Ice cream has been described as “happiness condensed,” so what better way to boost your mood during this pandemic summer than to bring the hues and patterns of this frozen treat into your living space?
A few well-chosen accessories, a can of paint or a roll of wallpaper in ice-creamy colors might have you dreaming of summer long after the season comes to an end.
Got some favorite flavors? Chances are you’re already inclined to decorate with those tasty hues. Think silky chocolate, creamy vanilla, tangy berry, butter pecan, or more exotic colors like mango, passion fruit, green tea.
Alessandra Wood, vice president of style at Modsy, likes a scoop of mint chocolate chip.
“Pair a cool, minty wall and darker accents for some sweet, low-key contrast,” she suggests. Clare Paint offers Two Scoops, a fresh mint green, for instance, while Behr has light, frothy Mint Fizz.
“Introduce gray-greens and more saturated hues to keep the room from looking like a pastel explosion,” says Wood.
Unless you want it that way. Lovers of strawberry ice cream might be drawn to dark and light pinks and rosy reds, and this can be a fun opportunity to embrace the bold. Wood says you can make these colors feel a bit more grown-up by going for a monochromatic look. Blush walls, perhaps, paired with a soft pink sofa, rug, art and accessories. If you’d like your walls to evoke the flavor, Benjamin Moore has Strawberry-n-Cream, and Martin Senour Paints has Strawberry Ice Cream for you to try.
Is chocolate chip cookie dough your go-to flavor? Opt for a sophisticated, neutral palette of cream, warm browns and black.
“You can find pieces like an inlay console or cowhide rug that incorporate all of these colors,” says Wood. “Or layer them into the space with a creamy neutral base and darker pops in pillows, rugs and art.”
Chocolate fans might even think about using the hue on walls. Says Wood: “Farrow and Ball’s London Clay is an earthy, sophisticated brown that doesn’t scream ’90s McMansion.”
Sherwin-Williams’ color marketing director Sue Wadden likes the idea of pairing several paint colors, playing off the multiple scoop idea. “Just like you’d choose your favorite flavors to make that perfect triple-decker cone or sundae, you can choose a curated selection of pastels to create that delectable feeling in a space,” she says,
Pink and peach colors, like the paint maker’s Cotton Candy and Spun Sugar, complement Oh Pistachio. “Adding a warmer hue, like Chocolate Powder, helps ground the palette,” Wadden says.
Benjamin-Moore’s Melted Ice Cream is a creamy pale pink that would go nicely with Clare’s warm, sugary Turbinado.
Check out Spoonflower.com for whimsical, artistic renditions of ice cream cones, ice pops, sprinkle toppings and waffle-cone patterns.
If changing up wall color or wall coverings isn’t doable, there are accessories worth considering. At Society 6, you’ll find ice pops and ice cream cones interpreted by graphic designers, photographers and artists on throw pillows, bedding and bath decor.
Pottery Barn Teen makes tidying up a pleasant job with their 30-inch-tall storage hamper shaped like an ice cream cone.
From the art collective Marmont Hill, Overstock.com has playful renditions of frozen treats in giclee prints by painters Shayna Pitch and Molly Rosner.
Target has Pillowfort’s ice-cream-cone-patterned sheets.
A soft, rosy-peach tone makes Knoll and Muuto Work From Home Collection’s Ambit matte-finished aluminum pendant light a pretty addition to any space, not just a home office. Also in the hue, with a 1970s Scandinavian vibe: the comfy Dose lounge chair, perfect for relaxing with a spoon, a scoop and a bowlful of frozen, flavorful summer.
