Beyond Red and Green

Image December 2000 Martha Stewart Magazine and Sherwin-Williams Colorsnap

I thought it might be fun to look at the history of Christmas colors. Martha Stewart Living magazine has always been a favorite of mine for their beautiful photography. I went back through the covers of their December issues and thought it was a perfect way to capture where color has been. There is always the typical red, green, gold and white for Christmas décor but I think the magazine does a great job of capturing the hot seasonal colors each year. They put a bit of a twist on them as well. Green that is just a little edgier, an unusual turquoise, a surprising pink and classic red but in a way, that showcases the magic of its punch.

Nothing wrong with red and green but take a cue here and mix it up. Use a green that's lighter and yellower for a more modern take on the holidays. Throw in some blue and lots and lots of white. Glitter, snow, sparkle, silver, gold and copper, now is the time to use them with abandon and let the inner-child free. Or go the other way and make it all about re-use and repurpose with craft brown and warm tans. Just a dab of that classic red will bring out the festive in a simple and otherwise dull palette.