9 Fun Ceiling Colours to Try Right Now

Jennifer Ott -Houzz Contributor

Go Bold Overhead for a touch of intimacy or a punch of energy.

I’m always on the lookout for creative ways to sneak fun color into a client’s home. It can be tough to pull off an intense color on all four walls of a room without making the space feel small, dark and claustrophobic, so I tend to prefer injecting high-voltage hues in smaller bits and pieces, or in unexpected ways. It’s no secret now that a bold ceiling color is a great way to set the tone in a room and draw the eye upward and around the space. But choosing the right bold color is crucial. Here are some of my favorite bold ceiling colors right now along with suggestions for how to make them work in your home.

Romanza Interior Design

Jennifer Ott Design

Blue is a smart choice for ceiling color because it mimics the sky, which can bring a tranquil feeling to a space.

Note how the ceiling paint used here has a glossy sheen. Normally I recommend using flat paint for ceilings, as it’s best for hiding imperfections, but if your ceiling surface is in good shape, then a glossy sheen is a nice choice to help bounce light around a space.

This is particularly beneficial if you are using a deeper, darker hue on the ceiling. A flat sheen won’t reflect light back into the space, so, depending on the color used, it can appear heavy and dull. A glossy sheen will reflect light and break up the expanse of strong color.

Get a similar look with Blue Jewel from Behr.

Robin Gonzales Interiors

Jennifer Ott Design

This is a lovely leafy-green color, but one that would undoubtedly overwhelm the space if painted on all four walls. If you’ve got ceiling joists, leave them exposed to help break up the large expanse of green and highlight an interesting architectural element.

Get a similar look with Perennial from Benjamin Moore.

Patrick Brickman

Jennifer Ott Design

Painting the joists can also help create texture. A blue porch ceiling is fairly common, especially in the southern United States, but you’ll see a soft, sky blue used more often than not. Try amping up the intensity with a deeper, watery blue such as the one in the room seen here.

Get a similar look with Surfer from Sherwin-Williams.

Bold colors should be limited to the items or features of your home that you want to highlight, such as the dramatic ceiling line here. If you go with a dramatic ceiling color, such as an intense blue like this one, try keeping the overall color palette simple, with no more than two bold colors paired with one or two neutrals. I also recommend selecting a white or light neutral wall color, which allows the ceiling to take center stage.

Jennifer Ott Design

Get a similar look with Vivid Blue from Pratt & Lambert Paints.

Here’s an example of a softer approach, for those who are interested in moving beyond a ceiling but don’t necessarily want an intense hue overhead.

Just keep in mind that colors almost always appear darker on the ceiling than on the wall, due to how light hits the differing planes. So if you are testing ceiling color samples, be sure to put them up on the actual ceiling — or, better yet, paint your sample on lightweight poster board or foam core and then securely attach the board to the ceiling with painter’s tape.

Jennifer Ott Design

Move your sample around different areas of the ceiling and check it out during different times of the day to get a sense of how the color appears in a variety of real-life light conditions.

Get a similar look with Aged Gold from Mythic Paint.

ZDesign At Home

Jennifer Ott Design

Many homeowners are understandably hesitant to paint a vibrant color on the ceiling, because it can be a literal pain in the neck to repaint down the road should they get tired of the hue. If you want to try a fun color overhead but are concerned about the amount of work involved, consider painting a ceiling accent band only, whether you have ceiling moldings or not. It’s a great way to draw the eye up and tie in a bold color you are using elsewhere in the room.

Get the look with Buttered Yam from Benjamin Moore.

David Kaplan Interior Design LLC

Jennifer Ott Design

These intricate decorative moldings deserve to take center stage in this room, and the best way to help them do that was with color — in this case a crisp chartreuse. The color also keeps the room from having an overly formal and stuffy feel. Instead it feels youthful and welcoming.

Get a similar look with Neon Lights from Kelly-Moore Paints.

Foursquare Builders

Jennifer Ott Design

I love the unexpected chunk of color in this otherwise neutral and minimalist space. It does a great job of warming up the cool, concrete-clad room.

Again, painting all four walls, or the entire ceiling, in this bold hue might be too much for most folks, but using it to highlight the tray ceiling is a great use of — and amount of — the strong color.

Get a similar look with Maple Taffy from Valspar.

Hilger Architekten

For those apprehensive about painting their bedroom or living room ceiling a vibrant hue, think about using a bold ceiling color in “occasional” spaces, those areas of your home that you don’t spend large amounts of time in.

Jennifer Ott Design

If you think this particular deep orange hue might drive you nutty in your kitchen or living room, try it on the ceiling of a small deck overhang instead, or in a guest bathroom or powder room. It would add a nice punch of color in an unexpected area of the home.

Get a similar look with Field Poppy from Pittsburgh Paints.

