Color Buzz

Swoon-Worthy Style: "Sex and the City 2" Interiors

Last Thursday, we enjoyed a true “girls night out” at the opening of Sex and the City 2. Besides obvious eye candy like Big and Smith, we couldn’t keep our focus away from the interior designs throughout the film. Lydia Marks (of NYC’s Marks and Frantz) did an exceptional job on the set design, the décor practically stole the show.

Carrie and Big’s apartment is rich in bold textures and patterns, and Lydia did an impeccable job combining Carrie’s chic vibe with Big’s deep masculinity.

Here’s a rundown of some of the rooms and spaces we couldn’t get enough of, and our tips on how to emulate the look in your own home.

Inspired by the Bright Colors of Mexico

by Michèle Coppin

Golden Moon 3004-3B	Deep Sunset 1005-3A	Aqua Dance 5002-8B	Rare Sienna 2010-7

If you are looking for extra warmth as Spring weather creeps in, Mexico is a great source of inspiration. Mexican culture is thick with beautiful, unusual and dynamic palettes. The warm saturated colors are inspired by the vibrant fauna and flora, the elegant rich earth tones and the intense purity of  the sun, sea and the sky.

The Colors of Art Nouveau - Valspar's Vintage Romance Palette

by Michèle Coppin

Toffee Cream 3001 – 3B	Maple Cream 3003 – 4B

Art Nouveau is a style rich in color as well as design, with nature as its source; if Art Nouveau’s language is form, its vocabulary is color.

San Francisco's Painted Ladies

by Michèle Coppin

Image Courtesy of Flicker
Plumberry 1004-3A	Misty Morning Dew 4003-3C	Tidal Basin 5001-7C

San Francisco’s architectural treasures line the city's streets in row-like palettes, they are the soul of old neighborhoods and the pride of the city; they are coquettish and colorful “Painted Ladies”.

Designing the Biltmore Estate

By Megan Leblond

It was Richard Morris Hunt who was credited with bringing the Beaux-Arts school to architecture.  His designs mirroring the French Renaissance are part of the most luxurious in America.





In Asheville, North Carolina lies one of the United States largest homes. The Biltmore, named for the Vanderbilt family, specifically George Vanderbilt, was completed in 1895. It was built on a plot of land spanning over 175,000 acres. The project was completed with the help of landscape architect, Frederick Lawrence Olmstead. The residential estate features many unique architectural and design features, including a gymnasium and a façade of 780 square feet of Indiana Limestone. Also, the home was one of the first homes to sport Thomas Edison’s light bulb.





The home features over four acres of floor space, including over two-hundred rooms and forty-three bathrooms in the Nouveau-Riche style. Above, you’ll see an image of George Vanderbilt’s bedroom, adorned with a Grand Baroque style in a cream and scarlet color palette. The warm walnut interior offers a strong base for this deep and majestic color palette.



Of the more than 200 rooms, this yellow and black bedroom most appeals to me. The deep yellows are soothing, while the blacks are sensual. For balance, the white provides a pure and gentle femininity. To me the room seems happy, pure, innocent and dramatic. I would love to live in this room!



I’m sure you will agree that the estate is incredible. The next time you are considering a color palette for your home, why not take inspiration from The Biltmore?

Art Nouveau

By Michele Coppin

Art Nouveau is back! Its colors and patterns are reappearing in fashion and in interior decorating.



Intrigued by this beautiful and unusual style, I traveled to Brussels, the birth place of Art Nouveau, to learn more about it.

Brussels is the capital of lovely little Belgium, and of Europe as host to the seat of the EU (European Union).

It is a very international, cultural and vibrant metropolis with a long history, shown in its Medieval city walls, Romanesque churches, Gothic cathedrals and squares, Baroque palaces, Neoclassic and Art Deco edifices as well as many Art Nouveau architectural splendors – enough to keep any visitor going for days.

Brussels is very proud of its Art Nouveau heritage which it celebrates regularly. Last October, the Art Nouveau Biennial offered various exhibits and visits to private homes.

Travel Series: Ghent, Belgium

By Michele Coppin

Ghent is a gorgeous Medieval Flemish city. From the 10th to the 16th centuries, it was one of the most important and prosperous cities in Europe, bigger than London, second only to Paris. Miraculously, Ghent suffered little damage during the two World Wars so it's historical heritage has remained largely intact. Today, modernity and history coexist, mixing vibrant culture with a healthy economy. 

Throughout the city, bars, cafés and  restaurants buzz with cheerful banter. During my trip, I ended up in a 13th century pub sampling a variety of locally made genever (Dutch gin)! It’s amazing to think about how many spills, conversations and changes this place has seen over the years. Perhaps my ancestors even came here for a drink!

Right in the center of town stands the ominous "Castle of the Counts" which dates back to the 12th century. It has an authentic torture chamber complete with thumbscrews and guillotines.

