COLOR & DESIGN HELP:
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IDEAS FOR MOLDING & TRIM:
IDEAS FOR YOUR BEDROOM:
Go Dark With Wallpaper or Paint
I’ve gone over to the dark side this week by sharing tips around the web on how to use dark colors in your home.
{wintercreative via houzz}
Over at Houzz, you can find my Ideabook on using wallpaper to create dark and dreamy bedrooms.
{habachy designs via houzz}
Then, at Sherwin-Williams STIR I’m dishing out ways that designers can help clients feel comfortable using darker paint colors {but I think this info is useful for anyone — not just designers}.
Dark colors and wall coverings bring elegance and sophistication to your home like nothing else can. Be daring in 2012 and give ‘em a try!
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Third Place Colors?
Did you know that some of the most popular, beautiful colors are considered third rate?
Well…not exactly. However, as it relates to the color wheel, tertiary colors — those hues that result from mixing a primary and secondary color — are technically in third place.
{TURQUOISE by HB via houseofturquoise.com}
Colors such as coral, turquoise, chartreuse and periwinkle are all tertiary colors, and I think these hues make the most beautiful statement when used in a room.
{PERIWINKLE from housebeautiful.com}
You can read more about these colors in my latest story over at Sherwin-Williams STIR, which also includes some great insight by Erin Olson from House of Turquoise.
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Color Ideas Around The Web
If you’ve been looking for ideas and inspiration to make your home a bit more colorful and cozy for Christmas {and beyond}, I’m dishing out advice around the web:
Sherwin-Williams STIR:
{photos: Porter House Designs; Blik}
Been thinking about an accent wall? It’s a quick way to add color and flare to a room, but how do you know if it’s right for your space? Over at Sherwin-Williams STIR, I’m giving accent color advice — which includes an interview with Scott Flora, owner of Blik removable wall graphics.
Houzz:
{Houzz via Birdhouse Interiors}
Brown is a classic color that will always add instant coziness to your home. Learn how to select the right shade of brown by viewing my featured Ideabook over at Houzz, “Color Watch – Cozy Up With Brown.”
Design Dazzle {sneak peek}
Finally, be sure to check-in over at Design Dazzle soon – where, in my upcoming post, I’ll share gorgeous photos for creating a Girls Christmas-Chic Bedroom.
Have a great weekend!
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Bohemian Hues and Global Textiles
Be sure to read my Living Style column this month over at Sherwin-Williams’ STIR.
My latest story explores global-ethnic influences on the Bohemian design style, and I had the pleasure of interviewing two colorful and inspiring entrepreneurs:
Cristi Ambroson, owns Houston-based Tessera. Cristi regularly travels to Central Asia {and Peru} to hand-pick items for her business which includes textiles, such as suzanis and ikats, from Uzbekistan.
Based in London, Eva Sonaike owns a home furnishings label that bears her name. Eva sells luxury cushions and other unique items made with textiles from her native country of Nigeria.
Global-ethnic textiles are becoming very popular. They’re more widely available these days, and that’s having a huge impact on interior and fashion design. More people are becoming familiar with and inspired by the colors, patterns and history of these amazing fabrics.
Read more about Cristi, Eva and this sizzling trend at STIR.
UP NEXT: It’s Christmas in July…and I’m giving away something!
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Has Graffiti Gone Glam?
I’m very excited to announce my new Living Style column at STIR, Sherwin-Williams’ website for color and design professionals and enthusiasts! I’m pleased to be among a colorful team of three other experts, and together we’ll bring you a variety of informative design stories throughout the year. You can also join the conversation by leaving comments, so be sure to check out my first story — GRAFFITI GLAMOUR. Here’s a preview/photo gallery:
{by Spray Paint Artist Chor Boogie}
Graffiti has long been associated with vandalism. For years it has stirred up sentiments about its legitimacy as an art form. However, in the midst of this debate, a shift has taken place. Graffiti is now trending toward the glamorous — showing up in chic places, on hip home furnishings and on high-end fashion accessories. Artists are being commissioned for their work, which is now know as urban, street and spray paint art. I interviewed five creative professionals, and they are all inspired by this art form’s energy, style and colors.
{both photos from Michael Tavano; photographer Rick Lew}
The graffiti-infused environment that designer Michael Tavano created for the New York Design Center at DIFFA’s Dining By Design event last year is still generating buzz. Michael believes that graffiti impacts design partly because color influences design. “We live with color all around us,” Michael says. “You can use a lot of color and still be comfortable.”
{photo from The Dolce Group}
Graffiti is just one element that completes the dining experience at the upscale Rare 120 steakhouse in Las Vegas. You’ll find only a hint of graffiti scrawled across the restaurant’s dining chairs. However subtle, I surmise the graffiti was a key ingredient in designing the “cool, sleek and fun” atmosphere that owner Lonnie Moore tells me his clientele wants.
{Lovegrove & Repucci’s New York Delft dinnerware; weegohome.com’s South 3rd Hi-Light; furniture designer Luis Alicandu’s Louffiti Mirror}
Ken Leung’s colorful jewelry collection {kenanddanadesign.com} reflects the street art of New York City, which Leung describes as “a raw and unapologetic expression of emotion and rebellion.” “Art is a means of expression as well as communication. Through that prism, graffiti becomes a very beautiful art form,” he explains.
Keenly aware that graffiti carries a negative connotation, Chor Boogie calls himself a spray paint artist and he emphasizes the positive aesthetic of this art form. Based in San Francisco, his work has taken him around the globe. Commissioned works include a mural at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in China and other public work in Australia, Dubai, Mexico and my hometown of Washington, DC.
{both photos/artwork by Chor Boogie}
“I don’t discriminate when it comes to color,” Chor tells me. “I’ll put any off-colors together and make it look beautiful.” My kinda guy!
{Chor Boogie contributed to the “Seasons In The City” mural in Washington, DC; photo from Albus Cavus}
I asked Chor what he wants others to focus on when deriving color inspiration from his art. He says that people should look at how the art makes them feel, however far they can take their perception. “Look for something from within…and go with what you feel is right.” How does Urban Art make you feel?
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