Translating Trends: Color Blocking

Warm weather always inspires the confidence to be bold! Every summer, I love to welcome bright color trends back into the world of fashion and home decor. The trend that seems to currently be leading the pack is color blocking, a pattern that consists of a solid sections of color.This look has been popping up on the design scene since the Modernism movement during the early 20th century. here’s a reason that this trend is as cyclical as the seasons. At the risk of sounding oxymoronic, I must say it: Color blocking is a classic trend! It’s a great and easy way to update your interiors because it’s intensity can be tailored to meet your comfort level, and the color scheme can be customized for any room.Here are five easy ways to infuse your home with this “classic trend”: Walls This is perhaps the most common way to integrate color blocking into the home. Broad blocks of blod hues can modernize a space. Try a series of accent walls throughout your home, or keep it contained to one room like this modern nursery featured in Cookie magazine. Be sure to dedicate enough time and effort to execute this trend, as a tiny slip of the brush will have noticeable effects. Just keep the finished product in mind…it will be worth the hard work! Furniture Check out shops that carry modernist furnishings to find furniture inspired by color blocking. (Think CB2 , IKEA , and Design Within Reach , to name a few…) If you’re up for the challenge, paint your own! Take a bookshelf (new or old!) cover it in white paint, and then paint each self a different bold color. Take it a step further and group your books together based on color.

Flooring Color blocked flooring in a monochromatic palette would add instant glamour to a room. For existing wood flooring, paint will do the trick…or try tile for a totally new look! Commitment phobes will find joy in less-temporary color blocked rugs or runners, such as this one from IKEA .

Art Conjure up your DIY spirit and create some custom color block art for your home. Pick up several canvases at a local art store, grab some paint and get to work! Either block out a grid pattern to create a personalized version of a Mondrian, or paint a series of canvases in one color each and hang them next to each other. The versatility here is endless: A series of monochromatic pinks would add drama and glamour to a girl’s room. In a modernist kitchen, canvases awash in citrus hues would look fresh and bold! In a fun living space, CB2’s Chroma disks , hung artfully on a wall would certainly become conversation pieces.

Accessories Even if you’re not inclined to incorporate color blocking into your home in a large-scale installation, use the color blocking concept as inspiration in your décor. Throw several different hues of throw pillows onto your neutral couch. Try a color blocked duvet like this funky number by Diane vonFurstenberg . Or line a black shelf with red, green, and blue vases. Color blocking is all about the pop, regardless of form. Take a chance and have some fun!