Grow a Beautiful Fall Garden in a Pot

Welcome autumn with 7 gorgeous plants that thrive in containers and enliven your porch or patio throughout the cooler season

 

By Kim Gamel - Houzz Contributor 

 

I don’t know about you, but where I live (USDA zone 6) it’s been a long, hot, dry summer. With triple-digit temperatures for most of the summer, my containers look worse for the wear.

I'm starting to dream of cooler temperatures, autumn colors and falling leaves. I’ve already started thinking about revamping my container gardens for the coming season, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some cool-weather plants to refresh the look (and my mood). 

 

TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design

So what makes a plant appropriate for fall? Typically you’re looking for rich, warm colors and the ability to tolerate cool nights. Mums and pansies are quintessential fall plants, but there are many noteworthy foliage-focused plants whose colors evoke fall.

Here are seven great options for your fall containers.

Banyon Tree Design Studio

Coral Bells
(Heuchera)

Coral Bells (shown here in front), comes in a wide variety of color options, and as perennials in zones 4 to 9, they can tolerate temperatures well below freezing.

USDA zones: 4 to 9 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 1 1/2 feet wide

Missouri Botanical Garden

A few varieties of Huechera particularly suited for fall designs include Amber Waves (shown), which has striking amber and orange leaves, and Chocolate Ruffles, with deep burgundy to purple leaves. Heuchera works nicely with strappy grasses and finely textured plants like Solidago or asparagus fern.

Kim Gamel

Ornamental Cabbage or Kale
(Brassica oleracea)

Ornamental cabbage is another fall favorite. It’s an annual that when planted in late summer will last well into fall, even through a few frosts. While it can flower, it’s prized for its beautiful (and edible!) foliage (shown in the front of this fall arrangement). Ranging from frosty blues to sage greens with purple and white accents, ornamental cabbage has a nice mounding habit that should put it front and center in your arrangements.

USDA zones: Grows everywhere as an annual
Water requirement: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and wide

Kenneth Philp Landscape Architects

Japanese Sedge
(Carex hachijoensis ‘Evergold’)

Japanese Sedge is a mounding Japanese short grass with evergreen leaves highlighted by golden-striped centers. Here, it gracefully cascades over the pot's edge on either side, creating airiness in the arrangement.

USDA zones: 5 to 10
Water requirement: Medium to wet soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and wide

Kim Gamel

Chinese Mustard
(Brassica juncea)

Chinese mustard, seen here in the center, has a broad, crinkly leaf whose colors range from bright green to deep russet. It pairs well with wispy grasses and deep purple pansies.

USDA zones: Not applicable; grow as an annual
Water requirement: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and wide

Kim Gamel

Ornamental Pearl Millet
(Pennisetum glaucum)

Ornamental pearl millet is striking in autumnal arrangements. Though it’s an annual, it remains a focal point even as it dries. With its lime-green foliage, the Jade Princess variety contrasts nicely with both finely textured plants and those with broad leaves, and its cylindrical purple-brown seed plumes appeal to birds.

USDA zones: Not applicable; grow as an annual
Water requirement: Dry to medium moisture; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 1/2 to 2 feet wide

Linda Daley

Creeping Jenny
(Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)

Creeping Jenny will keep its bright chartreuse color for several frosts. It makes a terrific “spiller” plant in containers, dripping down the sides and accenting richly hued flowers and foliage, including asters and Red Star spike.

USDA zones: 3 to 9
Water requirement: Medium moisture to wet; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 inches tall and 1 to 1 1/2 feet wide

Michelle Jacoby, Changing Spaces

Purple Fountain Grass
(Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)

Purple fountain grass has exceptional dark purple foliage with fluffy, bottlebrush-like spikes. Its overall shape is reminiscent of a fountain, which is how it gets its common name. Although an annual in colder zones, it will continue to look striking throughout fall.

USDA zones: 8 to 10 (grow as an annual elsewhere)
Water requirement: Medium moisture; well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide

Kim Gamel

By adding these beautiful plants to a container and throwing in a pumpkin or two, you can have a lovely display to take you through autumn.

Are you ready for fall? What are you planning to plant when the colder weather hits?

40 Dogs Who Are Having a Way Better Summer Than You

Mitchell Parker - Houzz Editorial Staff

Dogs are important members of many households. That’s why in the past here on Houzz, we’ve compiled readers’ images of their furry friends at home, in the office or on the jobsite, and we’ve even shown you how chihuahuas can teach you a thing or two about design.

But during summer, as we tend to leave our homes for weekend trips and vacations, dogs play an even more essential role in our lives. They become our constant companions, braving the heat, soaking up the sunshine and frolicking in the sand right there next to us on the beach. So we asked for your best photos of your dogs enjoying summer, and, as of this writing, you all shared well over 450 photos and stories. All of them are worth looking at if you have the time, but here are 35 of them that made our day particularly better — mostly they just made us jealous.

Buddies for Life

It’s important to have a companion during summer activities. Just ask punkylemons’ pups, Honey and Chase, seen here enjoying a recent summer evening.

