Jan 14

“COLOR IT FABULOUS” – A Color Game to Play and Learn!

By pattisays In airports, Albuquerque, New Mexico, architecture, art and food, art and interior design, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, color trends, color wheel, colors, Company C, Contemporary Art, Contrasting colors, contrasts for balance in design, creative process, creativity, decorative arts, design, design details, design process, design scenes, design solutions, design tips, design trends, Discovering Art, drama of color, fashion and design, floral designs, flowers in design, food and interior design, Graphic art, handcraft, handmade, hiring an interior designer, home improvements, how to select colors, inspiration, inspiration from nature, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, lifestyle, Living Coral, Mexico, Modern Art, paint colors, painters, Pantone, personal expression, personal taste, planning a remodel, quilting, quilts, remodeling, selecting colors, Subscribers, teaching, timeless colors, travel and design, trends, tropical, Tucson /  

After last week’s Color of the Year observations, I furthered the subject regarding the importance, influence and value of colors.

I don’t know the science behind how individual’s eyes perceive and translate color… rods and cones and the anatomy of the eye as it speaks to the brain…but what I do know is that COLOR and the context of COLOR MATTERS even if it is not perceived exactly the same by everyone. 

My parents were coincidentally both apt to notice, remark about and describe color specifically.  To them, and ultimately to me, colors were something to regard and absorb, for better or for worse, and all colors deserved acknowledgement and specification. 

I distinctly remember their descriptions, “Parrot Green, Sapphire Blue, Lemon Yellow, Fire Engine Red and Brown as a berry” – a compliment which indicated that you had tanned sufficiently! I think it was a result of our island home-away-from-home that prompted many of these titles. We, for sure, had no parrots making their presence known in Virginia! But for some reason, colors in the islands prompted unusual appreciation and scrutiny. This parrot green was like grass green but a bit more intense – saturated – not a dark green and certainly not a spring green – just a brilliant, clear, secondary green! The result of true, primary blue and yellow mated to make GREEN!

Color is a communication tool to convey – color. But what color? What type of color? What specific color? Is your version of a color the same as mine? Do we “read” color the same way? Do we express the description of color the same way? How might you explain a color to a person who is blind?

I’m writing this today from the tropics and it seems worthy to note that colors are abundant here in brilliant evidence through all seasons. Whereas in a decidedly changing seasonal and climate, colors come alive in spring, progress through changes and pretty much crash for the dormant winter months. Contrarily, the topics meld their rainbow of blooming floribunda, bounty of fruits and palette of these brilliant colors year round. 

Maybe it is because we straddled both worlds. The lush, verdant, colorfully blooming and always reliable tropics countered by the decidedly and distinctly changing seasons through dormancy in the northern climes. There must be an appreciation for the change. The lovely, yet possibly monotonous climates that produce blooming color all year round might dull the senses to the seasonal reemergence and staggering beauty of new growth and blooming abundance and mute the verbal expression and appreciation thereof. 

For example, my color antenna is always up and running. As I struggled with my pair of carry-on luggage monstrosities clearly in excess of 75 pounds (good thing there is only a size and not a weight limit!!), I came upon 2 art pieces in the Houston Hobby airport. The colors beckoned me. Although I had noticed them in swift passing, I couldn’t help wanting to see more. So I stopped and dashed back, disassembled my cumbersome haul and quickly took photos of these two paintings on exhibit, in the concourse, in order that I could enjoy them a bit later. Initially attracted by the color, they arrested me allowing and inviting an opportunity for  further examination of their subject matter and detail later, when I had the luxury of time. 


The wildly organic plant life, featuring an animated orchid that tangled and writhed on the painting’s surface in a variety of verdant green’s set against a perfectly selected fiery orange table surface, was brilliantly alluring and seemed to set the stage as a  precursor to my soon-to-be-destination in tropical Mexico.  ARTIST: Lucas Johnson Still Life with Schomburgkia

A bit further down the corridor of the concourse another piece caught my attention. Similarly with its colorful invitation, but with entirely  different subject matter which upon closer inspection was quite intriguing, a patchwork quilt of batik fabrics and collage with applied letters beckoning the viewer to wonder what might be beneath was magic. The woman or child and beloved pet in the center of the action nestled under a cozy and colorful quilt, wrapped in a cloak of starry darkness which might suggest clinging to each other against the foreboding imaginings of the night.


