Color Buzz

Friday Project Series – Recycling Old Plates

By Michele Coppin

There are many ways to decorate and enhance gardens beyond the obvious choice of plants. For example, one of my neighbors is a poet, and she likes to surround herself with poems floating on sheets of paper in her study.

Outside her window, she’s scattered plates throughout her garden as if illustrating an old nursery rhyme - not the 'old lady who lived in a shoe', but rather the 'poet who planted old plates.’

By lining her garden with plates, it gives the appearance of a little stage for some magical play.
It is an easy, colorful and charming way to personalize a garden and a good use of those plates gathering dust in the attic. Try it yourself this weekend!

 

 

The Obama’s in the White House

President Obama now calls the White House home. He has taken office with soaring thoughts of change, one of them concerning redecorating.

Indeed, every four years, a congressional budget of $100,000 is set aside for the first family to redecorate the presidential apartments. They can change everything from paint color to furnishings. Also available is the White House storage house, which is complete with antique furniture and an art collection of about 500 sculptures, drawings and paintings. This stockpile of art includes some works by American painters Norman Rockwell and Georgia O’Keeffe (), which have been obtained as gifts to past presidents. Traditionally, presidents select portraits of their favorite predecessors to line the walls, such as Lincoln.

Oil painting by Freeman Thorp

I am sure the Obamas will bring their own personal style and flavor to their new home with a combination of Michelle's sophisticated, classic taste and Barack's modernity, internationality and ethnic background. The new look will certainly be classy  and interesting. And don’t forget, the apartments will be home to two little girls, so the new décor will also be comfortable and child-friendly.

 
I expect the White House to be quite green. With the environment high on our future president’s agenda, his commitment to an earth-friendly society should begin in his new home. In recent years, the Bush family made many green improvements to the White House, adding low-flow shower heads, energy-saving lights and solar panels.

Most importantly, the Obama's home will need to be relaxing and harmonious; an oasis of calm, a comforting retreat, and a rejuvenating space for President Obama to regroup and prepare for each new day. To achieve this, he could follow a few simple Feng Shui guide lines. Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It is a belief system that can establish balance, harmony and energy flow in your home, garden or office.

The colors should be  fresh and luminous with lots of natural light and plants. The rooms should not be cluttered with too much furniture or too many objects. For a space and its inhabitants to breathe, it needs air and open space.

This beautiful dinning room by Sharon Cameron Lawn Interiors, for example, is modern, cozy and luxurious, without being ostentatious. The colors are a warm combination of beige and browns with touches of turquoise. The bold horizontal lines are offset by the round chandelier, mirror and patterns in the fabric. I particularly like the wooden chairs and table. In Feng Shui, wood is considered a lush and healing element which lends energy, vitality and growth to an interior. This room is elegant without being too formal. It is earthy, energizing and inviting. The materials reflect a love of nature and concern for the environment.

 

 

Color of the Week - Mesa Sand

Last week’s Color of the Week was Mesa Sand, a toasty, warm neutral with a touch of peach. This would add a bit of sophistication to an entry hall, living room and would be very soothing in a bedroom. Try trimming it with Woodrow Wilson Presidential White and for the ceiling, Churchill Hotel Ecru. Accents of blue greens and pinks look great.

              
Mesa Sand 2004-8B  Presidential White 7006-15 Churchill Hotel Ecru 3002-10C

Summer Photos: William Eggleston

By Michèle Coppin

Summer vacation is a great time for photos; snapshots of exotic getaways or staying home and rediscovering our own backyards like photographer William Eggleston, the pioneer of ordinary summer memories. Considered by many the "father of modern fine art photography," Mr. Eggleston was the first to bring color into a domain that was exclusively black and white, color being regarded as strictly commercial and therefore rather vulgar.

He photographed his own backyard, old cars, signs, road trips, and ordinary people, nothing too extraordinary. However, these random items are elegant, the apparent simplicity of the images composed like beautiful abstract paintings.

 

Eggleston taught us to open our eyes, see the wide spectrum of colors around us and appreciate it. However, it was not always appreciated. He was the first to have a show of color photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1976, which was described by one critic as “the most hated show of the year.”

Times have changed and Mr. Eggleston is currently being honored with a retrospective of his work at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. The exhibit, "Democratic Camera," runs until September 20th.

