Color story: Tips from local designers

We asked three interior designers to share their favorite color palettes and how you can use them in your home:

Carole Harvell, of Life-Style Design LLC, says her favorite palette changes every two to three months. "Right now now what I'm into is classic stuff," she says. "Some kind of really deep, intense color, with creams, whites and grays. I'm really into a neutral palette with lots of high contrast."

Harvell suggests picture frames as a good way to incorporate the look in your home. "If you have a white or light-colored wall, put dark frames against it for high contrast," she says, adding it also works in the other way with light frames on a dark wall.

A neutral palette is Linda McKinnis' go-to. "A neutral palette allows the perfect option to easily add new color accents," the Design Exclusive designer says. "For springtime, I'm excited about using muted aqua, pale blues and greens."

She says a touch of an accent color can change the feel of any room -- and it's easy to pull off.

"It's simple to incorporate touches of color into an existing room. Updating or changing out pillows, fabrics, accessories, area rugs or wall decor gives an affordable option to easily add new colors into a neutrally colored room," McKinnis says. "Incorporating new colors perhaps can be as simple as adding a new throw across the bottom of a bed or sofa, updating trendy towels in the bath or adding a new floral arrangement."

Cindy Buchheit of Unique Ambiance loves being inspired by nature -- that's reflected in her favorite palette of gray, off-white, black and brown/burnt orange. "This color palette could work great in any room or as the cohesive colors for an entire home or business," she says. "If I had to pick one though, it would be the a kitchen, dining room and living room with an open floor plan."

To incorporate it in your home, Buccheit suggests reaching for the paint brush.

"Paint trim/millwork and some walls off-white (my favorite is Sherwin Williams Creamy), paint the remaining walls gray (my favorite is Sherwin Williams Gray Matters or Mega Greige), (add) leather furniture and black small accents."