A Sea of Blue Brought to You

By Allison Kahn  - Hooker Furniture

There is nothing more relaxing and enjoyable than taking a trip to the coast and staying at a cozy beach bungalow with family and friends. Owning and decorating a beach house is a luxury not everyone can afford, but you can easily bring the beach to your own home—even if it’s far from the seaside. Hooker Furniture’s coastal cottage collection, Harbour Pointe, brings the vintage beach look to your home in fresh, light colors. I’ve put together some ways to create the perfect coastal-themed living room using the Harbour Pointe collection.

When decorating a living room, choosing a focal point is important. Be sure to work around this piece and only place items in the room that will complement it. In this case, I think using the sectional as the focal point would be a good choice because comfort is key to coastal decor. The sectional from Harbour Pointe in the Lindy Natural fabric is a great starting point. The upholstery fabric closely resembles the color of sand—how perfect!

Blue is a popular choice of color when furnishing and decorating a beach house. When decorating your home in a coastal cottage theme, choosing earth-tones, sands and browns with a contrasting color– such as blue– can really give your home an organic feel. Accent the sectional sofa with some comfy throw pillows in the fabulous blue Spicer Lapis fabric to make it very inviting. Strategically place ottomans in a blue hue around the room for some added comfort.

Transform your living room into a beach-themed getaway with a sand-colored upholstered sectional sofa, blue ikat patterned ottomans, and a rustic white cocktail table and entertainment console. Together they work in harmony to create a relaxing environment.

A relaxing coastal living room

Along with the essential furniture pieces, another way to bring the coast to your home is with accessories. Buy a large glass lamp and fill it with seashells—the seashells are easy to find in bulk at little beach shops.  A lovely white sailboat on a sofa table would make a great conversation piece. Strategically place some blue glass bottles on a shelf or use a blue lamp base with a large white lamp shade to tie in the blue theme.

Blue glass bottles on a shelf make a great accessory

It may not be in the plans for you to decorate a beach house anytime soon, but with Hooker Furniture’s Harbour Pointe collection and some simple accessories, the beach can brought to your house!

For Great Taste At Home, Pick Boyz-n-Berry!

By Mary Wynn Ryan - thanks to Hooker Furniture

In ancient days, purple was a color reserved for royalty only.  Today, this rich color is still right for a look that’s both elegant and exciting. The color forecasters at Color Marketing Group have flagged “Boyz-n-Berry” as one of the year’s top shades, and no wonder: This passionate hue is surprisingly versatile.Check out how regal Boyz-n-Berry looks when paired with gold or other warm neutrals, as in this inviting room

photo courtesy Calico Corners’ Calico Homes

Why not take it beyond a girl’s bedroom to a dramatic library or media room and harness the theatrical power of purple? Or mix it with warm neutrals (gold, bronze, beige) for a complementary scheme that’s refreshing and regal. For a contemporary twist, pair it with silver, chrome or light gray and an icy pastel such as mint or aqua. Or jump in with a mix of flower hues grounded in sophisticated shades of taupe, tan, gray or green.  Use a fabric you love as the basis for a room’s color scheme: A goof-proof plan is to color the walls in the lightest, quietest hue; flooring and some furniture pieces in darker or mid-tone hues; and other furniture and accent pieces in the brightest hues. Here are a couple of fabric choices from Sam Moore Furniture in the Boyz-n-Berry shades:
The “Elodea Berry” upholstery fabric from Sam Moore makes pink and lilac living room-ready with the savvy and surprising addition of hot golden-orange and cool, pale gray.

Elodea Berry fabric from Sam Moore

Classic medallion motifs make a splash in adventurous-but-elegant color schemes like the Lilac fabric from Sam Moore. Lavender takes a dramatic turn when used with deep red, bright gold, pale gray and black.

Lilac fabric from Sam Moore

The Boyz-n-Berry trend is even influencing housewares. In fact, check out this stand mixer in the Boyz-n-Berry shade sold at many outlets including Sears and Lowes! Why not mix  up your next cake in style?

A mixer in the Boysenberry shade