Summer Color Combos: 8 Refreshing Ice Cream Palettes

Sometimes design ideas come from the strangest places. I was thinking about how July 19 will be National Ice Cream Day. (Ronald Reagan declared July National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July National Ice Cream Day in 1984.) Then I started craving a cone, and as I pictured it in my mind, I started turning it into a room. Then I began to think about other flavors turning into rooms.

There’s a reason it’s so difficult to choose a flavor at Baskin-Robbins — they all look so tempting and delectable. Why not bring those qualities to your decor? A simple Internet search of ice cream flavors offered up a long list of delicious color palettes. Here are some of the most inspiring ice cream palettes befitting scrumptious interiors.

Rainbow sherbet. I’ve never seen more rainbows around than during this time in our history. Rainbow sherbet should certainly be the flavor of the summer of 2015.

The rainbow combination is a great way to bring the happy into your home decor. This room gives typical ROYGBIV colors a twist, starting with a base of soft sherbet pinks and greens and then adding more intense hues. It’s an especially good choice for a child’s bedroom, bathroom or playroom.


Cookies ’n’ cream. The pairing of Oreos and ice cream hit it big in the 1980s, leading to other genius ideas like cookie dough ice cream. But it started with throwing some black and white cookies into a milkshake blender.

Creamy walls, soft tans and dark accents take the ubiquitous cookie palette to a sophisticated level in this bedroom.


Black raspberry chip. Before we dig into this flavor, this side note is important: You haven’t truly experienced all that black raspberry chip can be until you’ve tried Graeter’s version. It’s made using a French-pot process, with the largest chips you’ll ever see in a cone, and it’s my very favorite (and it’s also Sarah Jessica Parker’s).

Here I’ve chosen an elegant room that honors Graeter’s French-pot process. Toile, velvet, wood accents and that smart dark outline take the colors to elegant heights.


Maple walnut. This ice cream flavor’s main ingredients are derived from products that come from trees: syrup from maple trees and nuts from walnut trees.

This home gets a sleek nutty crunch from beautiful walnut wood on the stair treads and cabinetry. A shag area rug adds maple colors and softness.

See the rest of this home


Neopolitan. The box always looks best when it’s full of three equal stripes of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate, before family members start scooping out select flavors.

This foyer gives each hue equal billing with bold stripes on a curved wall. Note the way each stripe lines up with the corresponding stair riser.


Mint chocolate chip. Nothing cools me off during a hot summer like this flavor. Mint is refreshing not only in desserts, but also in interiors.

Mint green is a top choice for a vintage look, particularly in bathrooms. But it’s also been rediscovered as a fresh color to use in all styles of rooms. Just like adding the delicious chips, accenting it with black or dark chocolate brown makes the color stand out.

Mint Green Is Fresh Again


Caramel and sea salt. This unexpected combination has taken over the world, showing up on dessert menus in the most chichi of restaurants.

The look of this combination of neutral shades is savory as well. Nothing adds richness to tans and creams like deeper warm caramel hues, and crackled leather is the best way to bring those hues into a room. The palette also works well with urban surroundings seen through windows, as here.


Chocolate and orange. With foodie-ism at an all-time high, many people are seeking new flavor combinations. Another adventurous gourmet offering popping up today combines the acidity of citrus fruit with the flavor of all-time-favorite chocolate.

Orange also adds zest to a room, particularly when the chocolate is in the form of a lacquer on the walls. This glossy backdrop lets the various shades of orange stand out.


Brasserie Ice Cream Bowl, Antique Pewter - $23Tell us: What kinds of unexpected things have inspired a color palette in your home? Please share them with us in the Comments section.

More summer color combos: pink and orange | blue and greenBuy

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