Color Buzz

Happy Birthday Color Buzz!

Happy Birthday Color Buzz!!! 

It's been quite a year! Thanks to everyone for turning to Color Buzz for answers to color questions and perhaps for a bit of inspiration as well.  We love exploring color and sharing what we discover with you.  It's a great way of looking at everything going on in the world, taking what matters to you and creating a reflective space in your home. 

Creating a world through color has become more important in the past year with all the changes.  Color can make a huge, positive impact on the way we feel and the way we live our lives. That’s why we Beehive girls are here to help!

It's been great answering your color questions, reaching out to other blogs, and focusing in on most people’s primary design dilemma: color angst. Please keep sending your design and color questions, and share your comments on the blog.  We love hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Ann McGuire

Color Buzz’s 1st Blogiversary!

By Michèle Coppin

Note: In celebration of the 1st Anniversary of Color Buzz, each of the designers will reflect on the past year and discuss their experiences blogging for and with you. Please check back for additional posts from Ann, Veronique and Megan!

                  

This last year, I discovered a new passion . . . blogging!
 
As an art teacher, painter and member of Beehive Studios, I have been writing, talking and dealing with color for a long time. Thanks to Valspar, I now have a wonderful venue to reach out to a "captive" and hopefully captivated audience and share my experiences, enthusiasm, ideas, musings and opinions on color, inspiration and anything else that I find interesting. 

I have enjoyed helping readers handle design dilemmas and color angst. It is always satisfying when I can share my expertise on a subject that I love and have that information benefit someone else.

Blogging has also led me to discover other interesting sites written by fellow designers who share a similar passion for color. This exploration of others’ perspectives, design projects and colors suggestions has really widened my horizons.

Thank you all for being a part of this great experience and please share your thoughts and comments on this and any other post! We look forward to continuing our color conversations and we hope to hear from you soon!

Michèle

Color of the Week - Silver Dusk

Last week's Color of the Week was Silver Dusk, a soft blue-grey that would be beautiful in a bedroom or hallway. It's elegant and picks up on this year's trends towards blues and greys. Try it with a warm ivory like Whitewashed Oak. For accent colors try Tomato Bisque which is a warm toasty light orange or Orange Ochre to really kick things up!                                      

                                           
                                            Silver Dusk 4006-3A

                  
Whitewashed Oak 7006-23   Tomato Bisque 2008-5C   Orange Ochre 2010-1

              

Michelle Obama's Inaugural Gown

By Veronique Habermann    

       

A week ago, there was a lot of guessing about what Michelle Obama was going to wear for inauguration day. Michelle wore two beautiful outfits, including one yellow ensemble for the inauguration ceremony, and a flowing, white gown for the inauguration ball.

 

Earlier in the day, Michelle wore a yellow dress and coat set from Cuban-American designer, Isabel Toledo. The color yellow symbolizes hope and optimism. The decision to accessorize with green gloves and shoes was very modern. Michelle stayed true to her classy, yet sexy, approach to style with this outfit. I think she will go down history also for her unique sense of fashion.

For the evening event, Michelle chose, apparently at the very last minute, a white chiffon, one-shoulder gown by young designer Jason Wu. The dress looked absolutely beautiful on her, not unlike a wedding dress. Jason Wu described his dress as "soft, feminine and powerful." He went on to say that he “wanted it to look like a sign of hope.”

       

I think the white gown was an excellent choice because it was a neutral color. This stunning dress was a far cry from the usual reds, blues and other jewel tones worn by Michelle at past milestone events. It was unexpected, while still maintaining her usual sophistication. The gown was beautiful, but it didn't scream extravagance. For me, just as designer Wu had wanted, the dress brought to mind peace and hope.

No matter what she wears, Michelle always demonstrates impeccable taste. I am looking forward to see what other daring colors choices she will make in the next four years!

Friday Project Series: Wall Stenciling

By Megan Leblond

Winter is the perfect time for indoor projects! If you are looking for a way to refresh or enliven a room in your home, a simple stencil project can go a long way. This inexpensive and easy process can personalize a space in a few easy steps.

You will need:
    Stencil film or heavy cardstock
    Exacto blade
    Paper for sketching
    Newspaper or cardboard
    Stencil brush or sponge brush
    Pint size paint colors
    Ruler or tape measure
    Wet sponge or rag

1. Select or create an image you would like to apply to the wall as embellishment.  You can use existing imagery in the room, or create an entirely new feel.  In this nursery, I used a sweet dragonfly design present in the twins’ bedding.  You can easily trace existing imagery through stencil film.  If you would like to create your own design, produce a few practice sketches and select the one you like best.

