Color Buzz

Color of the Week - Ivory Brown

Ivory Brown is a soft, mid-toned chalk brown. It has beautiful undertones of platinum and is a very elegant color for a dining room. Try it with City Steam on the trim and Oatbran on the ceiling. Bring in silvers and deep chocolates with hints of copper.

                   
    Ivory Brown 6006-1C          City Steam 7006-5              Oatbran 6006-1B

Autumn Cornucopias

By Veronique Habermann

Cornucopias are, to me, the most appealing symbols of Thanksgiving. Cornucopia means horn of plenty in Latin. The traditional cornucopia was a goat’s horn filled to the brim with fruits and grains. In Greek mythology, Amalthea, the goat that suckled Zeus, broke one of her horns while playing with him. To make up for it, Zeus returned her horn with supernatural powers, which would give the person in possession of the horn whatever he or she wished for. Zeus also set the goat's image in the sky, which we know as the constellation Capricorn.

 

A weaved basket version, filled with miniature, assorted color gourds makes a great Thanksgiving table centerpiece, but when it comes to centerpieces, the sky is the limit. I like to have a set on the appetizer table filled with fruits and cheeses spilling out of the cornucopia onto a cutting board (I am French after all!). It is also a very festive way to display fall flower bouquets.

Color of the Week - Coral Gables Biltmore Mediterranean Mocha

Last week, we continued to explore great dining room colors. For an elegant, sophisticated look, try Coral Gables Biltmore Mediterranean Mocha. This color is a mid-tone neutral with lots of warmth and a hint of rose. Try this hue with Desert Fortress on the ceiling and Vanilla Steam for the trim. Bring in accents of plums, violets and silvers.

                    
  Coral Gables Biltmore     Desert Fortress 2008-10B    Vanilla Steam 2006-10C
  Mediterranean Mocha
           2005-10A

Color of the Week - Buckskin Pony

Last week’s Color of the Week was Buckskin Pony, a gorgeous color for a dining room. It's rich, deep honey color is not unlike the color of butternut squash soup. Delicious! Try it with Barcelona White on the trim and Churchill Hotel Wheat on the ceiling. Accent with sage green and rust colors.

                                      
                 Buckskin Pony 3004-7C     Barcelona White 7003-14

                                      

                               Churchill Hotel Wheat 3005-10B

Paint it Black

Mysterious, elegant and awe-inspiring – painting a room black creates a space that transports you to another place. It sets a mood that allows you to expand your ideas and vision.

In these next three photos we are going to see how and why black works in these rooms.



In the photo above, taken from HGTV’s site, we see a room painted a soft, cool black with blue undertones. The walls are high, so in order to avoid creating a huge black cave, the designer balances the deep color with elements of soft, light, cool grays and crisp, pure whites. The sofas, window treatment, painting, fireplace stone and the wood in the fireplace all add a transition from the depth on the walls. If you peak up onto the ceiling, that too is painted soft gray, which ties that high plane into the rest of the room.

The crisp white of the mantle and the column of wall behind it open up the space and reach upward. The white of the window opens that up too. Expanding the window and the white trim captures the edges of the black so that it holds the space, not swallow it up. The designer brilliantly added elements of sheen with the mirrored coffee table and crystal chandelier – very glam. Also the gorgeous, flame-like white sculpture on the mantle adds another element of expansion. 

In the corner is a wonderful collection of square, beveled mirrors that bring shimmers of reflective light and breaks up the deep wall. I love the warm rich wood floor. It anchors all the cool colors above it. The touch of deep, red flowers on the table also adds heat. Overall, the room is sophisticated, fresh and has a hint of the unknown – very cool.  To get this look, try: Blue Coal for the walls, Polished Silver for the ceiling and Ultra white for the trim.

                                   
                  Blue Coal 4011-3                      Polished Silver 4008-1B




In photo #2, we see an entry vignette created by Texas designer Jan Showers. Here we have a deep, dark black which defies limits and boundaries. The objects in front of the wall seem to float in endless space. The soft, warm, gentle pinks in the painting, lamp and dish, as well as the yummy, honey-toned wood all add an inviting aspect to the entry. The Venetian glass chandelier adds an element of glamour, which the black provides the perfect backdrop for. To get this look, try Valspar’s Dark Kettle Black.  For the hints of pink try, Tea Rose.

