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.

The Color of Ties

by Michèle Coppin

Deep Sea Diving 5001 – 8C	Roasted Squash 2006 – 3A	Lyndhurst Duchess Blue 5002 – 5C
Classic Red 1009 - 2	Montpelier Red Velvet 1009 – 6	Bamboo Leaves  3009 – 4

Gentlemen, we at Beehive are well aware of how difficult it can be to identify one’s color preferences. However, good references are hanging in your closet - the color of your favorite ties. Indeed, ties are little palettes - a great source of inspiration when searching that perfect color combination. For walls, a neutral color combined with one or two accent colors.

Interior Design - Best of the Year Awards

By Megan Leblond

I had the supreme pleasure of attending the Interior Design Best of the Year Awards at the Guggenheim Museum this past fall. My dearest friend from high school was responsible for creating Urban Archeology’s nominated wall treatment for ‘Best of The Year’. In today's post we'll look at how this winning design was made as well as how you incorporate geometric designs into your own home décor. 

The Beauty of Shadows

We all saw this morning that the groundhog saw his shadow, so we thought we’d take a look at how beautiful and mysterious shadows can be. When using shadow in your décor, you can dramatically change a room with the flick of a switch or a light of a candle.

By using lampshades or hurricane cylinders for candles, can you create a wondrous room of light and dark. You can also play with shadows by directing light onto wall sculptures. Talk about creating mood! 

To achieve this looks, think how light will play upon your walls. For this to be most effective, try painting your walls a light to mid-range tone. The color will affect the overall mood; do you want cool and elegant? Or warm and inviting?

Aside from the walls, think about how your furniture can add interest to a floor:

 

Here you can see how a warm wall adds a gorgeous glow just right for a sunset landscape:

Again, imagine curtains or shades that would cast this design into your room:

 

Here are some utlra-cool lampshades that you can actually buy:

 

Punxsatawney Phil won’t be the only one looking forward to shadows this year!

Relax in Style

By Michele Coppin

When it comes to decorating, it is easy to be overwhelmed. There are so many styles and palettes to choose from! Knowing what style you like can be very helpful. Here are some visual aids to help you identify your preferences:
 
If your ideal house has a wrap-around porch:


If you like combining natural materials like stone and wood and variations of their muted colors:


If you really like the feel of natural wood furniture and simple patterns on uncluttered walls:


If you like soft light filtering through bamboo shades:


If you get ideas from this fine magazine:


If you like these gifts:


If you like art inspired by  the beauty of nature  like Bierstadts's "Butterfly":


. . . and the warm earth tones in Paul Cezanne's landscapes:


If a fire on a beach helps you dream and relax:


Then, congratulations my friend! You are a relaxed nature lover.
 
You might like these earthy palettes inspired by nature:
 
Reds:
                   
   La Fonda Antique Red   La Fonda Boulder 3001-10A    Cream in my Coffee
            2002-5A                                                                 3003-10C

Greens:
                   

 Grandma's Linen 6001-1C   Cinema Screen 7001-17        Irish Tea 1004-9C

Also, you might want to check out this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday about Valspar's "Love, Our Style" site, which quoted Ann and a couple who took the style quiz.

Valspar's "Love, Our Style" makeover contest ended last night but you can still go to the site and take the Our Style quiz to find out how to merge your style with that of your partner.

A Baroque Bedroom

By Michele Coppin

For those of you who love lush Baroque styles, dramatic interiors, hot colors and theatrical settings, know that you are not alone. One of history's most fascinating couples, Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI, did too.

Their respective bedrooms at Versailles Palace are a testimony to the late 18th century grandeur of the French Dynasty.

Of course, they were a bit over the top and as we know, it all ended tragically (taking from the poor is very wrong). However, taking, borrowing and stealing ideas and inspiration from the king and queen's extravagant style is just fine.

Baroque calls for multitudes of reds and golds, dark wood, pillows, intricate ornamentation and heavy furniture. This passionate style is popular with newlyweds, like this slightly toned down, but gorgeous bedroom from the honeymoon suite at the very elegant Lafarge Perry Bed and Breakfast in Newport Rhode - Island.

Turkish Delights

By Michèle Coppin

Spring is the time for renewal and this season, new styles are coming from exotic lands such as Turkey.

With a tradition of unique decorative arts, the Turkish culture, formerly the Ottoman Empire (1299-1923), is a treasure trove of divine inspiration. Arts and crafts were molded by its rich history and religion—Islam.

