Special Guest Post: Up and coming designer Wendy Garfield, owner of La Strada–Meuble, Objet, Décor, started her business just a few years ago and is already getting noticed. She and her business have been featured in many notable lifestyle publications, including: The Boulevard, LI Newsday (this Friday, May 6th), House Magazine, and many more. In November 2010, Wendy won the Diamond LIBI award for Interior Design, placing her among the country’s top building professionals. Fun facts: this multi-talented designer is also a professional opera singer! Wendy is a proud Auntie by Relation to five nieces and nephews. We're proud to welcome Wendy as she tells us about how to pick a kid-friendly color scheme for your redecorating niece or nephew.

One of the biggest challenges in decorating is working with color. I often walk into people’s homes and find that everything is beige–beige walls, beige furniture, beige tile, beige window treatments, etc. Boooring–especially for a kid’s room! Usually, this is not because people dislike color, but because people are afraid of using color! Well, fear not. Let the Savvy Decorator give you some tips to help your niece or nephew create the colorful dream room they always wanted!

Horrendous?
There is no such thing as an ugly color. All colors are beautiful (especially if it's your niece or nephew's favorite). When a color makes your stomach turn, it is not the color itself that is dreadful, but rather the way the color relates to the light and to the other colors in the room. Before making any purchases, put all your swatches and samples together, think about your choices and make sure you are seeing a good balance of dark and light, bold and muted, color and neutral. Take this opportunity to teach your niece or nephew about complimentary colors. If they choose a swatch they like, you choose one that compliments–chances are they'll love whatever you choose!

What’s the right color?
With the right amount of intensity, balance and contrast, just about all colors can work in any space–there are no rules, only guidelines. If your niece of nephew falls in love with a bold paint color, for example, use it on one focal point wall and balance it with something softer on the remaining walls. Alternately, use the bold color on the window treatments and then select something softer for the walls. A bold color will not look good if it shares the stage with a competing bold color. But contrasting it with something muted will certainly make it pop.

How do we decide?
When deciding on color, I generally start by asking my clients what their favorite colors are. This is a fun and easy conversation to have with your niece or nephew, spend some time coming up with a color scheme together, this will make them feel as if their new room-to-be is just for them!

You may also want to consider together the mood you want the room to project.  Cool colors like blues and greens will create a soothing mood, while oranges and yellows will create a more cheerful space.

Finally, always pay attention to the room’s natural light. A room with southern or western exposure will get a lot of sunlight throughout the day while rooms facing east get light only in the early morning. Don’t count on getting much sunshine in a room that faces north. If you use a bold blue here, you may unintentionally create a cold feeling space. Consider using muted tones, warmer colors, or neutrals in these rooms. In the same way, it would be best to stay away from using bright, warm colors in a space that gets a ton of sunlight. You wouldn’t want to feel like you need to wear sunglasses every time you enter the room! Cool colors will tone down the space, but if you insist on using a warm color, make sure to balance it with a contrasting neutral or cool tone.

What now?
Start with their favorite color and make a statement. Use it to paint the walls or use it on the rug or window treatments. Then bring in the other colors in smaller proportions–furniture, accessories, pillows and their beautiful handmade artwork. I think a maximum of three colors in a single room is plenty. Finally, bring in some neutrals and voilà–you have one savvy, kid-friendly color scheme!

For more information on La Strada Décor, go to www.lastradadecor.com or friend La Strada Décor on Facebook.

By Wendy Garfield
Published: May 3, 2011