by Rebecca Sowell Hawkins
Photos by Dan Lecca (runway image), Widner Creative, Inc. (room), and Blake Pearson (paints and fabrics)
The Color You Need Now ... Camel
Packing perennial style and traditional appeal -- and enough flexibility for subtle or edgy treatments -- camel makes quite a statement. Put a personal stamp on this classic tone with ideas and advice from our decorating editor
· Its timeless appeal, patrician good looks, and fresh attitude have long made camel a favorite for fashion designers, from Ralph Lauren and the late Bill Blass to Derek Lam, whose 2005 fall collection included the camel-colored coat at left.

· Spice it up with red. We like it covering a camelback sofa in a red room.

· Keep the color classic with shades of white and blue. Paint your walls camel and create some subtle contrasts with periwinkle velvets and white linens.

· Make it edgy with black. A black-lacquer table stands out surrounded by ebony chairs upholstered in a camel-colored leather the same way a black turtleneck looks great under a camel hair coat.

· Strike a balance with colors that pop (see our suggested pairings below). Tone down a bright orange or electric turquoise with subdued camel mohair.

PAINT PAIRINGS
paints
1. Velvet Red by Pratt & Lambert, 2. Tatami Tan by Sherwin-Williams, 3. Birdseye Maple by Martin Senour, 4. Sand by Farrow & Ball, 5. Refuge by Sherwin-Williams, 6. Koala by Pratt & Lambert
FABRIC SELECTIONS
fabric
1. Stingray by Hunt Leather Co., 2. Raleigh by Cowtan & Tout, 3. Maltese by Jane Shelton, 4. Vallombrosa by Bergamo Fabrics, 5. On Lombard Street by Coraggio Textiles, 6. Brocatello Ciniglia by Zoffany, 7. Flutter by SeaCloth.


RESOURCES: Martin Senour (M), martinsenour.com; Sherwin-Williams (M), sherwin-williams.com; Pratt & Lambert (M), prattandlambert.com; Farrow & Ball (M), farrowball.com; SeaCloth through Ainsworth-Noah (T), ainsworth-noah.com, and John Rosselli (T), 212/593-2060; Zoffany and Coraggio Textiles through Ainsworth-Noah (T), ainsworth-noah.com; Hunt Leather Co. through Jerry Pair (T), jerrypair.com; Jane Shelton, 601/936-4540; Cowtan & Tout through Travis & Co. (T), travisandcompany.com; Bergamo Fabrics (T), bergamofabrics.com.
 
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