Color Buzz

Remembering Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent died this week. There’s a wonderful obituary in the New York Times. He has been hailed as one of the most influential designers of the 20^th century. He was part of a tradition of couture designers that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. In 1968, he revolutionized fashion’s attitude towards women wearing pants. He claimed that all women needed to be fashionable was a pair of pants, a sweater, and a raincoat (think Jackie O). He was known for his masterful use of color. He was able to “mix green, blue, rose and yellow in one outfit to achieve an effect that was artistic and never garish.” He was inspired by artists like Picasso, Miro and Matisse.

Later in his career, he toned down his work and created classic pieces that could be worn from one season to the next.

Check out his work and see if you can be inspired by his playful use of color.

In Celebration of Asian Heritage Month

Color is alive and rich throughout Asia. From the deep intense saffron robes of Buddhist monks to the soft nature driven colors of Japan. China is so closely identified with red, but there are also the whites and blues from the culture’s ancient porcelain. In southern Asia, the color really heats up with the gorgeous silks dyed in colors that put the rainbow to shame. Japan has drawn from the colors of the elements to create a sophisticated traditional palette, but in the past several decades, they’ve been serving up a fun and raucous color extravaganza through their pop culture. The colors were traditionally derived from spices, flowers, shells, minerals, and plants and animals of the region. The possibilities of incorporating an Asian-theme are truly endless! Have you done it?

Adding Whimsy with Cabinets?

This blog entry was written by Beehive Studios designer Michele Coppin

While in Florida a few years ago, I was asked by Agnes and Phillipe to design and make their bathroom cabinets. They had just finished building their dream home, an elegant mixture of classic and contemporary styles, the living room combining Flemish antique furniture, Persian rugs and modern art. Having a very whimsical tendency however, they wanted the bathrooms to be playful and fun.

Agnes had seen cabinets that resembled Hawaiian shirts in a magazine and wanted the same. So, I called upon Len, the local craftsman/carpenter, a true artist – who arrived on his giant Harley, in full leather, and a white ponytail blowing in the wind. He was very amused by this novel project. I gave him the drawings of 4 shirts (two Hawaiian shirts and two frilly blouses – in the interest of gender equality) which he cut out with a grin and a saw. The cabinet doors did have to remain very rectangular in order to open without hitting the bathroom walls.

My challenge then was to paint them to look three-dimensional as well as match them to existing wallpaper in color and pattern…take a look!

Philippe and Agnes are thrilled. They love reaching in the shirts for their suntan lotion, and they enjoy the comments they receive from guests. I get a giggle every time I visit, and it was an easy and original way to personalize a room. Hmm…how about kitchen cabinets in the shape of fruits and vegetables? 

   

Design Dilemma - Penny's House

Hi Beehive designers,

Okay here goes.  My foyer and hallway is painted in Waverly New England Yellow, in a semi-gloss finish I believe.  My kitchen is sage and can be seen from the living room.  What would be a nice complementary color to the Waverly New England Yellow and sage color?  I have brown microfiber sofas and two paintings that I love with various reds/poppies and greens framed with dark frames.  Any specific direction or suggestions with this is greatly appreciated.   

Thanks,

Penny

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

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!