                                   
             Dark Kettle Black 4011-2                   Tea Rose 1007-2B




The last photo shows a dining room painted a charcoal black with creamy white trim and warm, rich wood. Here you see how great a deep black color can look with paneling – very chic. The cool black is balanced by warm whites and golds in the fabric. To get this look try: Sharkfin for the walls, Shoreline Haze for the ceiling and Woodlawn Whitewash on the trim.

                   
      Sharkfin 4007-2A         Shoreline Haze 6008-1B      Woodlawn Whitewash
                                                                                          6008-1A

Color of the Week - Hubble House Golden Maize

Hubbell House Golden Maize is a rich golden color that reflects the colors of the changing leaves and harvest moon. This would be a beautiful color for your entry, dining room or small-sized family room. Try it with Fairmont Penthouse Stone on the trim and Shoreline Haze on the ceiling. Bring in accents of cinnamons and silvers.

                   
        Hubbell House          Fairmont Penthouse Stone   Shoreline Haze 6008-1B
   Golden Maize 3004-5C                6008-1C

Color of the Week - Tranquil Bay

Last week's Color of the Week, Tranquil Bay is a warm, muted turquoise that would add drama and sophistication to a dining room or an accent wall. Try it with Woodlawn Whitewash as a trim and Cliveden Mist on the ceiling. For accent colors, try rusts and deep oranges such as Dark Palomino and La Fonda Copper.

                   
Tranquil Bay 5004-5B   Woodlawn Whitewash 6008-1A   Cliveden Mist 6007-1A

                

Design Dilemma: Jen's Dining Room Trim

Hi! I recently moved into an apartment and was in a rush to get the walls painted. For my dining room, I was looking for a deep sage color and planned to highlight the trim in a bright white. Instead, I wound up with mint and unpainted molding.

My question is: should I paint the trim a different color to offset the light green and white ceiling? If so, what color should I pick? What can I do to tone it done other than repaint the entire room? You should also know that the furniture currently in there is white and black with different shades of grey, but I am not sure that I will be keeping it, so a versatile color would be best. Thank you for your help!

Jen
………………………….

Hello Jen,

You can try painting the trim a soft, warm grey to offset the mint. Try something like Woodlawn Whitewash. It will soften the mint just a bit.

Other than that, you can try altering the color with lighting. Try lampshades that are ivory or parchment. You can even try painting the lampshade gold on the inside to cast a warm light on the walls. Let us know if that does the trick!

Thanks,
Ann                  

                                        
                                  Woodlawn Whitewash 6008-1A

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.

 

 

Le Petit Ecailler

By Michele Coppin

A few years ago, I decorated and painted a seafood restaurant called, "Le Petit Ecailler," which means "the little oyster shucker" in French. I began by painting the sign in ultra-marine blue which has been fading beautifully in the sun...and wind, and rain.

Inside the entrance, I created a beach scene with a lighthouse mural using fresh white and blue tones, reminiscent of the surrounding coastal environment. 

I painted the main dining room to resemble the wood planks of a sailboat's hull with rusty browns and oranges. The orange tones offer an elegant and classic look to the interior. Studies have shown that orange is actually an appetite stimulant, so it’s a great color to add to a dining room or kitchen.

In the stairwell leading down to the restrooms, I painted waves to suggest a descent underwater.

To complete the marine theme, I laced the restaurant's ceiling with white canvas sails. The look was ethereal and intimate.

Just recently, the bartender opened an explosive bottle of champagne spraying the ceiling. This, unfortunately, created enormous, yellow stains and I was called to the rescue. The work involved to take down and wash the canvases was too daunting, so it was my job to disguise the stains. In keeping with the nautical theme, I decided orange fish would fit in perfectly with the existing decor theme and the color palette.

I began by drawing templates of the fish design on paper.

Then, I traced the outline onto the ceiling and filled in the designated areas with an orange wash,  which actually blended nicely with the champagne. Next, I outlined the fish with off-white, loose brush marks to cover up the remaining splatters from the bubbly.

Finally, I added the final details, including a few white bubbles just for fun. I am told that happy hour customers enjoy the new addition above the bar!

 

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