WELCOME to Nest by Tamara blog

WELCOME to Nest by Tamara blog
Hi- It's Tamara. I'm happy you've stopped by, and since 2010 I've been sharing my passion for interior design, history, art, entertaining, travel & fashion. I am an interior designer, textile designer and writer living and working in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island. My musings have taken me to international design, art, antique and epicurean events and I have lots to share. I'm grateful to have been listed as the #1 top design blog, blogs to watch, top design blogs and named and awarded Rising Star of Design by the IFDA NY industry organization. Please feel free to reach out to our team for an interior design consultation at NestbyTamara.com -Tamara

Thoughts on Pantone's Pick for 2021- The Colors of The Year, Illuminating and Ultimate Grey


According to Pantone,
Yellow & Grey together are
 trending for homes in 2021

I've long-loved grey as a color to use in my decorating projects.  It's a neutral yet it has personality, and it never gets old.  I slathered the walls of many beaches houses with grey paint over the years and it works beautifully with white for a fresh feel.  Grey has been trending over the past decade (so much so that people were starting to complain that it was overkill), but this hue has stayed on my design plans regardless of the trends.  The Swedish use it a lot on their furniture.  I love pairing it with navy, pink, brown, and many other colors of the rainbow.  It can make a drab home feel soft and inviting (yes, grey), and it can give a bright and sunny home a bit of grounding.  It's a cool color yet it holds a lot of warmth.  So, as you can see I am a huge fan of grey for paint, furniture and designs.  With the year we had in 2020, it makes sense that grey would make it's way back on our radar- we are searching for comfort.  

The interesting pairing of grey and yellow however, is something I have not used much in my interiors.  This gives me some fodder though.  I sometimes stay away from yellow as it can be anxiety producing, but I have also dabbled in some big ways (I painted my kitchen cabinets in my all-white kitchen a decade ago a patina crackled yellow).  It added a bit of history to my modern home and kitchen but I tired of it and now those same cabinets are white again.  I had a beautiful pair of sunflower yellow curtains made in a chunky woven fabric for my emerald green living room in New York City. They are gorgeous and dramatic!  I love yellow for fashion (on other people not me) and it can be edgy.  We have used yellow to color many of our fabric and wallpaper designs in root cellar designsBut, yellow does gives me some pause and I'm not going to sugar coat it. It can be jarring if you choose the ever-so-wrong hue and it can go from a sunny color to dated looking.  What I like about Pantone's pairing is bringing the sunny nature of yellow (Illuminating) and grounding it with my "go to" grey.  This combination feels modern, edgy and fresh.  So, together they are a fabulous pair.  Let's see how they look in some beautiful rooms.

Happy Nesting
XO Tamara

I have long loved how the British incorporate vibrant and unusual color combinations into their interiors without losing integrity, history and a grand style.  This London home is a perfect example and 
designed by Stephan Eicker via House & Garden UK
Parish Hadley via House Beautiful
via Luxe
a mid century San Francisco dream home from the 1960s showing shockingly gorgeous yellows with charcoal and gray interior design by Paul Wiserman 
lacquered yellow walls reflect the light by Christina Syrris of Studio Indigo
Uk paint company Farrow & Ball has built their brand on this idea of bold and vibrant colors yet in beautiful and historic homes
UK Interior Designer Kit Kemp 
has utilized this bold combination of yellow and gray throughout her hotels

I visited Villa Kennedy, a historic hotel in Frankfurt, Germany.  
During my private tour of the newly minted Jackie O Suite, I noted a yellow and gray color combination throughout.   
root cellar designs' textiles shows some unique 
designs with this color combination
glam stripe in Saffron & Greys
front to back, left to right-- tortoiseshell saffron, stickbug saffron, kandeel saffron gray, patina saffron and gray; mushroom toile saffron gray
blue heron tea towel with citrine and grays