Inspiring Design: Frank Lloyd Wright

By Megan Leblond

In 1894, in Frank Lloyd Wright’s first public address, he said, “Let your home appear to grow easily from it’s site and shape it to sympathize with the surroundings if nature manifest there, and if not, try and be quiet, substantial, and organic as she would have been if she had the chance.”

Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture and design is known worldwide. From Falling Water (1935, seen above) to the famous Guggenheim Art Museum (1959, seen below), Wright’s designs are seen as the forefront of modern architecture. As a child I was privileged to visit the luxurious Susan Lawrence Dana House (1902) in the Illinois state capitol of Springfield. The early Wright home design was created so that the owner could entertain on a lavish scale. It quickly became an important Illinois social center.

If we look at Wright’s body of work—his homes, furniture, stained glass, sculpture, and buildings—we can see how the integrity of his designs provoke us. The vision of a man who believed the family hearth to be the center of the human experience, and place to be that which was only in harmony with the natural landscape, inspires and invigorates us. Wright wanted us to be inspired by nature and with our practice and regard, be “Not looking at, but looking in.”

The colors used in Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture reflect what Wright said was “appropriate to place.” The natural materials used in his designs create a basis for harmonies in the structure. His use of stucco, wood and brick in a single design was innovative for its time. Wright was always aware of the design site in which he was designing. If you have been intrigued by Wright’s designs, consider the following and take inspiration from your surroundings:

• What surrounds your home?
• Are you in a neighborhood, city, or countryside?
• What are some of the geographic features of your property and the surrounding areas?
• What type of nature, if any, is present?
• How could you reflect the tone of ‘family’ or ‘hearth’ in your space?
• How will your space serve you and others?
• How will your color choices verify your family goals and vision?

Wright believed that the mission of a building was to serve people. One of the sweetest examples of Wright’s vision is the playroom designed for his six children at his home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois. The large room with fireplace is designed with the children’s best interest at heart. A place spacious for the imaginings of children, dolls, plays, charades and parties, the space holds a beautiful mural created by Wright based on the Arabian Night tale, “The Fisherman and Genie.” His illustration of the genie is said to be his first stylized abstract-line pattern.
 
With our own projects, lets use some of the same purist philosophy of the master builder, Frank Lloyd Wright.
 
If your interested in learning more about the designs of FLW, there are many excellent publications. I recommend “Frank Lloyd Wright: Master Builder by Universe publishing.” Let us know what you think!

Medieval Wall Paintings

By Michele Coppin

I recently visited the Castle of Chillon, an architectural jewel located in the most beautiful setting between the shores of Lake Geneva and the Alps. This  spectacular monument with over 1,000 years of history has inspired many painters, writers and poets, such as Lord Byron who wrote "The Prisoner of Chillon" in 1816.


I was particularly interested in the 12th and 13th century Medieval wall paintings that have miraculously survived, albeit a pale version of their original glory.

A wall painting or mural is any piece of art work painted directly on a wall, ceiling or other large, permanent surface. Pigment is directly applied to wet plaster. As it dries, the pigment is absorbed and fixed into the plaster, making the artist's "canvas" the very stone or plaster of the edifice. The paint is made of natural pigments mixed with egg yolk and diluted with water.

One of my favorite wall paintings at the castle was the family's coat of arms proudly displayed above the dining room fire place.


The dining room walls are covered with wall coverings as well as painted with geometric patterns. The heavy wooden window shutters are enhanced with a simple white scale pattern.

Colors of Historic Preservation

By Michele Coppin

As I was reviewing this fall's Pantone colors, I was struck by how familiar they look.


A few months ago, I visited beautiful Colonial Williamsburg, the preserved historic city which in the 18th century was the center of government, education and culture in the colony of Virginia. It was also where Thomas Jefferson and others molded the democracy of the commonwealth of Virginia and ultimately the United States.


The historic area is an interpretation of a colonial American city with authentic colonial houses restored with perfect accuracy. The indoor and outdoor colors of the houses have been reproduced faithfully as well as the wallpapers and textiles. The colonial style combines elements of Federal and Georgian architecture which emphasize order and simplicity.
 
The colors are sober, rich and solid and surprisingly similar to this fall's Pantone palette. It is probably no coincidence however, as these colors speak of strength, steadfastness and persistence—qualities we need in these uncertain times—colors that are constant and inspire democracy.

A wide range of colors work well with the colonial palette, from traditional whites and bright yellows, to rich dark browns and purples.

This pagoda wallpaper is from the 1718 Thomas Everad mansion and is characteristic of the Chinoiserie designs popular in the mid to late 18th century. The red, black and iron gray colors are typical colonial colors.



Red and rose was also a popular combination. This wall paper hangs in the mansion's parlor.

Black and blue can be found in the upstairs hallway.

Colonial exterior colors reflect similar properties as this typical red 18th century home from Newport, RI illustrates.

Feeling inspired to paint your home patriotic colors? If you’re interested in incorporating colors similar to the Pantone selections, check out Valspar’s National Trust for Historic Preservation line.