Kitchen Window Update

I just upgraded a client's kitchen window (OK —spoil alert!—I'm the client) with a new natural Roman shade.
Previously, the window was dressed with a yellow and white striped balloon valance (unfortunately, I forgot to take the "Before" picture), which had faded to dirt.
I kept the shade neutral and simple because there's a lot going on in the room, as you can see by the blue and white plate collection on the wall.
I custom ordered the shade from Home Depot with a white privacy lining and a lefthand shade pull so I won't have to reach over to the right corner to open and close the shade.
This shade will help keep the room cooler in the summer months because it gets lots of sun and additional heat from a skylight.
I also repainted the window trim in super high-gloss white.

May's Pattern Mixes: Vertical stripes with horizontal motif & Mini-checks with tartan plaid

Left, Vertical stripes with horizontal motif: This combo works because both the shirt and tie contain white, pink and navy. The white in the shirt provides a background for the other colors, and the predominance of navy in the tie makes it pop by counteracting the verticality of the softer shirt stripes.

Right, Mini-checks with tartan plaid: This combo works because the scale of the checks is small in contrast to the large scale of the tartan. Also, both shirt and tie have lines of black and white, so they harmonize. The purple makes it pop!

May's Color Scheme: Courtyard Desde "Frida"

"Frida" Courtyard

This color scheme is inspired by the courtyard in the Julie Taymor film, Frida, based on the life of the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. The story goes beyond the usual "tortured artist" clichés, and paints a well-balanced picture of a fascinating woman. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it — worth seeing for its visual beauty alone.

What I especially like about Latin countries — whether it's Mexico, Argentina, Spain or Portugal — is the way they embrace color with uninhibited passion. There's nothing timid or uncertain about it. This is not to say that neutrals don't sometimes come into play. For example, in this color scheme, the green/yellow hues are muted (I copied the cacti and other plant life from the film's courtyard), and complement the deep saturated blue, red, and green, creating a beautiful balance that's never dull. Viva Frida!

If I were to do a color scheme like this for an actual space (wouldn't that be something?!) I'd use a more neutral palette of fabrics like the ones I've shown here, pulled from my arsenal of fabrics from past class projects. I'd use the brown leather for a sofa, the check for curtains, and the textured reptile fabric for a bench or chairs.

Elements:
Benjamin Moore Paints:
Blue, Exotic Red, Yellow Green, Pink #1297, Citron, Summerdale Gold, Spring Dust

Fabrics:
Duralee® Pattern 13531, Polyester/Polyurethane/Cotton in Oatmeal
Lee Jofa® Newfield Check, 100% cotton in Daffodil
Townsend® Brushed Metallic Full Grain Cowhide in Remington