Color Buzz

Fit & Trim

This blog is written by Beehive Studios designer Veronique Habermann.

You’ve gained a few extra pounds this winter? Who hasn’t! Well, I actually don't think I have - at 5’5”, I do not seem to be able to go over the 100 pound mark. Let me tell you my secret, and it’s not because I am French (as legend has it, the French don’t get fat - even though I drink my wine and eat my cheese and bread). I paint walls for a living... nothing like it, girls! Not only does it work every muscle in your body, it is also very aerobic. Here is a breakdown of the benefits as I see them:

• Picking up those paint gallons at Lowe’s: 100 calories (tones your arm muscles)

• Preparing the room for paint: 150 calories (moving furniture around must be a fully body workout)

• The actual painting, especially if you use a brush instead of a roller: 300 calories (arm and shoulder toning)

If you are seeking a more advanced workout, how about painting a ceiling? It's probably another 300 calories right there. Oh, and all these neck muscles you'll work out, and butt too... going up and down the ladder!

But the all-around best is painting a floor, especially if you decide to try a checkered pattern. The taping alone must burn a good 200 calories, and the painting -- another 200. Oh, the muscles you'll work out. I bet you didn't even know they existed!

So when is the last time you felt so sore and actually got an aesthetic reward at the end? I'm not talking about your body, but a nicely painted bedroom or living room?

Give it a try! House painting is a wonderful and challenging adventure, and the rewards are amazing. You'll have a fantastic work out, while enjoying a creative escape. You can sit back at the end of the day and celebrate the results (with a good glass of wine... you deserve it and you can afford the calories!).

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

And the envelope, please...

The winner is definitely RED! Last night’s red carpet delivered a gorgeous array of elegant color block gowns, but red, especially deep lipstick red, made the biggest splash. Anne Hathaway looked glamorous in a single shoulder strap gown by Marchesa. Katherine Heigl was draped in an Escada column gown, again with a single shoulder strap. Heidi Klum charmed us in a beautifully sculpted gown by John Galliano Haute Couture. Ruby Dee was absolutely vibrant in her Kevan Hall gown. We can’t leave out adorable Miley Ray Cyrus in her very grown-up red Valentino number. The red was definitely classic - the color you wear to stun, sparkle and shine. Alongside red was a great supply of classic black. One gorgeous stand-out color was seen on Cate Blanchett. Her beautiful empire waist dress was by Dries van Noten. It had an exquisite color which danced between navy and deep purple. You can go to Oscar.com to check out all of the fashions yourself.

Winter White

I love the winter, especially when everything is blanketed in white. As someone who thinks about color all the time, the white landscape is a welcome break. The palette of winter is subtle and easy on the eye. It’s very calming. As you acclimate to the varying degrees of white on white, you start to see real differences; the cool blue grays of morning, the warm glowing whites of afternoon, and if you’re very lucky, the vibrant pinks in the early evening. How do you work this into your home? A white on white room can be elegant and soothing. You just have to keep it from becoming too cool. A nice pairing is Whitewashed Oak on the walls in a flat or eggshell finish with Anthem White in a semi gloss finish on the trim.

                                               
              Whitewashed Oak 7006-23                 Anthem White 7006-24

It's Showtime!

It's Oscar Weekend! It's time to slip into your Valentino gown and Jimmy Choos and step out. And, while you're at it, you may want to glam up your house as well.

One of glamour's meanings is to cast a spell. It's to take you away from the ordinary...the way Dorothy Draper would take you away from a drab city street and transport you into a world of fabulous details, colors and style.

Imagine Steve McQueen swaggering past surfaces of mirror, chrome, gold and satin, and walls shined up with a semi-gloss. Lots of polish. The dominating palette in this style is very refined and sophisticated. Colors like Valspar Filoli Gold Ecru and Silver Leaf play a great supporting role. Detailing in rich, bold colors like a deep burgundy or charcoal create the drama. One way Dorothy Draper would create excitement is by painting a room a deep blackened color,  and then painting the over-scaled, over-the-top architectural details in glistening white. Talk about drama!

To get a front row seat to all this gorgeousness, check out movies like Top Hat, The Women and Grand Hotel.

Much of what is going on currently owes its inspiration to golden era luminaries such as Billy Haines, Elsie de Wolfe and Tony Duquette. If you want further inspiration, check out this great blog -- Swank Lighting. You'll find interesting writing and links regarding Hollywood Regency.