The intense collection of the brilliant colors contrasting against black was dramatic, mystic and inescapable in this powerful piece, It Helps to Think We’re Sleeping Underneath the Same Big Sky by artist Joo Young Choi.

Watercolor artist extraordinaire, Susan Weeks,  captured this crate of mangos at an exotic market somewhere very south of here. Peru? Ecuador? I don’t remember. Susan gets around. And, Susan sees color and detail and renders it with remarkably exacting precision. 

As I greet the day, I’m taking my stash of mangoes out onto the balcony to be seen and photographed in context.  Reminded of how Susan rendered this succulent sweet fruit, with the delightfully “hairy pit” (nods to Tricia), I celebrate this colorful collection of nature in a sensational setting! These gorgeous tones of warm golden yellow, baby iguana green and yes, 2019’s rosy warm coral (Pantone’s “Living Coral”) are nature’s color scheme. The orbs are sensuous and the colors are excitingly bright and luscious. 

Mango colors of rosy coral and warm, golden yellow are paired in this arched interior entry.

Here a similar scheme featuring one of our favorite Company C rugs illustrates the bold, effective power of color selection.

Try this exercise with color. I have no idea what your eyes see and your brain translates, but walk around and look at things in your world. Notice color. Notice individual items…book bindings to fresh fruit. Evaluate each color’s effect. Does it evoke any emotion…good or bad? If you wanted a painter to paint a wall that color and you didn’t have the paint selected, how would you describe that color in an attempt to get it on the wall as you desired?

In a more thorough test, you might be prepared with actual paint – like tubes of acrylic from the craft store. Get a print-out of a color wheel to illustrate the primary, secondary and tertiary colors. https://bit.ly/2SVKUMg Buy red, blue, yellow and white and use them to attempt to create the color being described. This could be a party game – but you would need to also have paint chips from the home improvement store or paint store to use as the prompts that would have to be described and used to match the success or failure of the person attempting to create the color.

Noticing color brings appreciation to the details and nuances of our color-filled world.  The little exercise/game, to try to convey a color to another person based upon similar life experiences and references, is interesting.  Please share your thoughts and experiences, dilemmas and frustrations with this project through the blog’s email.

I hope this encourages you to go forth with a new-found appreciation of color and how it adds layers of depth and interest to all that you see. Examine the natural world, or man-made creations in film, set-design, architecture, graphic advertisements, fashion design or interior design. See why color matters!

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Jan 06

2019 Pantone’s Color of the Year LIVING CORAL!!!

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, architecture, Arizona, art and interior design, artistic expression, artists, Centerpieces, color and temperature re: interior design, color forecasting, Color schemes, color trends, colors, contrasts for balance in design, coral, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, design, design details, design process, design scenes, design solutions, design tips, design trends, dining and design, drama of color, entertaining, exterior - outdoor design, Federico Leon de la Vega, floral arrangement, flowers in design, Garden, hiring an interior designer, home, home improvements, houses, inspiration from nature, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, landscape design, lifestyle, Living Coral, paint colors, painters, Pantone, patio, personal expression, personal taste, pink, planning a remodel, remodeling, seasonal interior design, selecting colors, silk flowers, Subscribers, swimming pools, table dressings, table top, tableware, Talavera Tile, Tucson, update design, wall texture, wall treatments /  

Color. Fashion and trends. Pantone’s annual pick and announcement – this year, based upon observation of the field of design scenes namely Airbnb and Apple, really? I find that amusing. Described by Pantone as “an animated life-affirming shade of orange, with golden undertones.” If orange had golden undertones, it would be more yellow-orange – a golden orange – NOT the pinky-orange suggested by their swatch of Living Coral and myriad examples that are being set forth.  However, a few months ago I noticed and saved (because I liked the colors), a Smith’s Food Store envelope featuring peaches that illustrated the cozy combination of the rosy-orange coral tones with the golden yellows – a perfect pairing.

