Tag Archives: Seventies Retro

Decorating Using the Color Pink

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In the past pink was seen as a color that only suited little girls. Thanks to Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton and the other grown up little girls pink has become a big fad. In fact it is a flirtatious and childish shade of pink that is Pantone’s color of the year in 2011.

To look less childish the best thing to do is mix your pink paint with a touch of brown. This will give a more modern color scheme. At the moment tan and pink or brown and pink is more fashionable than black and pink. Still glossy black and pink is a definitely sexy look for a boudoir, bedroom or bathroom.

If you choose to decorate in a cool, blue based pin then you can mix it with a warm red or fuchsia. Pink alongside tangerine or lime green adds a great deal of pep and cheer to a room. It is a color combination that is great for guest bathrooms and children’s room.

If you really want to mute the pink color then try balancing it with corals and rose colors that are balanced against sage green and mustard yellow colors. Pink also looks very nice with silver or gold. Pink, black and silver together gives you a very James Bond type of effect.

In general, the lighter a pink is the more it will soften a space. It suits the shabby chic style and some sixties and seventies retro styles. Bedrooms were also very pink in the 1940s and many designers today are following the glamour of those rooms by applying satin fabrics and buttons to headboards and closets and clothing beds in satin sheets.

One great thing about the color pink that sex sirens have known for years is that the color is very flattering when reflected from the walls onto the skin giving one a more youthful appearance.

Pink vases and crystal bowls full of rose quartz, pink flowers or seashells can help add a pink touch to any room. You can also add pink lava lamps to your decorating scheme or add pink drawer pulls to a piece of furniture. A pink lampshade can also change an ordinary lamp into a sexy one.

The best time of year to find pink furniture and other décor is just after St. Valentine’s Day when all of the red hued objects go on sale. You can also find pink chandeliers, candleholders, shams and other items in children’s stores.

How to Decorate With Lighting

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It is not only cinematographers and lighting designers that can use lighting to enhance a room. You too can enhance your environment by using the same tricks that these professionals do to make a room look more dramatic, cozy or romantic.

If you are after a dramatic look then the key is to choose lamps that have light bulbs with a high strong beam and that can be directly focused to highlight only certain objects. Drama is created using light through contrasts so the idea is to not have too much ambient or “stray” light.

The best type of lighting to create dramatic effects is created with halogen bulbs. You can find all kinds of styles of halogen lighting online or in stores but the most versatile style will resemble an octopus with bulbs at the end of the arm. Usually these are made of bendable metal so you can angle three or more of the light sources wherever you want in the room. To create a dramatic effect, try aiming these bulbs so that they specifically highlight a display of flowers in a vase, a valued piece of freestanding art or a favorite photograph on the wall.

Another example of a very dramatic lamp is the style from the seventies that features a long wire arm that extends like a fishing pole with a globe shaped glass lampshade on the end. This is the ultimate in seventies retro right now and very much in fashion if you want to make a strong statement.

To create a cozier look you want to choose lighting that is smaller and that has large shades crouched over the bulb. This means choosing a more traditional lamp with a stem and that has a glass or paper shade.

Choosing lamps that have yellow or cream shades also helps add to create this cozy effect. Another good choice is a lamp with a Tiffany shade, which has colored panes of glass that spread a soft warm glow.

Japanese rice paper shades can create the effect that the “lights are turned down low.” The odd glowing shapes that this style of lamp, most commonly available at IKEA and Japanese shops also have a sensual flair.

You can also buy lamps that have bulbs shaped like candlesticks that are on dimmers and that can be adjusted to the quality of light that best suits you. Lamp shades that cast a pink or rose light are said to be the most flattering to aging humans. Another rule of thumb is that the broader or more conical the lamp shade shape is the softer and dimmer the light shed from it is said to be.