William Eggleston considered everything interesting. Let summer inspire you, like it did him. Explore your world, take some photos and discover beauty in banality, the spectacular in the ordinary, and admire the color surrounding you.

Design Dilemma: Creating a Hotel Chic Bedroom Part 2

This post is a continuation of Wednesday's Design Dilemma.

JoJo,

The space has many interesting features; the spiral staircase, glass tiles and a bay window. Hotel Chic is very soothing and calming and one way to achieve that is by layering tone on tone. 

If you want to incorporate pattern, try using subtle ones. The decorative painting in this space is beautiful but in order to get a more neutral space, I would go with a straight paint job. By choosing an eggshell finish, light can play around the room. 

There are two color directions I would suggest: one towards the warm beige: Oregon Coast on the walls with Arid Plains as an accent and Milestone for the trim. The other color direction is towards the roses, which is what is there now: Rosario Ridge for the main color and La Fonda Sonoran as the accent and Ancestral Haze for trim.

           
  Oregon Coast 6007-1C    Arid Plains 6007-2A       Milestone 6007-1B   

                       
             Rosario Ridge 1005-10C    Ancestral Haze 1004-10C

Restoration Hardware has some great linens in their Italian Hotel Satin Stitch White Bedding. They have two color ways that may work: Blush and Silver Sage. Their Diamond Matelasse Coverlets and Shams come in Thyme, Rose and Taupe, all colors I would suggest. The following are sketches of how I could imagine the room looking.... let me know what you think.

Ann

………………………….

Hello Ann,

I was actually looking at a catalog from Restoration Hardware because I was talking with them about their Italian Satin Stitch collection and was interested in the Diamond Matelasse Coverlet and Shams. Which would work best between the two, Satin Stitch or Diamond Matelasse?

JoJo
………………………….

JoJo,

I would go with 4 pillows: 2 in Diamond Matalesse and 2 in the Satin Stitch. Place the Satin Stitch in front of the Matalesse ones when finishing the bed. I would put a Satin Stitch duvet cover with a Diamond Matalesse Bed Skirt and coverlet which can be folded at the end of the bed. For rugs, you can try their Solid Ribbed Tibetan Rug in Chocolate. They still have some available.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Ann

Design Dilemma: Creating a Hotel Chic Bedroom Part 1

Hello,
 
I am including pictures of our master bedroom suite to try and get some design/painting ideas for a complete room makeover. 

The room is currently painted in a layered fashion, done by an artistry painter who restores old paintings and the like. It is extremely well done and the color blends are wonderful.  We have enjoyed this style for the past 5 years, but are now looking at changing the room’s appearance into a contemporary Hotel Chic look. 

We would like to keep the same color theme, but are at a loss as to how this can be accomplished with minimal effort.  Do we paint the wall behind the headboard a solid color?  Do we paint more than one wall a solid color?  What do we do with the ceiling?  Is this something we keep white, or make it blend in with the color scheme of the room?

I realize that this might be too much to ask, but we truly are at a loss as to how we can create this transformation, starting with the paint and going on to linens, bedspreads and decorations.  We are always watching the HGTV and DIY channels for innovative ideas and have seen many. However, we lack the knowledge and experience to make this happen without your help.  Unfortunately, our artistry painter is no longer available and we are going to do the work ourselves, so any ideas or suggestions you can provide will be extremely helpful.
 
Sincerely,
 
JoJo

………………………….

Hi JoJo!

The decorative painting is beautiful.  How much of it do you want to keep? Also, is there anything else in the room that you are thinking of changing - like bedding, rugs, window treatments, etc?

Ann

………………………….

Hi Ann!

We want to turn the bedroom into a Hotel Chic look and whatever it takes to do that we are willing to consider it.  Hopefully we can stay with the existing colors and perhaps leave one existing wall with the original paint.  However, this is not a show stopper.

JoJo

Please see Friday’s post for the continuation of this Design Dilemma!

Peony Feng Shui

By Megan Leblond

‘Tis the season of the wonderful flowering peony. The fragrance and beauty of these flowers is one of the supreme highlights of the warm months. Their delicate tissue-like petals are charming. I think I may actually appreciate the scent even more than that of a rose.

Here are some images of the tender peonies I have had the joy to see this spring. The fabulous bright pink peony’s home is Point Phillip Perennials of Danielsville, PA and the light pinks and irises are of my own prized collection. 

