Color Buzz

Design Dilemma - Melissa's House - Update

Hi Ann,

            Dining Room

We are working on the paint slowly but we are getting there. I loved the colors and thanks soooo much for your help. We painted the dining room so far. When the Strawberry Malt went up I was thought, “Ohh my gosh, we have a pink dining room and living room!” But then it dried as a more beige color and it goes well with the tile.

Then when we put up the Cafe Miel color and it looked good. We painted the kitchen backsplash also so far and I love that color (we chose Churchill Hotel Maple) – it really brings out the counter top. Next we are going to paint the top of the kitchen and put up the chair rail in the dining room.

        Kitchen Backsplash

I also want to put a black wood dining table in there and a new chandelier.  We didn't know what color to paint the bar so we painted it in Cafe Miel color and it looks good.

I did have a couple of questions though...

A More Sophisticated Kitchen

This blog is written by Beehive Studios designer Megan Leblond.

I met with Julie on an overcast Monday morning.  Her smiling face, a sweet white poodle named Grace, and a steaming cup of coffee greeted me at the door.

Julie is a proud parent of two college graduates.  With the kids now out of the house, Julie was looking to welcome a new look into her home. While updating her kitchen and creating a more sophisticated look, she expressed interest in downplaying her cabinets which are currently a white-washed pine. Excited to showcase her new contemporary tile floor laid on the diagonal, Julie also wanted to steer far from the mauve and blue tints she once used in the kitchen and living room. 

Julie described a nice, rich, red kitchen as her ideal new space. However, she was having trouble selecting a specific red -- some seemed too bright a pink, and others, too close to the mauve she was eliminating.  She also mentioned a light green or gold as considerations. 

Kips Bay Decorator Show House

Sorry this blog is late in posting, but I had a late night out with friends after some of us checked out this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House. As one of my friends put it, “It’s the best one yet!”  If you are in the area I encourage you to go see for yourself, it’ll be there until May 22^nd. Some of the rooms there are truly inspiring. I loved seeing some of my favorite color combinations realized.

Geoffery Bradfield’s room combined a deep orange with tans. Very soothing and invigorating at the same time…like meditating with a cup of coffee in your hand. And there were lots of smoky lavenders in the various rooms – some were paired with taupes, tans, and blacks. You should check out a great New York Times article about the Show House by Penelope Green for more details on the rooms.

We were fortunate enough to be asked by the super talented designer Sara Story to produce a ceiling cloth for her room! Below are photos of our work in progress and the final result.

Her room is stunning. She has a soft, medium silver-grey on her walls with deep charcoal blue window treatments. The room’s trim is ivory, as is much of the furniture. To finish it off, there are touches of muted caramel. Very chic.

I’m going back in a couple of weeks and will report in more depth on what is there. Let us know what you think if you stop by!

      
                     Our storyboard                           Megan and Veronique painting

                                 

                                       That's me painting with our stencil
                     
                        

                                                The final result

Max's Story

Guest entry written by Max, 14 year old son of Beehive Studios designer Veronique Habermann.

Of the things I do in and out of school, there is one hobby of mine that stands out; art. It consumes most of my life. When I am not playing hockey, snowboarding, surfing, or studying, I am drawing. I even find ways to practice my art when I do not have access to my art tools. I will rip paper into shapes or draw in the condensation on my car window. My love of art is fueled by the ability to express myself. Colors and lines can express emotions. If I am angry, I will include very warm and vibrant colors such as reds and yellows. If I am sad, I will use much more dark colors such as grays and blues. Happiness can be expressed by using vibrant and friendly colors such as greens and oranges.

To me, a canvas is just as affective as a therapist. It gives you the opportunity to share your emotions without being judges. Drawing and painting take me away and allow me to forget about the stress of everyday life. Art knows no bounds and provides a sense of freedom. There are no limits to what you can draw or paint.

 

Restoring Life to an Antique

Charlotte Millwater recently inherited a family heirloom that has been passed down for three generations.  This little dressing table may not be a valuable antique, but it is precious to the Millwaters.

