Designing with Color

Color is one of the many ways designer Prudence Bailey helps her clients create a home that reflects their personality and style. So, when the homeowners of this classic colonial came to her for help updating key rooms in their New Canaan, CT, home, she turned to a calming palette of earth tones to give it a fresh new look. 

This project was her first multi-room project as an independent interior designer, but her project management background made her well-equipped for the task. To start, she chose a calm palette of greens, blues and neutrals to freshen up the tired space. โ€œMy design aesthetic collectively is probably best described as fresh interiors blending modern and traditional styles,โ€ says Bailey, who lets her clientsโ€™ personality and taste shine through. She involves her clients heavily through the design process to ensure each project meets their needs for functionality and style. โ€œI have a passion for color and pattern mixing, however, we focus on the clientsโ€™ needs,โ€ adds Bailey. 

For this multi-room project, the earthy colors chosen set a soothing tone. As a designer, Bailey advises clients to think about what makes them happy so they will enjoy the finished results for years to come. โ€œPeople get tired of things they donโ€™t love so part of creating a timeless design for our clients is to work with colors they love,โ€ she adds.

Traditional details like the homeownerโ€™s antique console in the entry way and a cottage-style bed in the guest room, mix effortlessly with a contemporary nightstand and abstract artwork throughout. 

โ€œIn the breakfast nook, the Vaughan Designs chandelier definitely made that room sing and itโ€™s my, and my clientsโ€™, favorite element in the entire project,โ€ says Bailey. โ€œWe also love the little West Elm settee in the guest room. It really popped with the green and black color palette and brought modern sensibility to a cottage-style design.โ€ 

Photo Credit: Julia Dโ€™ags

You may also likeโ€ฆ

Two designers share advice on how to create a sweet, and personal, space for little ones.
No matter what size your room, unite home and garden with these plant-forward spaces.
A stoneโ€™s throw from the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, this cozy crash pad exudes an artistic and sophisticated style.