Color Buzz

Decorating on a Shoestring

By Ann McGuire

Recently, I was interviewed by Tracey Morgan of WDSY Radio in Pittsburgh. We explored the idea of how to make the most of your decorating dollar. So many of us are faced with a financial crunch right now. Instead of dinners out, movie nights and even vacations, we are creating atmospheres at home that take you somewhere out of the ordinary.

We talked about how redecorating doesn’t have to be expensive. For $40 to $50 and one weekend, you can transform an otherwise forgettable room into a pleasing destination. Tracey wanted to know what room to start on. I suggested the family room or the kitchen because those are the rooms everyone in the family enjoys. With painting, you really do get the most bang for your buck.

What mistakes do people make with kitchens? Making them too busy is a problem we often see; there is so much activity in this room. Keep the décor clean and simple, and it will create a space where it is easy to focus on the task at hand. Perk up the walls with children’s artwork or family photos that can be changed out each season. A bright cheery color is great in a kitchen because the wall surface is usually limited. You can always put sunny yellow next to clean white cabinets.

I’ll continue briefing you all about what we discussed in future posts. If you can, check out the interview. Let me know if you have any additional ideas or experiences on how to decorate on a shoe string.

The Colors of Food

By Michele Coppin

The color of fruits and vegetables can be as beautiful as the color of flowers. The color combinations and variations are endless as they grow, ripen and mature.  Fruits and vegetables have actually been inspiring artists for centuries. “Food portraits” are known as “still lifes.”

Jan Van Huysum, Still Life with Fruit
Oil on copper, 1720
Rijhsmuseum, Amsterdam

These delicious palettes herald the presence of nutrients. Color indicates the ingredients we need for good health. For example:

REDS are packed with vitamins (A C), protect your heart, maintain good blood pressure, and help to protect against some cancers.

GREENS are packed with vitamins (A,C,B,K), provide a source of iron, and boost your immune system.

YELLOW and ORANGE are packed with vitamins (C and B) that keep you eyes strong, boost your immune system and promote glowing skin.

WHITE, such as cheese and yogurt, is packed with calcium.

Some of my favorites in both appearance and taste are asparagus, baby artichokes, fresh garlic, cheese and bread. A glass of red wine would complement this tableau nicely…

Greens speak of youth, nature, fresh starts and cool mornings. Purples, dark reds and burgundy suggest the end of summer, setting sun, heat, and royalty. These opposites however make a very elegant color combination.

 

                                                   
Tropical foliage 6002 – 6C                               Garden Fresh 6008 – 7C

                                                

Hotel St Francis Sangre de Christo 1010 – 6    Accent Frosty Berry 1003 – 1B

 

What do colors symbolize?

By Michele Coppin

Historically, mankind has given symbolic value to colors. As societies developed, colors came to represent different concepts and served multiple functions. They emphasized certain meanings within an image, indicated status, expressed identity, etc. Of course, these meanings are very different depending on the culture they belong to.

Here are some examples of the meanings of various colors from Western European societies.

White: From the birth of the new moon, often associated with birth, purity, cleanliness. Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity.

Black: Mourning, death, earth, seriousness, submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God.

Red: the most emotional color, red signifies passion and love. Hearts are always red, but red also symbolizes blood, fighting and ardor.

Yellow: Warmth, sun, happiness, gold. Yellow also symbolizes cowardice, betrayal and hatred.

Orange: Warmth, wealth.

Green: Calming and refreshing, it is the color of spring and youth. (Walt Disney dressed Peter Pan in green. As the little boy who wouldn’t grow up, the eternal youth wears a tunic reminiscent of foliage. Green also symbolizes envy. 

Blue: The color of the sky and the ocean. Blue symbolizes sincerity, loyalty, peacefulness and tranquility. Blue also connotes melancholy, sadness and isolation. Picasso’s “Blue Period” began shortly after he moved from Barcelona to Paris. He was poor, depressed and cold. From 1900 to 1904, he primarily painted thin, elongated figures in variations of blue. When his work began to sell and his spirits lifted, his palette shifted to Pink.   

The Tragedy, 1903
Picasso
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Purple: The color of royalty. Purple connotes luxury, wealth, power and dignity.

In Antiquity, purple was derived from a rare sea snail so expensive (even more than gold), it became a symbol of royalty as only the very wealthy could afford it.

The Byzantine emperor Justinian I appears clad in a purple cape in this 6^th century mosaic from the San Vitale Basilica in  Ravenna, Italy.

Take Your Sights Upward…Paint the Ceiling!

Everyone is always asking us about trends in color. One thing is for certain, they are always changing. Right now, yellow and gray are very hot. Check out last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine's photo spread of objects made in luscious honey yellow.

The designer, Sara Story, we worked with at Kips Bay created this fabulous hallway using these very colors.  I love, love, love the ceiling! It’s such a surprise. Ceilings are always so overlooked. I’m thrilled Sara thought to take our sites upward.  

For more ideas on trends, check out this cool article about trend forecasting in the New York Times. If you are out trend-spotting, send us what you find. We can see how many photos it takes to start something.

 

The Colors of 2008

   Marc by Marc Jacobs
        Sloane in Sun

In 2008 we will see more blues and yellows. Already in fashion, yellow is shining its sunny glow. From a fab new Marc by Marc Jacob’s bag to the pages of the J. Crew catalog, this bright color is catching on. One way to work well with yellow is to pick a bold bright tone such as Valspar Sunny Jonquil and frame it with neutral colors like Milestone 6007-1B and Cliveden Mist 6007-1A.

Pantone picked Blue Iris as the color of the year. Blue is both soothing and comforting but also can be rich and bold. A great color which delivers all these qualities is Ocean Sigh. For a gentler version, try Sea Tickle. One other color that is gaining raves is grey. It’s a gorgeous sophisticated color that also makes a nice complement to yellow. Try Filtered Shade with Honey Glaze.

            

                               
Sunny Jonquil 3010-1       Filtered Shade 4003-1B       Honey Glaze 3003-2A       

                                                             

                      Ocean Sigh 5002-10A         Sea Tickle 5005-7B   

Globetrotting with Color

Rich, saturated, spice-inspired -- these are the colors from the Valspar Globetrotting collection.  Each of these colors is absolutely delicious! You could really rev up your décor with any of them. Personally, I like the way Crushed Cumin plays against Aqua Dance, and the sassy way Deep Sunset pops against Crushed Cumin. Gather up your adventurous spirit and take your home on a fun-filled trip.

   

                             

Crushed Cumin 6008-6A      Aqua Dance 5002-8B      Deep Sunset 1005-3A