Color Buzz

Fan Frenzy: The Twilight Saga, Eclipse

Twilight Meadow 5007-8A	Twilight Fever 4002-6A	Meadow Twilight 6006-8C

Are you crazy about The Twilight Saga?  We certainly are!  To celebrate the premiere of the third movie, Eclipse, check out Valspar’s “Twilight-Inspired” color palette.

Obsessed with Bella’s bedroom?  The pairing of the green-blue accent wall and purple bedding are perfect complements.  Try Salamander 6001-8B on your wall in any well-lit room for the same modern look straight from the series. 

Salamander 6001-8B	Twilight Mauve 1001-8A

If you’re Team Edward, try this color combination:

Deep Twilight Blue 4007-6C	Summer Eclipse 7005-24

If Team Jacob is more your style, warm it up with these:

Eclipse EE2074A	Evening Eclipse 4007-3C

Colors of the American Landscape

Liberate your home from drab decor this 4th of July by applying an effortless coat of any of these Americana-inspired colors. From sea to shining sea, America provides an array of color inspirations. From the bold blue used by Betsy Ross to accent her home in Philadelphia – the birthplace of the American flag – to the iconic red of the Golden Gate Bridge and every where in between. Happy long weekend!

Goooooal!! Colors of the World Cup

The eyes of the world are on South Africa for the next several weeks.  As a color expert, I'm not only enjoying the great soccer, but also the endless parade of great colors.  Everywhere fans are cheering on their teams with the help of colors.  For the most part, the colors of countries are primary or secondary colors.  With a few exceptions, we see a color combination play of red, blue, yellow, green, white and black. 

I love how each country takes full ownership of their combination of two or more of those six colors.  Red, white and blue are not just ours, but the Netherlands, Australia, France, England, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Serbia.  Greece seems to be the only one taking a step back, preferring a soft blue.

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 St. Patrick's Day - Beehive's Favorite Greens

	Plum Passion 6007-5B	Gentle Pasture  6003-4A
	Meadow Wind 6005-7B	Green Mist  6005-9A

St Patrick's Day is Here! Here at Beehive, we're taking the idea of "Wearing of the Green" to the walls!  Green is possibly one of the most livable colors.  Not only are we surrounded by it in nature, but there is something soothing and invigorating about this lively color.  Today, we would like to share a small collection of our favorite shades. Enjoy!

And the Winner is...

by Veronique Habermann

Gray Expose 5007-2A	Lincoln White Sash 7004-14

What a night it was! After an endless pass of one gorgeously gowned star after another, Kathryn Bigelow, beautifully dressed herself, wins both awards for best director and best movie. There were a lot of blue gowns—perhaps Avatar influenced? But, here are my favorite dresses of the evening paired with some room ideas and color swatches. 

And the Oscar for Best Color goes to...

by Veronique Haberman

Excitement builds as the Academy Awards approach and like many, the reason I enjoy watching is to find out who will wear what. This is it; one "faux pas" and a celebrity can stay on the worst dressed list for years to come, or the right choice and a barely known starlet can be catapulted to the top.

I can't wait for next Monday to report my take on color trends, but I would like to pay homage to what this event is really about: cinema. The following nominated movies' colors inspired me the most this year. I created a few palettes for each movie according to a scene that moved me the most. Let the colors talk!

Avatar

Grand Hotel Mackinac Blue	Peach Champagne 2006-4C	Lime Kiss 6008-9A

Colors of Academy Award Nominated Films

by Michele Coppin

Two of my favorite movies nominated for Oscars this year tell the stories of strong independent women--Coco Before Chanel and Young Victoria.

    
 
The colors, sets and photography are magnificent, while the exquisite costumes and their respective styles can be great sources of inspiration.

Day of the Dead

By Michele Coppin

Friday’s Project Series post centered on Mexico’s festive and colorful Day of the Dead. This celebration gets underway during the last week of October, when the streets are strewn with colorful papel picado, or paper flags, while town squares and cemeteries are decorated with wreaths of bright yellow, orange and deep, purple marigolds.



Markets are full of unusual sweets such as festooned calaveras, ornate sugar skulls, and garish, little calacas, skeletons in fancy dress sitting on coffins with defiant grins.



On street corners, large paper Mache skeletons greet passersby, beckoning them with a drink.



Portraits and effigies of the popular Catrina figure, a female dandy calavera created by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada are present everywhere – in store windows, banners and billboards like this one made out of dried beans and corn:



As November approaches, cities become alive with parades and the buzz of one of the biggest celebrations of the year for Mexicans. Because it is so close to Halloween, The Day of the Dead is sometimes confused with the pagan American holiday. However, the Mexican Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is not a dark holiday or one that harps on fear or death. The occasion is festive rather than morbid, and death is laughed at. It focuses on the idea that death is simply a part of life. It is a way to honor with both mourning and celebrating friends and relatives who have passed.

Families make altars and place ofrendas, offerings of food, candles, incense, and flowers alongside the photo of the departed.

The Day of the Dead coincides with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, the first and second of November.

The multitude of the holiday's images of skeletons and sugar skulls may be a little surprising – these images are not meant to be frightening, they are reminders that death is a part of life and Mexicans face it with a brave smile.

The night of November 1st, the celebrations come to a climax with a mass, performances and even fireworks. Everyone comes together in this unique atmosphere; mariachis strumming guitars, priests mingling with little devils and baby skeletons and boisterous sexy Catrinas.

The whole night is aglow with color and noise; the sparkle of candle light, the warm bonfires, golden yellow, flamboyant orange wreaths, and garlands, singing, laughter and prayers. But this evening is especially alive with the joyous and sometimes bittersweet remembrance and gratitude for the departed who blessed our lives.

The Day of the Dead is also celebrated in art – like in these 2 paintings by Mexican painter Diego Rivera, who captured his country dichotomy of the spiritual and the grotesque.

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.