It is said that Paeon, the Greek student of the god of medicine, was turned into the peony flower to save him from his jealous teacher. Peonies are native to China and Japan. It was during the T’ang Dynasty in China that royal gardens were first developed and peonies were put under direct imperial protection. Peonies were so prized in this time that their location and presence were made part of the dowry settlements of families. Today, the Sung capital of Louyang and the Ch’ing city of Caozhou HeZe are known as the peony centers of China.

Another meaning attached to peonies is the philosophy of the compliment of opposites. In Feng Shui, it is believed that a Chinese painting of peonies placed in the marriage sector of the home strengthens the complimentary relationship of a man and woman. If someone is not yet married, the placement of such image will bring a strong relationship in the future.  

A white peony is said to symbolize a young woman of distinguished wit and beauty. In Japan, the first cross of the tree peony and the herbaceous in 1948 resulted in the introduction of the first yellow peony.

Always paired with deep green foliage the peony always pleases. If you adore the peony as much as I do, here are some deeply satisfying choices from the Valspar collection. Consider just an accent wall if you love bold hues but don’t want to hit anyone over the head with too large a pink bouquet! You could also design peony mural to strengthen your romantic relationship.

           
   Thistle Seed 7003-13       Pink Mist 1001-2C      Magic Wand 1001-2B

                               
               Toasted Oat 3005-4A               Boughs of Pine 5007-4C

Color of the Week - Seagull Beach

Last week's Color of the Week, Seagull Beach is a somewhat grayed taupe with a hint of rose. It's both soothing and sophisticated. It would look great in a bedroom, living room or hallway. Try it trimmed out with Woodlawn Whitewash and with Chocolate Brown as an accent color.

                                                 
            Seagull Beach 1002-10B              Woodlawn Whitewash 6008-1A

Design Dilemma – Designing Around Harvest Gold Fixtures

Dear Beehive Designers,

We have a somewhat small bathroom that has a harvest gold tub, shower and vanity top.

I have painted the vanity console "Country White" and the walls are a taupe/gray. I want to paint the walls a new color that will compliment the gold fixtures or make them blend in, rather than stand out.

There are no windows so I'm leery about using a dark color since the space is so small. Should I go with a pale yellow or maybe a shade of green? I need help!!!

Thanks,
Cheryl

………………………….

Dear Cheryl,

Don't give up hope! The harvest gold is actually not so bad. There's a reason so many of our homes were cove red in it in the mid-70s—it’s trying to "fix" what is already there that causes the problems. 

Your floor looks really cool. The red has a powerful punch. To compliment this, I would put a warm white on the walls like Whitewashed Oak. Try to find a white that will work with the grout, then have fun with accessories. 

 

I found this shower curtain at Target:

 

You could add something bold in a monochromatic tone will pack a punch. You want to keep the eye at play but not to over work it, especially in a bathroom. I recommend a navy and white print. The navy is a nice compliment to the harvest gold.  It stands up on its own and the complete palette offers a fun spin on all three primary colors.

If any of you readers out there have ever worked with Harvest Gold, jump in.  We'd love to hear your stories and ideas.

Good luck!

Ann McGuire

David Hockney’s Pools

By Michèle Coppin

The hot lazy days of summer are in full swing, and it is time to lounge by the pool. In art, no one has captured the sense of quiet afternoons, hot air and cool water better then British artist David Hockney, whose swimming pool series has become synonymous with summer.

Born in 1937, David Hockney has become the best-known British artist of his generation. He has spent much of his time in the U.S., and the California swimming pool has become one of his favorite themes, optimizing summer, heat and calm.

As a child, he was fascinated by the long shadows present in Hollywood movies. He had never experienced these in his gray, rainy, native Britain, and realized it probably had to do with the light. When he went to California he discovered not only light, but color. Just as Van Gogh discovered color when he moved from Holland to the south of France, Hockney discovered intense and vibrant color under the Californian sun, and color became his main subject.

“For me, it is the color that creates the structure and shape of a painting,” said Hockney.

His most famous pool painting, "A Bigger Splash," painted in 1967, borders abstraction. The quiet image is suddenly disturbed by the stark contrast between solid pink and blue geometric shapes of a Los Angeles setting and the exuberance of a spray as the unseen diver enters the pool.

Hockney said he loved the idea of spending two weeks painting the splash with small brushes and little lines on an event that actually only takes two seconds.

Happy summer!