Ellington

I love color. I don't always wear a lot of it—I learned in New York City that black (and chocolate brown) makes you look skinnier, more chic and shows less dirt.

But I love to surround myself with color, as anyone who has seen my lime green/orange/pink/blue office can attest. And it keeps me awake.

That's why I have a love affair with Jonathan Adler (not that type; his partner Simon Doonan wouldn't approve). And I love his eye for quirk.

This past Christmas, Todd gave me two of Adler's latest "Happy Chic" décor books: one about color and the other accessorizing (with lots of color, of course).

His partner, Doonan, writes in the foreward of the "Colors" book: "Jonathan's waking life has always been a nonstop tussle with swatches and chips, a veritable color cage fight. He is always on the hunt for the next improbable color combo, the next mad magenta, the ultimate olive."

Magenta+olive? Yum. Adler's a designer after my own heart.

Adler's "Colors" book can open your eyes to color combos you haven't considered: like orange/pink/red/olive or forest green/lime/turquoise or lemon yellow/royal blue/lime. (He and both adore lime.)

Or how about that wonderful combo of bronze/chocolate/beige. Or the heaven that is lavender/chocolate/teal.

The point is to get creative—and that might mean all your color is in the accessories (great idea for renters) or that you're painting every wall a different color (study Adler a bit before you try this).

Let color make you happy. And keep you awake. Try these combos to get started:

Chocolate,Lavender,Teal

Tomato,Neutral,Beige

Blue,Lemon,Lime