Color Obsession: Tantalizing Turquoise

I’ve always been utterly immune to blue’s charms. As I’ve said before, the shade simply left me cold, and I failed to see why anyone liked it. At best, I was neutral on some of the prettier French and robin’s egg blues. Even turquoise didn’t do it for me.

But suddenly, I can’t seem to get enough of the happy hue -- whether it’s called turquoise or some variation like “pool,” “azure,” “aqua,” or "Caribbean blue." I’m even trying to figure out which room in our house I can paint the exact color of a Tiffany’s box (and to prove it, I have an actual Tiffany’s box filled with paint chips that are a pretty close match).

For this, I blame my 9-year-old daughter. She has an abiding obsession with anything -- and just about everything -- sporting the beloved color she calls “aquamarine.” Half of her wardrobe falls under this category, as does a good amount of the items in her room. Even the rubber bands on her braces are turquoise.

So at our house, it’s all aqua, all the time. I guess I couldn’t help but be won over.

(And happily, I’ve discovered that turquoise mixes really well with a whole host of other colors, from light neutrals like white, beige, and gray to deep neutrals such as brown, taupe, and charcoal to other poppy brights like yellow, green, and orange, and even deep, dramatic colors like red. Which means that it’s super-easy to migrate in and out of your décor as the mood strikes you.)

Apparently, I’m not alone in my growing appreciation for this summery shade. Textiles, accessories, and even furniture featuring the hue abound these days. Here, a collection of my favorites:

Left to right: West Elm Baton Vases, $4 to $6 each; Jonathan Adler Chroma Small Bottle, $95; Lotus Bleu Lacquer Bamboo Vase, $62

Top left: Urban Outfitters Spindle Lamp Base, $36, and Flocked Mum Lampshade, $28; top center: Pier 1 Teal Drum Table Lamp, $50; top right: Oscar de la Renta Turquoise Lamp, $300, from Horchow; bottom: 1940s French Turquoise Ceramic Lamps, $1,250, from 1stDibs

Left: Shine Citrine Pendant, $490, and Palisades Pendant, $640, from Cottage & Bungalow

Top left to right: Flocked Flower Pillow, $15, from Pier 1; Jonathan Adler Big Sur Pillow, $68; Avis Pillow, $98, from Anthropologie; bottom left to right: Flocked Floor Cushion, $100, from Urban Outfitters; Designers Guild Tatami Turquoise Pillow, $145; Judy Ross Trellis Pillow, $190, from WeegoHome

Left to right: Urban Outfitters Danish Dot Bedspread, $32; Designers Guild Esperanza Bedding, $45 to $280; Mod Coverlet Set, $100, from Pier 1

Left to right: Hollywood Turquoise Fabric, $8.50 per yard, from Contemporary Cloth; Dandy Damask Turquoise Fabric, $9 per yard, from Tonic Living; Denyse Schmidt Katie Jump Robe “Allure Bows” Fabric, $9 per yard, from Purl Soho

Left to right: Florence Broadhurst Dusty Turquoise Shadow Wallpaper and Turquoise Yvans Geometric Reversed Wallpaper, both $448 per roll, from Wandrlust

Left to right: Urban Outfitters Paisley Flower Rug, $28; Jonathan Adler Lacquer Wastebasket, $45; Rainbow Wall Shelves, $49 for three, from the Company Store

Top left: Urban Outfitters Brocade Slipper Chair, $100; top right: ModernDose Trellis Table, $175; bottom left: ModernDose Pop Pedestal Table, $399; bottom right: Eames Molded Plastic Armchair, $329, from Room & Board

Top left to right: Cayman Dinnerware, $1.50 to $7, and Comma Plate, $1, from CB2; Pier 1 Hibiscus Dinnerware, $5 to $6; bottom left to right: Acrylic Diamond Goblet, $6, and Ethereal Decorative Plate, $8, from Urban Outfitters; Le Creuset Caribbean Cookware, $60 to $160, from Sur La Table

Color Obsession: Yellow Fever

Suddenly, yellow is everywhere. You can barely crack a shelter magazine these days without seeing the sunny shade splashed across its pages. (Personally, I blame Kelly Wearstler and the bright canary frock she wore on the cover of Modern Glamour.)

Yellow is a perennial favorite, of course. But the color we’re seeing now isn’t the warm, muted honey or ochre hue of years past. Instead, it’s a clear, bright, strong shade -- picture the color of that Seventies “smiley face” icon and you’ll be pretty close. In fact, the recent resurgence of yellow owes a lot to the influence of that over-the-top design decade. But today’s interpretation has an added sense of sophistication and luxury. Think Palm Beach and Hollywood Regency.

Pair yellow with dark, intense charcoal grays, smoky taupes, and lacquered blacks for a super-chic salon sensibility, or with bright blues and greens for a more youthful, cheerful take on the trend. Either way, nothing can beat yellow for a dose of pure pop.

Here, a selection of furnishings, lighting, and textiles that’ll add a shot of sunshine to your décor:

Left: Moderndose Petite Sunny Side Table, $149; center: Design Within Reach Hee Lounge Chair, $230; right: Shine Bloom Stool $490


Top: Vintage Campaign Table, $3,500; bottom: Shine Spencer Table, $780


Left: Hexagons Wallpaper, $80 per roll; center: Florence Broadhurst Yellow Floral Tudor Wallpaper, $448 per roll; right: KWID Imperial Trellis Wallpaper


Left: Glass Lamp, $279; right: Urban Outfitters 3-D Chandelier, $25


Left: Shine Palisades Pendant, $640; right: Biltmore Lamp, $352


Above: Vintage Yellow Resin Lamps, $1,250


Top left: Weego Home Bamboo Pillow, $100; top right: Crate & Barrel Atrium Granada Stripe Pillow, $30; bottom left: Anthropologie Day’s Eye Pillow, $98; bottom right: Victoria Hagan for Target Yellow Trellis Floor Pillow, $30


Left: Marimekko Stilla Fabric, $39 per yard; center: KWID Couture Stripe Fabric; right: IKEA Katrin Fabric, $5 per yard


Left: Anthropologie Isola Bella Rug, $298; right: Bev Hisey Moroccan Rug