This pinky coral – a hot, but smooth, orange-ish color – has been one of my favorites for years! In 2004 I referenced it as “lipstick” that wonderful color between red, orange and pink! A hard-to-find  lipstick shade sought by many!!! It melds fabulously with citrus colors and is cooled and contrasted by blues. A wall of colors depicts this perfectly.


We painted the wall, took a photo of it and emailed it to Federico Leon de la Vega in Mexico to commission him to do this grapefruit painting with its luscious, pink center and coral shades, wrapped in  a yellow peel and surrounded by cool, bold, brushstrokes of whites and brilliant blues.

A few years later we devoted an entire project to the fresh, citrus, color tangerine – which because of my personal preference leaned toward the coral shade of orange rather than the pure, natural tangerine. But art is about taking liberties and when developing an orange accented color scheme, all versions are allowed. Right?

This project was punctuated with orange tones from tangerine (for which it was named), and deep warm coral-pink shades. The hue and its many vibrant values!

However, to photo these nuances of color is tough. I walked around the Tangerine project a couple of days ago. It has  stood the test of time by beating trends by a few years and not adopting any particular design elements that would have given it away today.


Look at how much nature played a part in the staging of these coral infused scenes!

My advice is to pick the colors that  you like – the colors that make you feel good. Once determined, develop design based upon when to use that/those colors and when to contrast them or perhaps neutralize them.

Coral is bold and warm. It can read hot and energized – although is softer than red and less harsh than orange.

Nature is abundant with coral – not just the living sea coral – but flowers and the rare fabulous accent fur of Vietnamese monkey the red-shanked douc!

Vietnam’s red-shanked douc- brilliant coral accents in his coat!

The thought of warm saltwater and fresh sea air at this time of year is tantalizing. Living  coral doesn’t just say – coral, (of which there are many colors) it  evokes that shade that we snap to when mentioned. Hot, soft pinky coral – a color of seduction. It is featured in jewelry and art renderings, architecture and interiors.

My advice is to pick the colors that  you like – the colors that make you feel good. Once determined, develop design based upon when, where and how to use that/those colors and when to contrast them or perhaps neutralize them.

A little whimsy to celebrate this bold exciting color of the year!!!

Have fun with color – any color- all colors! Welcome Pantone’s Living Coral, into the conversation and design elements, for this New Year!!!

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Dec 31

TRENDS DIE – What’s New for 2018?

By pattisays In Abstract Art, apartments, architecture, art and interior design, artistic expression, Benjamin Moore Paint, color and temperature re: interior design, color forecasting, Color schemes, color trends, color wheel, colors, context of interior design, Contrasting colors, contrasts for balance in design, dark colors, design solutions, design tips, design trends, drama of color, element of surprise in design, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, interior design, interior design trends, lifestyle, mobiles, Modern Art, Museums, National Gallery of Art, Pantone, personal expression, practical design, red, Refresh, selecting colors, Sherwin Williams, timeless colors, trends, value of good design, Washington, D.C. /   2 Comments

I was surfing for fodder about the new color trends to kick-off this first mindful missive for the New Year and the color trends were all over the place – no consistency at all. From Ben Moore selecting Caliente AF290,

“Caliente is the signature color of a modern architectural masterpiece; a lush carpet rolled out for a grand arrival; the assured backdrop for a book-lined library; a powerful first impression on a glossy front door. The eye can’t help but follow its bold strokes. Harness the vitality.” 

—Ellen O’Neill, Benjamin Moore & Co.

to Sherwin Williams in a totally opposite direction proclaiming Oceanside SW 6496 their color of the year.

“A collision of rich blue with jewel-toned green, a color that is both accessible and elusive… A complex, deep color that offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown, Oceanside, bridges together a harmonious balance of blues and greens that can be found in what’s old and new.”

What? Are we straddling now?  Do we have one foot in one color trend while the other stretches across the color wheel and causes us to nearly do the splits trying desperately to hang on?

The walls of my east gallery space were a spicy version of Caliente for nearly 20 years! Bold at the time and unheard-of for  gallery walls – it was not to be changed for nearly 2 decades!!!

Whew – that was a run. I even named the retail space “Caliente.” And the color-band between the crown and picture molding at the back was a version of Oceanside – a lighter value of the blue-green hue.

The Grand Re-Opening July 2016 presented a dramatic transformation to a pale aqua resulting in a diametrically opposed feeling – a cleansing from what was crowded and hot to spare and cool.

