OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwired - Mar 19, 2015) - Ace Hardware, the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world, welcomes spring with this season's top color and home décor trends to create a fresh, vibrant look in the home. Curated by Ace's Design Experts, Nathan Fischer (Orange County, Calif.), Katie Reynolds (Atlanta, Ga.), and Julie Richard (Boston, Mass.), these tips and trends will help homeowners welcome the warmer weather as they refresh their homes for the upcoming season.

With over 30 years of combined experience, Ace's Design Experts have created a distinct color palette to represent the lush spring season, including sophisticated hues alongside airy neutrals and bright, sunny shades from Ace's exclusive paint+primer in one, Clark+Kensington®. "Each year, spring awakens homeowners' desire to update their homes," said Fischer. "Whether they are inspired to add small pops of color, or a take on a larger color project for a dramatic result, our tips were selected to inspire and help homeowners achieve a brand new, on-trend look within their homes."

Nathan, Katie and Julie have identified the following Clark+Kensington colors as the top spring shades for homeowners:

• Nothing evokes the feeling of warm weather like freshly painted yellow walls in a sunny color like Spring Has Sprung 19D-2. This hue works best in an area with abundant natural light and crisp white trim and cabinetry, such as a kitchen or breakfast nook.
• The modern farmhouse look is very popular right now and can easily be brought into any home. Instead of redoing the floors in an outdated kitchen, try painting them in a blue-green such as Greek Key 29A-4 with a high-gloss sheen.
• If you're looking for a neutral shade with some character try a soft gray lavender like Abstract Gray N-C26. For a more classic gray, try Sheer Mist N-C9. Both shades work well in a bedroom for a cozy look.
• To liven up a dull space, paint the walls in a muted shade of pink such as Just Lanai'ing Around from the 2015 OPI Color Palette by Clark+Kensington. To ground the color and keep the look from feeling too feminine, try a tropical floral pattern on draperies and pillows alongside crisp navy, brassy gold and white accents.
• Add life to a pair of tired wooden stairs by painting the treads and risers in a bold, deep purple like Hello Hawaii Ya?, also from the 2015 OPI Color Palette by Clark+Kensington.
• Try mixing opposite colors in an unexpected setting by painting dining chairs in alternating colors such as Secret Hideaway 29C-2, a mint green, and Organic Cotton 41B-1, a pastel purple.
• For a modern and fresh look, try adding different values of the same hue to a space. Use a pale green, like Fables 26C-3, on the walls accented with a bright green, like Garden Fresh 25D-4, on pillows, art, and rugs.
• A bright update is perfect for the warmer weather ahead, but be sure to limit the use of these colors to just two bold shades within the home. Keep the majority of the walls toned down with balanced neutrals, such as Illumination CW-C5 or Stormy Weather CW-C7. Use the more vivacious tones in a bathroom, bedroom, dining room or living space to evoke the feeling of a bright spring day.
• This is the perfect time of year to refresh the home's exterior. Try a classic shade of white, such as Linen CW-W6, and give the mailbox or front door a pop of life with a bold yellow like Canary Melon 20C-5 or a deep, golden yellow like Tea and Honey 18B-5.
  
  

Ace's Design Experts are also helping homeowners bring the season's latest interior design trends into their homes as they say farewell to one of the coldest winters on record. The following design tips are recommended to pair alongside the spring color trends:

• For a trendy kitchen update that won't break the bank, remove outdated cabinet doors and paint the frames in a crisp white and the interior of the cabinets in a shade of bright green. To make a modern statement, display inexpensive white dishware in the open cabinets.
• In the world of neutrals, gray walls are still king. To keep this trend chic as the warmer months approach, add artwork and accessories in pastel shades and go for an accent piece of furniture in a high gloss pastel. This is a unique look that will pop against gray walls.
• Floral patterns and designs will never go out of style and are the perfect complement to the spring season. Bring the look of fresh florals indoors by replacing your existing pillows with this timeless trend for a quick and easy update.
• Go monochromatic. To achieve the look of a smoky-toned monochromatic color palette, try layering four shades of the same hue within a room. Choose one color for the walls, a second for the trim, a third for the ceiling and a final color for a piece of furniture in the space.
• Utilize color in even the most unlikely of places by painting the inside of your credenza or a kitchen cabinet in a springy shade. Add a glass door and display your favorite glass and dishware for a one-of-a-kind way to highlight the bold shade.
  
  

Clark+Kensington, a premium line of paint+primer in one, is available exclusively at The Paint Studio at Ace and was recommended by a leading consumer magazine in recent tests of interior paints. The paint line features designer-selected hues that cover the entire color spectrum to provide homeowners with a selection of beautiful, livable colors.

Designed to help homeowners find the perfect paint color, The Paint Studio at Ace features eye-catching color racks, unique pullout drawers and easy to use color cards to simplify the color selection process. Paired with the helpful service and knowledgeable advice customers can expect from Ace associates, The Paint Studio at Ace provides a world-class paint experience right in consumers' neighborhood hardware stores.

For more information on Clark+Kensington or Ace's Design Experts, please stop by your neighborhood Ace or visit www.clarkandkensington.com. 

About Ace Hardware
For more than 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. In 2014, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Eight Years in a Row," according to J.D. Power. With more than 4,800 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 17 distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.