Give the martini a shake and enjoy the show.

 

                                            
            Filoli Gold Ecru 3008-8C                       Silver Leaf 4006-1A            

Dramatic Transitioning

Let’s say you follow your embolden heart and go for a color with lots of richness and depth. Now what? How do you transition from one deep vibrant room to a more subtle one? First, find a soft color that complements and supports the stronger color. Usually what works is taking a light version of the bold color’s complementary tone. For example, if you have a dining room that is painted in Valspar Crimson Glow, you could have an adjoining room painted in Homestead Resort Parlor Sage. This would give you a pleasing contrast that wouldn’t compete with the dining room’s vibrant walls. The reds in the crimson color bring out the green in the sage. Isn’t it great to see this kind of teamwork?

                                           
          Crimson Glow 2011-5            Homestead Resort Parlor Sage 6006-5B

 

Hot Chocolate

When I lived in Brooklyn, I had a bedroom without windows. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. In order to create a cozy space, I found a great Brown—Valspar November Foliage. I started with a base color of Bleached Slate, and over that I painted the deep brown with a color wash effect, letting the gray come through every so often. I used Morning Lake as trim. For a tiny room with limited natural light, it was a warm and cozy retreat – made you feel like you’ve slipped into a delicious cup of hot chocolate.

 

                                       
    November Foliage 2001-9A    Bleached Slate 7004-20      Morning Lake 7004-21         

 

Botanical Releaf

Valspar’s color trends for 2008 are 48 great colors arranged in four collections. The first palette is Botanical Releaf - these are fresh colors plucked right from nature. They are warm colors that would serve well in both modern and traditional settings. You have four neutrals, Dry Leaf, Grecian Helmet 3006-9A, Desert Flower 6008-5A and Anthem White 7006-24 to work with. This collection is dominated by blue greens: Fresh Basin, Mild Evergreen 6003-5C, Green Goddess 5008-6A, Spearmint Haze 5006-6C, Blue Grass Mood 5006-6A, Grand Hotel Mackinac Blue 5007-9A and Sparkling Lake 5002-3B. There is one warm color for the rest to pop against: Brioche. There are so many great combinations to put together here. One stood out as a great palette for a boy’s room: Dry Leaf, Fresh Basin and Grecian Helmet.  What combinations do you like?

                                  

           Dry Leaf 3008-8A        Fresh Basin 5003-7C       Brioche 3001-5B

In the Pink!

Recently, I casually surveyed some of the men in my life as to which pinks they thought they could live with. At first, most of them recoiled. Their fears of a Barbie dream house came to light. But after some thoughtful moments, they considered the possibilities. In England, for example, pink is used in public spaces such as hallways. The pinks they use are very grayed out. Upon consideration, most of the men questioned said they would be okay with muted pinks like the kind you may find in certain rock formations. There was one pink taken from the paint deck that many of these guys seemed to support. It’s called Valspar Quartz Pink. You can pair it with Timber Dust which is a warm brown gray. So ladies, if you’re looking into pinks and want to keep him in the loop, this might be a great starting point…

 

                                            
              Quartz Pink 1005-8C                        Timber Dust 2007-9C
             

The Corn Poppy Comes to Life

This blog is written by Beehive Studios designer Veronique Habermann.

Vera Wang’s Fall/Winter ‘08 collection had the most sophisticated combination of colors. She said she was inspired by the Dutch Fauvist painter, Kees Van Dongen. It is amazing how she was able to translate his color sensibility into her collection. I particularly love the way she paired the light red skirt with a camel top and a most beautiful shade of brown jacket...it reminded me of Kees Van Dongen's painting, “The Corn Poppy." She also has a long chartreuse dress that is just stunning. It’s a very beautiful collection and classic in the choice of colors for this time of the year.

On the other end, Marc Jacobs showed a very daring palette for this time of the year.  In contrast to his Marc by Marc Jacobs line, here he showed almost no black.  Instead he replaced it with an array of grays, from lightest to charcoal, and accessorized it with jewel tones, browns or pastels. It is a very interesting collection color-wise. It is unusual, but somehow works beautifully. I love the return of the pastels. He shows the most delicious peach sorbet coat with a pale grey feather hat - very elegant.