But I digress…

Annoyed by the seeming authority, but weak contrasting rationale that I encountered with the wide range of picks and opinions, I left the paint companies and clicked over to the Pantone site. There I encountered their authoritative, ethereal color forecast of the year – Ultra Violet!!!!!

Yikes – they were coming at me from every conceivable direction!!! How on earth is any eager apartment dwelling or home-owning individual supposed to know how to go forward in sprucing up their space without fear?

Then  I came upon a piece by Mehgan Nesmith Ugh, What’s With These Generational Color “Trends”? From observing the broad reaching trend surrounding millennial pink to snippets from other sources,  I scanned the paragraphs amused, but still not satisfied. Until I arrived at paragraph 6 and there it was – the true fact that keeps the world moving forward – for better or worse – TRENDS DIE.

Yes they do and for good reason. I’ve said it before, take care in making costly selections that will stay with you past their prime. Trends are there for a reason. Designers dabble in creativity every day of the year to come up with things to tantalize, inspire, evoke, and entertain – and most importantly, SELL. Some of these trends stick. Then they are no longer trends, they transition and become classics. But to transcend the fleeting status of trend, “it” must have something very solid about its being.

And when it comes to interior design, with all the style trends for furniture, fabrics, architectural elements, finishes and decorative accessories – colors race through history like no other design element has or will. Colors rule and when they are good, they are very very good, but when they are bad, they are horrid!!!!! Thank you Mr. Longfellow!!

Take the massively graceful modern art piece suspended from the ceiling of the East Wing of the National Art Gallery in Washington, D.C. – classic – both in form and color. Red and black. Strong and simple. Bold and brilliant. Imagine if it were this year’s Pantone pick Ultra Violet  Aghhhh!!!!!!!

Actually, methinks I protest too much. The shade of purple picked, by Pantone, is heavy on the blue rather than the red.  The blue cast gives it a calm. Not whacky like Barney screaming purple – but, rather a royal shade.  Nonetheless, it is better served as an accent – don’t buy  wallpaper in it. Go ahead and paint the walls and have your fun – but know that you can change it without peeling off hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of wall-covering or re-upholstering your sofa like Meghan was tempted to do!!

It’s a color that stands alone – plays better by itself than with friends – like the child’s report card where the box that says “plays well with others” is not checked.  In my estimation, it will read well with clean, crisp white.  However, like Ms. Nesmith aptly says in her piece “if you are  still curious about that Gen Z yellow, buy a vase!”

That’s how we play with  colors and create a bit  of collision, unexpected off-key harmony, intrigue and suspense. But it is not for the faint of heart and the chance of tiring of it is paramount. Trends die and colors are tricky.

So Happy New Year and Happy New Colors in your world to refresh and renew!! Thank you Meghan, for your lively contribution to today’s story.

 

 

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Mar 04

10 Tips for Spring Refreshers

By pattisays In art and interior design, color trends, context of interior design, design, design tips, design trends, inspiration, interior design, interior design trends, Japanese design, joy, Marie Kondo, organization, Pantone, pinks and greens, Refresh, Spring, trends, Uncategorized, updating, upholstery /  1

Like bears coming out of hibernation, people start to stretch and yawn and look around and ask me “What can I do to refresh my interior for spring?” It’s similar to the fall preparation for hunkering down for the winter…”What can I do to cozy-up my house?” as the leaves drop and a chill wafts through the air.

Spring is the season for re-birth and starting fresh. Fresh – what does that suggest? This year we are very fortunate that Pantone set forth the color direction for the entire year – greenery. I have great enthusiasm for incorporating this bright verdant living color throughout the seasons – yes, a color for all seasons – but we are not limited to green in its various forms. I give you permission to add color that makes you feel good. Pick your favorite color…any color!

Now let’s get to that question about “What can I do to refresh my interior for spring?.” Here are 10 tips to change your world and bring joy as spring approaches.

