Lauren, a designer on the Learning Channel's Trading Spaces leans that "When it comes to regional color schemes, colors are driven by three factors: architecture, nature and the people who enrich the culture" and goes on to contest "That trilogy really drives the way that colors and our lifestyles come together."
A little further down the coast the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states seem to mimic their neighbors up North, however as Makk observes "The colors are very lively and a little sweeter" saying that colors like Sage and the tones of the native river rock take center stage in the regions mixture of Tudor, Arts and Crafts and Colonial homes. Going still a little further into Florida, residences mostly made up of Mediterranean and Spanish-style homes reach for colors reflecting the blues of the water, greens of the foliage, and sun inspired yellows.
In the South, the rich history of the past and the wistful and playful architecture make way for a colorful display of rich blues, grays, reds, yellows and greens.
In the Midwest, homeowners tend to be driven towards warm and inviting colors induced by the influx of severe weather and storms. Makk goes on to state that traditional colors like beige, taupe and creams tend to be the norm, however are slowly developing into richer and deeper earth tones and hues including wheat, gold-tinged browns and soft greens. Tones that ccomplement the Midwest's diverse architectural styles, such as Prairie School, Farmhouse, and Arts and Crafts bungalows. In the more urban areas, the Midwest's Scandinavian influence can be seen in the more modern "loft-style" interiors denoted by the use of bright, bold primary colors.
In the mountain ranges of the West, the people of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Montana stay true to their history with it's raw and rugged natural surroundings and landscape and is reflected in their use of yellows, greens, browns, blues, rust and golds.
With the Southwest ever so influenced by it's Hispanic and Native American roots, it's no surprise that the "traditional color schemes and certain palettes" of the ancient people of the land, are reflected in the use of colors such as beige, red-oranges, and Terra cottas commonly attributed to the adobe style homes still seen in this region. Homeowners in the old world influenced architecture of New Mexico, Arizona and the high desert of California also prefer to design with chocolate browns, reds, yellows, and coppers.
Southern California tends to be just as exciting as eccentric as it's people by exhibiting colors ways that are bright and exotic as the landscape in which they reside. Spanish culture seems to influence the bold and lively use of tangerines, marigolds, pinks, and lime greens.
Makk finally reaches the Pacific Northwest where she describes the trend as being very monochromatic or, "a sort of fisherman's color scheme" saying that there is an abundance of grays, deep blues, and whites. With the Northwest's architecture mixing Asian and organic themes, uses of colors such as greens, tans, reds, and golds also help to deviate from the mundane rainy season of the coast.
