How we use color throughout a home

We staged a home this week that is a great example of how to carry a color palette throughout a home.

When we decorate a home (or even just a room), we begin by creating a color palette. This palette includes the wall paint colors, as well as the pops of accent colors we will use in furniture and decor. For our recent project, we created a palette of yellow, greens and blues, with gray and white acting as our neutrals.

Tip: when you're creating your palette, don't forget to take into account the color of the floors and any existing trim or woodwork. This home featured dark wood floors.

We used the yellow downstairs in the living room rug and on the kitchen/dining room walls, and then carried it upstairs on an accent wall in the office area.

We featured green on the upstairs wall, on the kids' room walls (photo below), and in pieces such as rugs, artwork and books throughout the home.

Note the pops of yellow in this room as well!

And we chose blues as accent walls in the master and guest bedrooms.

In the master, note how the pillows, artwork, rug, pouf and throw all introduce different, yet complementary, blues.

In the guestroom, you can just see a sliver of the blue accent wall; notice that yellow features prominently in the room as well.

Even the home's exterior showcased our palette!

Note the peppy yellow door.

One of our slogans is "add some color to your life" -- and this house shows exactly how we like to do that!

Visual Jill's top 5 tips for unique style

We're really excited about the house we just completed. It showcases the top 5 ingredients that we always include in our projects to make them shine.

1. Modern in the mix -- Our designs always include at least a few mid-century modern pieces, mixed in with more transitional styles. In this living room, note the iconic Nelson bench paired with the upholstered green armchairs and white couch.

And in the library, we used our favorite Eames lounge chair with a colorful rug from Joss and Main.

2. Color -- We've said it before, we'll say it again. An amazing accent wall can bring a completely new energy to a room. In the guest room we chose Benjamin Moore's Million Dollar Red, which complemented the rich woodwork in the house.

3. Artwork -- We search high and low for unusual pieces of art for our projects. Some of our best come from flea markets and street fairs. For example, Jill found the fun painting above the child's bed at the Temescal Street Fair. We mix these one-of-a-kind pieces with basics from Ikea and other retailers.

4. Global influence -- Our designs usually include a touch of the exotic -- a painting from Bali, fabric from Tahiti, or a pouf from Morocco, as seen below.

5. Unique accessories -- We look for inspiration pieces that set the tone and/or color scheme for a room. These can be paintings, pillows, vases, or even a funky lamp. In the dining room, for example, the centerpiece vase from Anthropologies filled with succulents is just the right touch for the room.

In the master bedroom, you can see all five of our ingredients working together: modern in the mix (orange ottoman); color (accent wall in Benjamin Moore's Wisteria AF-585); unusual artwork (a painting from Mexican artist Javier Fernandez); global influence (pareu from Tahiti on bed), and unique accessories (Anthropologie pillow).

Inspiration on 4th Street

Whenever we need a shot of inspiration, we head over to Berkeley's 4th Street. We can count on these favorite home decor, crafting and fashion shops to always be merchandised with imagination and style.

Our first stop is often The Gardener, an emporium of exquisite handmade furniture, one-of-a-kind finds from all over the world, beautiful ceramics and jewelry (and, of course, plants). On our most recent visit we saw this wild wire-and-plant wall sculpture:

And we also admired this collection of ceramic bells hanging from rope over a long dining room table:

Leave it to The Gardener to create beautiful displays from humble pieces such as wire and rope!

Another must-see on 4th Street is Anthropologie. As we've talked about here before, we are always blown away by their store displays. Check out this great use of old cans:

Anthropologie is a feast for the eyes and the imagination (not to mention that they have the best clothes and incredible home decor!).

Some of our other favorites on 4th Street are:

Design Within Reach
Convert (the best sneaker selection for women, men and kids!)
CB2 (one of our most-shopped stores!)
Castle in the Air (a magical place full of paper, trimming, and inspiration)
Paper Source

The list could go on and on . . . 4th Street is a must-visit for anyone in the Bay Area who loves good design. Grab a coffee from Peet's and start window-shopping! (And try to make a day of it so you can treat yourself to lunch at Tacubaya!)