  1. Color POP: Speaking of your favorite color…”paint magic” as its often referred is the practically instantaneous positive reinforcement that you need to make a quick, effective change in your interior! Pick an accent wall – preferably one that is framed by inside corners (rather than stopping a color on an outside corner) and take the leap of painting it an entirely different color than your norm.  Bear in mind other color cues in the room so as not to create a discord of color or completion between your design elements – but don’t be afraid either. The idea is a pleasing POP! and an extra pointer, if your room is already painted a decisive color, white can be the accent. Yes, white can be an intentional color accent and not the lack of color that it can often seem to be.
  2. Live Plants and Flowers: Spring suggests flowers and greenery – to watch them grow toward the warm weather, bulbs inside can be fun, bouquets of your favorite flowers, sprigs of greenery in a small vase can even be enough. A bud vase on your bathroom sink counter, a statement piece at your entry or coffee table, a flowering plant with young buds to last a few weeks, a fern to add feathery freshness. – any and all of these can add life to your interior spaces.  If you have flowering trees or bushes outside, this is the time to cut a few branches and bring them inside, place in a vase with water and the warmth of your interior will “force” the buds to bloom – Voila!
  3. Reupholster to Refresh: Do you have a tired piece of furniture that might deserve a new fabric? A favorite comfy chair, a hand-me-down of sentimental value, a good frame (bones) that can be salvaged to new with a change of printed fabric, leather, or woven textile. This furniture facelift is just the trick to give new life to older pieces.
  4. Change It Up: When you move things around and rearrange your furniture, artwork and accessories you will be surprised how you can refresh without adding anything new. Take a look at your furniture arrange. Can the same pieces be rearranged in the same room and create a new look?? Might you move one piece out to another room or bring in a different piece from some other room?
  5. Pillows to Toss: Throw pillows…throw them out! Well, I exaggerate a bit, but cycle them into a bag in the closet for another time or place or “recovery” and find some fun new pillows to brighten and refresh your interior. What an effective change a few colorful pillows can make in a room!
  6. Add Art: DIY or find something to cheer you! Dressing your walls with new work can lift your  spirits!
  7. Fresh Fragrances: Like Votive’s Pink Mimosa or Skeem’s Current Mangosteen scented candles, or Vance Kittera incense will add a dimension of sensory appreciation to refresh the stale, stagnant air of winter.
  8. Wipe and Dry: New dishtowels are a great and simple boost to change seasons! Find some fresh and uplifting colors to brighten your kitchen and make wiping up more fun! They make a great gift too!
  9. Stash Your Throw: What’s that afghan on your sofa or that blanket on your bed? Switch out the dark colors of winter with fresh new accents to add color and cuddle in too!
  10. Get Tidy: Marie Kondo has written books about it- she knows the “life-changing magic” that getting organized and tidy can do for you! Spring cleaning is a great therapy and introspective look at the things you own, how much you have and what is clutter beyond your ability to enjoy it all.

 

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Dec 11

Color of the Year 2017 Greenery!!

By pattisays In beach, beauty behold it, color and temperature re: interior design, color forecasting, color trends, colors, context of interior design, Contrasting colors, design, design tips, design trends, drama of color, exterior - outdoor design, Garden, inspiration from nature, interior design, interior design trends, joy, lifestyle, Lilly Pulitzer, natural designs, naturalist, nature, nostalgia and design, Pantone, patterns, personal expression, pinks and greens, seasonal interior design, summer, timeless colors, trends, winter /  1

Ta Da! Pantone announces its color of the year for the coming 2017…drum roll please…and the color is Greenery!! Yay!!! Last year there were two  – yes, imagine that – they couldn’t decide so they slurried Rose Quartz and Serenity resulting in a pale, cool, wimpy blend of soft rose and lavenderesque shades into a blended wispy pastel dream. Non-committal, in my opinion…lacking confidence.  Last year the rationale was stated by Pantone’s Executive Director, Leatrice Eiseman as…

pantone-color-of-the-year-lee-eiseman-quote-2016

But this year they have it with this fresh organic hue in a yellow-ish shade primed for this year’s rationale from Ms. Eiseman which is:

pantone-color-of-the-year-lee-eiseman-quote-2017

I have always loved green. I grew up in a Virginia jungle of a suburban neighborhood inside the Beltway surrounding my hometown of Washington DC. where the first signs of spring were the tiny tips of dogwood leaves poking forth from the delicate branches of those beautiful under-growth trees. The dogwoods were the graceful, human-scale layer beneath the towering canopy of the immense, rigid, vertical tulip poplar and white oak trees that commanded the woods.