Bgoodhouse took Pippa and Petite, both “Frenchies,” on summer holiday in Paris from their home in Stinson Beach, California. (Hey, I’ve never even been to Paris!)

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Then there’s Benton and Lydia, who have been “enjoying their two favorite things,” owner Samantha says: “backyard romps and road trips!”

From ckelley738: “Our Springer Spaniel puppy, Elmer, loves getting a ride on the lawn mower and helping garden.”

Maxwell, a Vizsla, keeps momahen’s 2-year-old son in sight. Plus, he loves the water. “We take him to dog beaches at least two times a week,” momahen says.

Can you believe this is the first beach vacation for brothers Hank and Django? Owner C Willis has a couple of future beach bums on hand.

Cpergl’s Jake and Zack love the beach, too. And they kind of blend in with seagulls.

Gracie goes on every paddleboard trip with owner ulzbirdies.

“Ceilidh loves everything to do with the water,” says pavlovanova. “Last year she mastered paddleboarding at the cottage, and this year her new sport is windsurfing.”

Of course, summer days can be exhausting. That’s why it’s always good to have a nap buddy. Here, loreli1262’s 3-year-old grandson and 2-year-old Shih Tzu, named Mouse, snooze after a long day.

The Right Outfit

Everyone knows that the right outfit — or costume — is vital to being comfortable on sweltering days. Here Erin Glover’s dog shows off how to look presentable at a swim party.

And here’s another one of Glover’s dogs after what we can only assume was one too many margaritas.

Mktdesigns’ pup knows to come prepared for a day reading on the beach.

“Royal Ascot is the highlight of the English summer season, and Zoey, my husband’s guide dog, obeys the Royal Enclosure dress code on Ladies Day,” says judithjadams.

Here kimu9486’s dogs dressed for the occasion of a backyard summer luau.

Calvin, this Boston terrier, looks dapper no matter what the weather. “He makes us laugh all year round,” says jwidmann56. “Watching him is more fun than going on vacation!”

Maddie, mascherin’s 5-year-old Vizsla, is always up for an adventure. And, um, always clearly thrilled.

Water World

With all that fur in the summertime, dogs should have the option of taking a running leap into the nearest body of water. That’s something Torque here knows all too well. “Torque can swim for hours,” says Clemleddy Construction. “She loves wearing a life jacket!” Good thing, too, because the size of that grin would sink her like a stone.

Dogs love all bodies of water equally. “My two never met water they didn’t want to jump into,” says appytrails. “Including water bowls, mud puddles etc. Fortunately, we have some lovely swimming spots on our property and on state land right behind our house.”

From Elizabeth Romero: “Our ‘Poomation’, Cooper, and his buddy Bubba having a pool party! Both rescue dogs, hanging in the LBC.” That’s Long Beach, California, for the uninitiated.

Here hbrichard’s dog, Sydney, shows how to do the perfect doggy paddle — and take a much-needed nap after.

Jennahealy82’s 90-pound golden retriever, Bradford, takes in a spa treatment.

Klcsantee can’t keep Lily out of the pool. But who would want to?

Now this just isn’t fair! Lynnette Higgins Souders’ 5-month-old Maltese, Tiki, boogie boards at Yoks Beach in Makaha, Oahu! That is, when not riding a Harley, Souders says. Come on!

You won’t find many people swimming in chilly Lake Superior, but that’s fine with Kenai, a young English golden retriever. “True to her breed,” says owner sortatrek, “Kenai loves to swim year-round in ‘The Big Lake,’ even taking quick dips when there are ice chunks floating close by. In the summer Superior is still frigidly cold, but her undercoat keeps her toasty warm.”

Showing Good Form

It’s important to have good form in summer while doing any number of activities, from napping to surfing to shaking the beach water from your hair. Here “Penny perfects the act of doing nothing,” says momirlan. “Pure Zen.”

Whoa. What is going on here? Rkcameron’s spaniel, Wally, presents his extreme shake-off.

Momo Gee’s rescue dog exhibits the perfect form when diving into a pool.

And here Momo Gee’s other pup is, well, um, I’m not sure what this dog is doing, but the form is perfect.

From liz5160: “Honey loves fetching the tennis ball! If she could, she’d do it day and night! She always greets visitors carrying a ball to see if they’d like to play too.”

If this face greeted me, I’d play along too.

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Jaymes, an almost 4-year-old pup, loves water, says owner amschoch. The term “jumping for joy” seems appropriate here.

And of course the art of puppy dog eyes is crucial to master. Here Kalie Hamlin’s dog, Nyla, nails the look while chewing on a toy in the yard.

Here’s rkcameron’s Wally again, mastering the art of looking innocent after stealing his owner’s seat. “As a condo dweller, I practically live on my deck during the short but steamy Ottawa summer, watching the world go by and dozing in the sun,” says rkcameron. “Wally the spaniel loves it too, and has no qualms about stealing my spot the minute I step away.”

And Susan Spittle’s dog, Sam, knows the appropriate form to take when utter disappointment sets in.