2. Decide if you will be using a single color for your stencil or multiple colors.  In this dragonfly design, I used Valspar's Mint Refection and Pewter Luster from their wonderful Metallics Collection. I created one stencil for the body and another for the wings.  Creating separate stencils for each color, and allowing each color to dry between steps will eliminate the possibility of paint mixing on top of your stencil and muddying your colors.

3. Cut your pattern carefully with an exacto blade.

4.  Using a ruler or tape measure plan the placement of your stencils.  If you are creating a window accent consider where the window treatments hang. Also decide how you will place your stencil around corners or any structural elements.  In this nursery project I chose to angle the dragonflies for the appearance of flight.

5.  Using a sponge brush or stencil brush delicately 'tap' paint into the stencil windows.  Remember, LESS IS MORE!!!!!!!! I usually load the brush and tap some excess off before I push the paint through the stencil.  If paint builds up on the back of your stencil, you are using too much. Simply wipe or wash and dry the excess paint off, and start again with less paint.  While stenciling, keep a wet rag or paper towel handy.  If you do not like how a stencil turns out, quickly wipe it from the wall, dry the area, and start again!

       

Stenciling is a great way to spruce up a room and create a new feel. It takes little time and money to produce some great effects. Remember there are also pre-cut stencils available.

         

             How do you like the twins’ sweet, iridescent dragonflies?

                         

Redecorating the White House

By Michele Coppin

                          

Yesterday marked a historic moment for our county. Today, President Obama will change his address and the Obama family will trade their red brick Chicago home for the White House.

                    

The White House is a symbol of the presidency and the U.S. government for all Americans. Leading back to its construction under George Washington in 1792, it has had a fascinating history, with each occupant leaving his mark in some way. 

The White House has been redecorated many times, most famously by Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy.  In 1962, Jackie ran a very public campaign to restore and redecorate the White House with authentic colors, furnishings and period pieces to maintain the history of our nation’s most famous home. As a patron of the arts and a woman of sophisticated taste, she turned the White House into a museum of American history and decorative arts.

 

The state rooms are found on the ground floor, where business is conducted and official guests are received, including some members of the general public on guided tours.  The Committee for the Preservation of the White House preserves these rooms, including the Red Room which has maintained a red décor specific to the empire style of the 1830s.

While the grandeur of these stately rooms is exquisite, it is important to remember that this monument is also the home to the First Family, including two young children and a new puppy. The second and third floors of the home are strictly residential and the Obama’s will be able to redecorate them however they please.

So, with such a monumental redecorating project ahead of the Obama family, we thought we should offer tips and ideas to make the move easy and the redecorating meaningful. 

Let’s begin with the private living room and dining room:

        

How do you think these can be improved? Please leave your comments and suggestions below!

Color of the Week - Schoolboy Blue

Last week's Color of the Week was Schoolboy Blue. This cool blue is perfect for winter. Look to the sky and clouds for inspiration, and pair it with a creamy white that has a bit of yellow in it like Pontoon White or Whitewashed Oak.

                                            

                                          Schoolboy Blue 4007-5B

                                      

                   Whitewashed Oak 7006-23       Pontoon White 7006-13 

Be sure to stay away from whites with pinks or grays in it – they won’t accentuate the blue as well.

                  

Michelle Obama’s Inaugural Fashion

By Veronique Habermann

   

Although this might seem frivolous in these harsh economic times, I would like to add to the online discussion predicting Michelle Obama’s inaugural dress. There are several blogs and news outlets all over the country, including New York Times and the Boston Herald, that are devoting lots of coverage to the First Lady-to-be’s wardrobe. For me, what makes this so interesting is the fact that Michelle Obama is a trend-setter who has shown a refined, unique sense of style throughout the campaign, often pairing J. Crew cardigans with couture designer items. Many are asking if she will be the next Jackie O.

                         

With the inauguration just a little over a week away, she has a tough choice ahead of her: What to wear? With so much emphasis built up about her clothing choices, she will have to choose wisely on this very special day. She will have to look great, but she certainly won't be able to wear an outfit that is too expensive looking. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes right now!

 

For fun, I asked my 15 year old son, what he thought she should wear and his immediate response was a dress in a dark shade of red. What do you think Michele should wear?

*Check out another post on Michelle’s fashion from the Democratic National Convention.

Family-Friendly Project: Refurbish Forgotten Furniture

By Michèle Coppin

After finding inspiration in this wild Mexican chair, I decided to revamp a few pieces of old, forgotten furniture I had exiled to the attic years ago.

