Bring the Look and Feel of Iconic Summer Travel Destinations Inside the Home This Summer

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwired - Jul 9, 2014) - Ace Hardware, the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry, is sharing the season's top design and color trends to bring a touch of three of the world's premier travel destinations into the home this summer. Whether looking to bring back memories of vacations past or simply evoke the feeling of places yet to be experienced, Ace's Design Experts, Nathan Fischer (Orange County, Calif.), Julie Richard (Boston, Mass.) and Katie Reynolds (Dallas, Texas) hand selected their top color recommendations along with design and décor tips to bring these locales into the home and make every day feel like a vacation.

With a combined 30 years of interior design and color selection experience, Ace's Design Experts curated three alluring palettes featuring colors from the Clark+Kensington® paint+primer in one line. Each palette draws from the trends of popular summer travel destinations including Southern California (Fischer), Nantucket (Richard) and the Mediterranean (Reynolds). "Ocean sunsets, sailboats on the open sea, charming streets and other memorable vacation scenes can be great inspiration for bringing the feeling of these popular destinations into your home," said Fischer. "Our tips and recommendations will enable homeowners to bring elements of these gorgeous escapes into their homes to be enjoyed year-round!"

Featuring a mix of timeless and exotic hues and quick décor updates, Ace's Design Experts recommend the following summer travel inspired color palettes and design tips:

• Southern California - Modern, Upbeat & Bright
  • Blue isn't the only color that evokes the shades of the sea. When it comes to your décor, mix in silvers and light grays with weathered greens like Pop Quiz 29A-3 for a truly ocean-inspired look.
  • A summer sunset over the Pacific Ocean creates a brilliant display of coral, burnt orange and grapefruit tones. Use these powerful colors to transform a small room such as a powder room or bonus room by painting all of the walls in Precious Peonies 06D-4, a bold combination of these three tones.
  • Southern California summers are all about water and sun and it's easy to bring in both of these elements with the right combination of colors. Cool, water hues such as Palace of Versailles 30A-2 work well in most homes. Add a sunny contrast with an accent wall, ceiling or painted furniture by using a gorgeous, bright yellow like Lemon Meringue 20C-6.
  • Most contemporary beach houses along the coast keep a neutral, monochromatic exterior color scheme and add in small doses of bright color as accents. To achieve this look, keep your home's exterior white, gray or neutral and add color to your entry door, planters or outdoor patio furniture with hues such as Amarylis 10-C7, a rich, burnt orange, or Swiss Chard 29D-5, a lush and stately green.
  • Potted citrus trees are common on the west coast and can add charm to a yard, entryway or kitchen. The splash of green with yellow or orange adds a touch of color and gives any space an organic feel. Use a matching pair to flank an entry, driveway or door.
    
    
• Nantucket - Classic, Graphic & Preppy
  • Coral is a beautiful summer favorite, especially when paired with white or other bright hues. Try Warm Coral 06B-4 on accents such as painted furniture and set against a crisp, white wall for a polished, preppy look.
  • Blue continues to be a popular color in Nantucket and there are many ways to bring it into your home. Try a bright, cheery version in your foyer such as Sea Life 33C-5, with the trim painted in Designer White 1066. If your foyer includes a staircase, add contrast by painting the balusters in a glossy, rich shade of navy blue or a black such as Dot Dot Dot 36A-5. 
  • Keep the historical charm of Nantucket alive by painting your front door in a high-gloss color, such as an unexpected shade of blue like Sailor Sea 31C-6, a bold blue-green. Continue the seaside influence by adding a nautical doorknocker.
  • Nantucket is known for foggy evenings, which can serve as the perfect inspiration for a go-to neutral. Try Garden Stone N-C10, a light, cool gray, for a timeless shade that can be used throughout the home.
  • For an oceanside cottage feel, use nautical patterns such as rope details, knots, waves and shells to easily and tastefully add this look to your home.
    
    
• The Mediterranean - Fresh, Breezy & Coastal
  • Coastal Mediterranean style is about light and fresh living. To recreate this look at home, paint a room's walls, trim and ceiling in all white. Try Chalk CW-C2, a soft white that works well with cool and warm tones.
  • The exteriors of buildings in this European coastal paradise are sun-kissed with warm tones of white, yellow and terra cotta. To recreate this beautiful palette, paint wood shutters and the front door in Tres Français 09B-5, a warm terra cotta with pink and orange undertones, or Monte Carlo 10-B7, a deep shade of reddish brown.
  • Incorporate the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea by painting your kitchen island or a vintage accent chest in a rich cobalt blue such as Blazing Blue 37-D5.
  • Refresh a living room in Coastal Pleasure 5048, the perfect gray tone, or Haven of Coziness N-C1, a soft warm beige. These colors will evoke the tones of the seaside villages that line the rocky coast.
  • Remove heavy window treatments such as wood blinds and thick drapery in favor of light and airy white linen drapery panels. Hang them from just below crown molding and puddle on the floor slightly for a casual, billowy effect commonly seen throughout the Mediterranean.

Clark+Kensington, a premium line of paint+primer in one, is available exclusively at the new Paint Studio at Ace. Its semi-gloss finish was ranked #1 by a leading consumer magazine in recent tests of interior paints. The paint line features designer-selected hues that cover the entire color spectrum, providing homeowners with a selection of beautiful, livable colors.

Designed to help homeowners find the perfect paint color, The Paint Studio at Ace features eye-catching color racks, unique pullout drawers and easy to use color cards to simplify the color selection process. Paired with the helpful service and knowledgeable advice customers can expect from Ace associates, The Paint Studio provides a world-class paint experience right in consumers' neighborhood hardware stores.

For more information on Clark+Kensington or Ace's Design Experts, please stop by your neighborhood Ace Hardware Store or visit www.clarkandkensington.com. 

About Ace Hardware
For 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. In 2014, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Eight Years in a Row," according to J.D. Power. With more than 4,850 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.