At 14, Charlotte wanted her bedroom to reflect her personality, so we had to find way to make the antique relevant. Since she loves unique, bold colors, we wanted to amp up the color of the dressing table to make it pop in her room.  Knowing that Charlotte envisioned the dressing table in a green/blue color and that her walls were already painted in a warm, cheerful yellow, we suggested Valspar Bay Mist.

We painted the dressing table and lightly antiqued it to keep the aged look intact. By simply repainting the dressing table, we were able to restore life to an old piece of furniture that is sure to be enjoyed by Charlotte and the Millwater family for years to come.

                                             
                                             Bay Mist 5006-7C 

Drawing Inspiration Up from the Floor

This rug is a much loved antique serape, and is quite valuable. The owners tried every kind of color angle to feature their treasure, however when we got there, the room was just not working. At first glance, we couldn’t figure out why. Taking a moment to look at each element was the first step. The soft green walls were actually a nice gentle contrast with the reds in the rug. After visually pairing each element with the colors in the rug, the problem became obvious: the white trim on the walls.

The bright white trim looked clean and fresh against the green, but it jumped out too much against the warm ivories of the rug. It was like two different rooms. We suggested a warmer tone for the trim to help soften the contrast. Two directions we wanted to try: Valspar Churchill Hotel Ivory, a warm creamy off-white, and Dakota Trail, a greener/grayer off-white. These colors would bring the room together as a whole while showcasing the rug as center stage.


                                                  
            Churchill Hotel Ivory 3007-8C                    Dakota Trail 6008-3B

   

Tangerine Dreaming...

Time Magazine has a great design issue out right now – the Style and Design Summer 2008 issue. They have an entire page on tangerine. When I was little, I wanted a yellow and orange room more than anything. The idea of warm sunny walls was all I had in mind. My parents humored me and painted the walls white and allowed me to have orange trim with a yellow shag carpet – very groovy. But the white walls always looked so stark against the vibrant orange. Now that I get to pick my own colors, I still love orange. It’s vibrant, sophisticated and – most of all – a flattering color. Most people look aglow when surrounded by orange. It can be sumptuous. Try it as accents: pillows, ceramics, window treatments, flowers, etc. If you’re a little more adventurous like me, try a wall of orange. Take a color like Valspar Coffee Whip and surround it with a warm off white like Woodlawn Whitewash. Total YUM!!!

                                                  
                 This image was created by using Valspar.com’s Painter tool.
             The wall color is Coffee Whip and the trim is Woodlawn Whitewash.
            Try your own color combinations and tell us what you think of the tool!


                                                  
                 Coffee Whip 2008-3A                    Woodlawn Whitewash 6008-1A

Taking Fashion Color Schemes to Your Walls

I was just reading the New York Times Fashion and Style section. There's a great article by Ruth La Ferla about Tomas Maier, the Creative Director of Bottega Veneta. The article talks about Mr. Maier's focus on sustainable luxury. In this time of economic downturn, people want something that is going to last. No matter how much money you have to spend, right now, people are looking for quality, one-of-a-kind pieces that will last one season to the next. Nothing trendy here. If you want to be inspired by drop-dead, gorgeous, classic coloring, check out Bottega Veneta's website and look at their runway shows. The Fall colors are rich, muted tones with a silver quality to them. They are so refined! What about some amazing color schemes created from either the Spring or Fall collections?

                               

                                  Bottega Veneta Spring 2008 Collection

Exploring the World of Design Blogs

Over a cup of coffee this morning I was checking out Blog Watch by Washington Post’s Terri Sapienza. It led me to this great blog- Making It Lovely. Check it out!! You get to watch Nicole Balch transform her Illinois bungalow into a stylish, clean-edge home. It has beautiful photography and offers a chance to get involved with the process. I’ll certainly continue to check in on the lovely transformation…

 

Serving Up Concepts for the Restaurant

You may have been wondering how the restaurant project is coming along…

After days of brainstorming, countless emails, and trips to the flower district and fabric stores in New York, we finally came up with these concept boards. These are what will drive all of our decisions in the weeks to come. We want a clean crisp look that has a sense of tradition. Feel free to send along comments and ideas…we always love your thoughts!