What started out as a small project soon became a family affair when my teenage cousin and her friends volunteered to help me. Not only did we salvage the dilapidated furniture from the attic, we transformed the old discarded chairs into beautiful and functional works of art.

While it may seem like a daunting project to take on in one weekend, it only took a few easy steps.  First, we sanded and rinsed off the previous paint or coating to expose a fresh, clean surface. Next, we applied good-quality acrylic paints to give the chairs a solid base coat.

Next, we each added a personal touch with decorative elements such as flowers, stripes or polka dots. Just look at the whimsical chair Maggie created:



Katie loves purple and patterns, so she managed to make her colors pop by experimenting with complementary colors like purple, yellow, red and green.

Natalie, the avid reader, took a different slightly approach.  She covered her chair in newspaper articles that have a special meaning to her, and then decorated the chair with shapes cut from colorful wrapping paper.

Elizabeth, the dreamer and poet, covered her chair with layers of different colored tissue-paper creating a beautiful transparency effect.  To finish the project, she topped it off with a few of her favorite quotes. 

In order to apply the news and tissue paper, both Natalie and Elizabeth used the product, Aquasize, a water-based adhesive that dries clear and can be found in any craft store.  The product is sprayed on and completely dries in 24 hours. 

To finish the chairs once they were dry, we sprayed them with a protective coat of acrylic polymer varnish.  If you are on a budget, try using ultra firm hair spray instead of the varnish, which works just as well and is much less expensive. 

Since we have finished, these chairs have become the most popular seats in the house.  What was a set of dilapidated chairs, now has new life and meaning, reflecting each artist's personality.

2009 Color Trends

Last week I had the opportunity to contribute to one of iVillage.com’s House Calls blog posts on color trends. Since 2009 color trends seem to be on everyone’s mind, I thought we’d provide some of our top picks for the year. It’s always interesting to see how home décor follows fashion about a year or so behind. That’s why it’s no surprise that yellows, greys and purples are big this year – they were prominent on the 2008 spring runways and in 2008 fashion.

As we’ve blogged about before, Pantone has selected Mimosa as the Color of the Year, further cementing yellow’s place as a hot color in 2009. People have embraced yellow with its warm and happy glow, and its energetic feel symbolizes optimism and hope - a great thing in today’s economy. Yellow was popular in fashion last year, it began popping up in home décor throughout 2008, and we see it brightening up 2009 as well.  It can be paired beautifully with greyed-out, lilac neutrals, or you can create a cool graphic look by pairing it with navy. And don’t be afraid to try it on an accent wall with a bold yellow like Chickadee, or a nice buttery yellow like Lazy Sun.

                                  
                    Chickadee 3002-1B                  Lazy Sun 3006-6A

Fellow Beehive designer and blogger, Michele Coppin, wrote a great piece on greys a few weeks ago, and I recently spoke with Stacy Downs at the Kansas City Star about grey’s “triumphant return” as the new neutral. Greys and greyed-out tones have shown up in fashion all year, as an alternative neutral in Marc by Marc Jacobs's Winter 2008 Collection and silvery tones in Bottega Veneta’s Spring 2008 Collection. Grey is a soothing color that can be romantic and sophisticated, ranging from soft lavenders to cool, misty greens and complex blues. Despite its many shades, greys are easily matched and Michele offers a good rule of thumb on pairing greys in her blog entry.

                    
  Orchid Ash 4003-3B          Plump Grape 1003-7A   Churchill Hotel Ecru 3002-10C

Finally, purple continues to gain popularity and was named the “must-have” color of the year by the Color Marketing Group. Here at Color Buzz, we have been talking about purple all year - how to update purple and avoid the “disco ball” look, pairing bold purples, purple’s versatility and the love/hate relationship many have with purple. Purple ranges from soft, grey-lilacs like Orchid Ash, to delicious plums like Plump Grape, and can be the perfect complement to many yellows and greys, as mentioned above. Pairing purples with silvers and warm off-whites with a touch of grey in them, such as Churchill Hotel Ecru, gives a sense of balance and freshness, while letting purple be the star. We saw purples in different forms on the fashion runways, including Michael Kors’ lilacs and greys, and Cynthia Rowley’s lilacs and smoky mauves. Even though mauve had a disastrous finish in the 80’s, it is making a reappearance in warm and sophisticated shades, and can be quite elegant when paired with complex colors. Try Lilac Buds with Cream Delight and Smoked Almond for an updated arrangement.

                      
   Lilac Buds 1004-8B          Cream Delight 7002-14      Smoked Almond 1006-9A