Islamic art varies hugely from Western art, primarily influenced by the Koran. In this Islamic tradition, depicting human form in art is forbidden. Therefore, Turkish or Ottoman art relies on the pure balance of color, line and rhythm in geometric patterns and designs. Rugs, tapestries, glass work, metal sculptures, mosaics and paintings all share similar characteristics of precise detail, harmony and elegance.

Turkey is also known for its famous blue Iznik ceramics, which are decorated with abstract and intricate patterns of floral and fauna designs. Ornamental square, rectangular, hexagonal and triangular tiles still adorn palace walls.

Iznik pottery melds form and function beautifully.

 
The colors used in this art form are blues, viridians, reds and golds. Touches of green pull these colors together and balance the red and the blue perfectly.

                   
      Dazzle 4005-10C            Berry Blush 1004-1A         Salamander 6001-8B

These colors and patterns are becoming more trendy. I have even spotted them in a window display on my street!

If you would like to expand your knowledge of Turkish history and art, I recommend one of my favorite novels, My Name is Red  by Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk.

The book is about the Ottoman Empire and the influence of art. The story follows the murder of a painter in 1591. In each chapter, the perspective and narration changes, even to such unexpected ‘characters’ as a coin, a dog, and even the color red! This beautifully written novel is a true work of art, full of color, history and suspense. Let me know what you think!

African Fashion Statements

By Megan Leblond

American fashion has many styles due to the wide range of influences. Cutting-edge design sensibilities and the borrowed traditions of our melting pot combine to form eclectic styles all our own.

In Time Magazine’s Style and Design section, Kate Mossman and Chad Pitman’s photo spread ‘Out of Africa’ pays homage to African patterns adopted by current designers. Interestingly, I found that African prints and patterns actually serve certain purposes in the culture.

Kente is a specific type of cloth made in Ghana. The cloth features symbols and colors which communicate specific messages. Patterns and motifs  transcend village languages and can identify a wearer’s purpose or a specific adage or philosophy. In African Kente weaving, each and every thread is used in a way that allows each thread to be seen. The warp and weft colors are laid out carefully, each carrying specific meanings within the pattern.

Examples of these motifs include messages such as, “One person does not make a nation,” “The extended family is a force,” or “One who climbs a tree worth climbing gets the help deserved.” These fabric patterns express the wearer’s community’s needs and ultimate goals in life.

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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Finding Your Color Voice in Color Combinations

By Megan Leblond

                                     

Having trouble deciding on a color combination for your home? Sometimes we over-think such decisions. If you find yourself agonizing over paint chips at the store, try a different approach. I suggest tricking your mind into finding its way naturally. Take some of the pressure off of your specific color selection and visit a fabric or upholstery store to find combinations in the various patterns that speak to you. Switching gears and giving yourself a fun way to approach colors can help reveal colors in combinations that you could live with. Once you have a few fabrics selected, ask for clips to bring home to add to your paint chips, and see what starts to work best.

I recently visited Aura Fabrics, a fabric and upholstery in Effort, Pennsylvania. I perused the aisles and waited for my eyes to latch onto something fabulous. I was particularly drawn to purple, gold and brown fabrics, as well as some lime-green and yellow combinations with hints of red. I was able to find two distinct color combinations that I really liked without trying.

                 

I asked Ursula, a fashion designer from the Philadelphia Textiles School and owner of the store, how she helps clients with color choices. She said that many of her customers are usually drawn to one particular color to start, maybe the color of a couch or window treatments already in the home. With this starting point in mind, Ursula works with the client to find a fabric that will work well with the existing walls, drapery, and flooring of the home. 

I asked Ursula if she has noticed any current trends. She noted that she find clients are carrying a color combination throughout the home, because of more open design plans in newer architecture. However, she prefers to style a home so that each room can have its “own life.”

                   

I totally agree! We looked at the color combinations I had selected and decided that the greens and yellows were energizing and the purples and golds lent themselves to a more dramatic and elegant look. When choosing color combinations, be sure to keep in mind the tone of the room you are redecorating. This can also help guide your choices.

Hopefully this fun field trip will bring you closer to your color choice, and you might arrange for some wonderful pillows or upholstery to bring the room together. If you have any color combination questions, please let us know. We would love to see any successful final projects too!