The First Rule Of Color (And Our Very Expensive Mistake)
Color choices don’t have to be scary. If you follow Rule #1, you'll avoid 90% of all mistakes. Rule #1 is this:
NEVER MIX CLEAN AND DIRTY COLORS.
Clean and dirty, what the heck is that?? Let's break it down.
“Clean” colors are high in saturation. They're bright, vivid, crisp, and clear. Maybe even neon. They have a sleek, modern vibe.
“Dirty” colors are less saturated. They are muted and earthy and homespun. They have a wistful, homey, storied vibe.
Examples:
Royal blue = Clean
Navy blue = Dirty
Poppy red = Clean
Brick red = Dirty
Lemon yellow = Clean
Mustard yellow = Dirty
Black is clean, brown is dirty.
White is clean, ivory is dirty.
Makes sense, right?
Note: gray and silver can go either way, which is why stainless appliances are such a classic choice!
So, back to Rule #1: Never mix clean and dirty colors! It makes the dirty colors look bad for some reason, even though they're fine on their own. And yes, friends who know me, we totally painted clean blue trim on our dirty brick house...Lord have mercy, I cannot wait to repaint. Unfortunately it’s completely functional, so that will be many many years. Don't be me. Choose ONE – either clean or dirty – and stick to that!
But which one? If you're planning an outfit, it's easy enough; just match your own coloring. If you can pull off true white, stick to clean colors. If ivory is better on you, dirty colors will be your friend.
What about choosing a wedding color palette? It all depends on the vibe you're going for. Dirty colors are the right choice for a vintage or rustic wedding, which you'll see reflected in all of our rental furniture! Clean colors are beautiful too, if you want the vibe to be sleek and modern and bright. The bride and groom's taste should reign supreme here.
How about a house? There is an absolute disaster near me – a cute house with clean yellow siding, and a cute house with dirty pink brick, which is all fine, but they are NEXT TO EACH OTHER and it's an absolute disgrace. The yellow house makes the brick one look sickly, like a spanked butt, or graying ham. And the pink makes the yellow so loud that it’s almost green. I want to scream every time I pass by.
Then I remember my own blue trim, so vivid that it turns purple at sunset, and I hang my head in humility. There's no HOA here, can you tell? ;)
Anyways...don't mix clean and dirty colors!
