince all day… {yesterday it was “what’s up with that” from SNL. Woooo-eeee!} Love the colors–so fresh and so clean {clean} :) I also really like the Kalamata Olive that someone recommended earlier too–have you guys ever chosen a paint color just by the name of it? We’re guilty of it… My husband painted his office “Ghost Ship” because he thought it sounded awesome, but sadly we’re not totally stoked with the color; it’s more baby blue than eerie gray. Oh me.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Mindy,

      We’ve eliminated paint for having a lame name, does that count. Haha. And we’ve definitely been attracted to paint based on the name, but we still try to pick our favorite color without letting the name be the determining factor. Just so we don’t end up with something tht sounds yummier than it actually looks…

      xo,
      s

  13. Krystal says

    I am loving all of those colors (and that napkin)! …but not as much as I am loving the Brady Bunch theme song right now. haha. My step-dad has diabetes and when his sugar is insanely high (like 700, so his meter just reads back HI) he walks around the house singing old TV theme songs. Among Gilligan’s Island and Three’s Company Two, the Brady Bunch theme song is one of his favorites. Despite it being a sign of his bad health, my mom and I still find it highly entertaining.

    Reply

  14. Sara says

    I love your first tear sheet…it is also my inspiration for my living room, which is part of an open floor plan with my dining room and kitchen. I have the Chloe couches from Macy’s in sea foam so that picture is a great jumping off point for me. Can’t wait to see how you integrate that color scheme into your place!

    Reply

  16. jane andreassen says

    oh… there’s your mirror (or at least the shape) in the house beautiful pic.
    By the way, I saw that mirror at Lowes and they had it hung 45 degrees turned. It’s funny what a difference it made. For me, it was the difference between liking it and not liking it. (I lke the way you hang it.)

    Reply

  18. charlotte says

    Love your new color direction with the napkin! But I am still coveting your beachy-airy look for my own home. I have beige wallpaper walls with very off-white trim throughout. Can that look still be achieved even if my trim is not glossy white like in your Skipper house?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Charlotte,

      Yes, that could totally work- but glossy white trim is really beachy and crisp so that couldn’t hurt either. If you have the patience to redo it you’ll most likely fall in love with it!

      xo,
      s

  19. Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says

    Love this.

    How is getting settled into this house different from getting into Casa Numero Uno? I was thinking the other day that it must be a little different because improvements are kind of your job and you’re both home now. More fun? More stressful?

    Reply

  22. caitlin says

    too funny! i also have an inspirational cloth napkin! i got them as a gift for christmas from pier one, and i love the color combos on it so much, and realized they already matched a few things in my home, that i kind of match up paint swatches to them. i never really told anyone that though. consider this post me breaking my silence :)

    Reply

  23. Richard says

    We have a really similar green to the one you mentioned in our kitchen, and i love it! Sweet Vibrations(391)from Benjamin Moore. It’s a great base for some pops of white and brighter colors. Have you guys done a green color match for the napkin stripe yet?

    Reply

  24. maggie says

    Hey when you got the benjamin moore paint chip matched to valspar, what was the name of the valspar paint? For some reason im confused. Could you give me the number on the valspar paint chip along with the name.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Maggie,

      You just bring the Benjamin Moore or Valspar paint chip to the store (we actually had BM’s Dragonfly and Valspar’s Carolina Inn Club Aqua matched to Olympic’s no VOC paint at Lowe’s). They just scan the color on the chip and custom mix it for you in the brand that you want. So you don’t give them numbers, they just scan the chip and make their own formula using the base paint you’d like. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  25. Sara says

    I love all the paint colors you are thinking about. I’m really waiting to see what you do with the kitchen, that’s the room I’m most excited to see you tackle next.

    I don’t know if you had heard or seen this online yet, but Valspar is giving away 1,000 free paint samples and a $5 off coupon each day. I think they start everyday at midnight. They have already reached the limit for the day, but you might want to try again at midnight:

    http://www.valsparatlowes.com/valpaint/store/fsColorWall.html

    Reply

  29. Anya says

    the thing that spoke to me the most was the fact that your bathroom mirror “shape” seems to match a mirror on the wall in one of your tear sheets, nice work! smile.

    Reply

  30. Annalea says

    I read the title the first time straight, then my brain played it back to me to the Brady Bunch tune, wholly against my will. lol

    And you referring to “Ms.” Sue as “El” Napkin* sure made me laugh . . . reminds me of A Boy Named Sue. (There’s one rough word near the end that’s beeped out, but it’s displayed in the lyrics on screen, fyi.)

    Thanks for the smile!

    * (In Spanish, “El” either means “he” or is the masculine form of “the”, so Sue should be “La Napkin” ;o)

    Reply

  32. Jessie SP says

    We just painted a living room wall a similar color to your “Dragonfly.” I love it! It changes color from blue to green depending on the light. It’s going to serve as the backdrop to lots of great art and photos in the near future, but for now we’re just rejoicing in the completion of the drywalling, mudding, sanding, priming, and painting that got us to this point! Photos here: http://53masonstreet.blogspot.com/2010/12/ive-teased-you-long-enoughhere-are.html

    Reply

  33. Ecochic says

    I am LOVING that Agave colour for the kitchen. Because I spend a lot of time in mine, I always want it to be a cheerful place. A yellow-hued colour like that would be marvelous!

    I think I have to use a napkin or object for similar inspiration, just to show the BF that yes, these things can/do/will go together. Trust me.

    Reply

  34. Tara says

    You probably noticed this, but the second “inspiration photo” has the same mirror as you added to your bathroom. I think the white looks better than the gold-flake.

    Reply

  35. Janna says

    I have an inspirational cloth napkin too! Its one from Target I found a year ago and have decorated my living room in the colors from that napkin – I even made curtins out of tablecloths with the same pattern:)

    Reply

  36. Debra says

    I love your style and wish I had a daughter/son just like you! You both are such fun! Seeing the amazing things you are doing with you casa brightens my day! Always fun to see what you’re up to next!

    Reply

  37. Jana says

    LOVE that napkin and am considering turning two of them into a pillow for my master bedroom. It looks like a charcoal and light gray color are included in the napkin….is that true, or is my screen misleading me?

    THANK YOU!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The napkin definitely has some gray undertones, but there aren’t really charcoals. The dark color you might think is charcoal is a deep inky blue like the tea kettle. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Ashley,

      Haha, we’d love that! They’re just too small. If only we could lay her out on a few of them without them getting all folded and twisted under her. She’s too much of a wiggler these days!

      xo,
      s

  39. Jennie says

    I’m loving the Sue Sylvester reference. :)

    “I’m going to ask you to smell your armpits. That’s the smell of failure, and it’s stinking up my office.”

    Everything looks great!

    Reply

  40. Carla says

    I love how your whole house will end up flowing together so nicely. I’ve kinda got one thing going in the public spaces and another in the private ones … maybe someday I’ll find that perfect napkin. In the meantime I’m totally diggin the blue gray with clementine example, that’s the direction I’m going for in my bedroom. Thanks, as always, for the inspiration.

    Reply

  41. mary W. says

    Love the inspiration & love that it is found in the most fantastic places–like a napkin! I have a question about some random rule about a house should only be painted in 3 colors, does this matter/who made this up? And how are you liking your satin finish–since we are afraid of any finish higher that eggshell for fear the walls will always look wet? Would love to know! xox

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Mary W,

      Rules are meant to be broken! No idea who coined that one but we wholeheartedly disagree! As for the satin finish we’re loving it. The odd thing is if we didn’t know it was satin we’d think it was flat. There is literally no discernible difference to us. They definitely don’t look wet or anything- and are a far cry from the much glossier semi-gloss finish. But eggshell would be lovely too I’, sure (it would probably look exactly the same- haha). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  42. Naomi says

    Your post crack me up! I have an inspirational napkin that is helping me pick colours for the house we are currently hunting.
    My love to Sue :)

    Reply

  45. Jessika says

    My seven year old daugther Clara(!) hade some trouble explaining to me how she wanted her new room to look. Until she found her “napkin”.
    We were out shopping and she found a bracelet made of pearls with an oriental touch in colour and style.
    “This is how I want my room!”, she said – and I understood perfectly.
    Now her room is dressed in plum, dark pink and turqoise with details in brass. And she loves it!

    Reply

  46. Jennifer says

    I did this with our first house. I loved a shower curtain we got as a wedding gift, and I used it as the palette for the whole house. The results were phenomenal. I think you have a good plan, and one that you know will pull together colors that play well together! Good luck… and I love the aubergine shade!

    Reply

  47. Chrissy says

    S-
    Wondering if you have any info on the mirror in the second house beautiful ad. The link just takes me to a generic house beautiful page and that mirror is EXACTLY what I have been searching for for our entryway. Any help will be much appreciated!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Chrissy,

      We have no idea where that mirror is from, but it’s suuuper similar to the one we just got for our bathroom nook at Lowe’s (scroll back for that post). Maybe you can silver leaf it (or use hammered silver spray paint) for the same effect? Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  48. Jill says

    Another great green is BM’s Agave from the affintiy line. We used it on a wall in our son’s nursery and love it!

    Reply

  49. Ashley says

    Regarding the napkin background for a weekly Clara pic – maybe you could attach several of them together using packing tape on the backs of the edges? :) Just an idea – you guys are the experts!

    Reply

  50. jenn says

    the napkin inspiration is definitely not as weird as it sounds. i have found inspiration in many of inanimate objects. i would love a couch or walls in the colour of a rock i found (gray)… hahaha it’s so weird when you say it out loud but it makes perfect sense.

    my dad actually has the last colour (aqua) in a bathroom, a smallllll bathroom. it looks fab! i love how it looks next to all the pristine white and some silver splashed in there.

    have you thought of using the purplish colour in claras bathroom? it might work with the white and black. it might be too dark for a small bathroom but i love the colour. it would look great in a bedroom in my opinion.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Jenn,

      We’re definitely still changing our minds about how and where we’ll use each color… so a deep plum could totally end up in the hall bathroom. We shall see!

      xo,
      s

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