Soft mosses, lacey ferns and perky lily of the valley carpeted the hidden pockets of our backyard. New growth is that prediction of amazing renewal and promise of the start of summer. So it is a prime observation that as Eiseman states in her 2017 rationale “greenery…bursts forth…with a reassurance we yearn for…” although I do not feel this is peculiar to this year as winter always makes me yearn for greenery and the reassurance  that spring and summer will return.

My mother also loved green and that probably influenced my childhood perception of comfort and context of it in interior design. She had and still has an eye for color. In 1959 she selected an amazing sculpted wool pile carpet in a warm, dark, neutral, taupe tone and built upon it a color scheme of pinks and greens that was subtle and relaxing, organic and contrasting, blending beautifully in our wooded setting of verdant lushness in which we were cozily situated.

That was upstairs where we felt like we lived in a flowering tree house amidst the dense collection of green leafy between the trees and surrounded by all shades of pink and white azaleas. Downstairs, where we retreated in the winter months, her greens were mixed with gold tones creating a warm interpretation of the greenery around us.

When so many in that era, between the 60s and 70s, were styling interiors with heavy oranges, browns and golds,

orange-and-brown-f934b00ae8a8aabb9fa7d7d8e3ccec30

my mother gravitated toward Lily Pulitzer’s fresh, tropical palette of lime green and hot pinks, clean crisp turquoise and citrusy lemon yellow – both in her wardrobe and her interior accent colors.

most-popular-lilly-pulitzer-prints-no-names

Our beach house was turquoise and teal, navy and tan – the sea and the sand.

Following color trends is a slippery slope. I have blogged about it in the past. Adopting that which is often a combination of colors instantly records a place in time when everything from bath towels and shower curtains, bed dressings to draperies appears in the marketplace and inserts its predetermined obsolescent combinations into the lives of so many who would rather catch the wave – often behind the crest – to own and participate in what is conveyed by the market to be the “in” thing to do and to have.

It is best not to embrace and adopt the combinations that the market presents. It is better to select color and combinations that transcend the trends – skirt them so as not to fall into the trap of dated color schemes and tired combinations. Some avoid the trap by staying neutral. The safe, timeless colors of whites and grays mushrooms and taupes- but where is the risk and fun in that?

“Too bad for them” I often remark. It is such a missed opportunity…a limitation to select colors that you think you are supposed to like rather than those that truly bring you joy. I say “go for joy every time.” Color is such personality. It is a stage-setting element. It is a backdrop or foreground. It is a theme. It is an atmosphere.

With all that having been said, I for one am thrilled with this fresh selection for the new year. A bright beginning full of hope and new growth, fresh starts and positive forward movement – organic and life-affirming. So seek the colors that brings you joy and go forth with color in this new 2017 soon to arrive. My personal schemes will always have greenery!!!

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Feb 28

TRENDS – How Does One Decide?

By pattisays In Anthropologie, beauty behold it, color and temperature re: interior design, color forecasting, colors, design, design trends, Dunn-Edwards Paints, fashion and design, interior design, interior design trends, nostalgia and design, Pantone, patterns, retro, seasonal interior design, table dressings, trends /  

TRENDS…we HAVE to have them…it makes us think, makes us shift…not to mention keeping viscosity in the economy. The shift is the element that moves the economy forward. Without that shift, we would be stagnantly content. And who wants to be stagnantly content – except the “Settlers” from the Direct TV ads?  DIRECTV_Commercial_2015_The_Settlers-520x245

Yet if you Google design trends they are all over the place. The intrigue is when they land on an actual theme that becomes THE TREND.

So as we advance into the new year and winter fades to spring – what lies ahead? I’m finding lots of nostalgia – features on milk glass and floral patterns and fancy geometric patterns, a recall to wallcoverings in floral prints and botanicals…Rose-wallpaper-Bari-J-WallAppeal-pattern-pink-yellow-zoom

The trick is how to invest in these elements and not have them become passé by next year. It’s all about balance – unless you have the desire and pocketbook to change out your interior annually! The desire to add something new to your personal spaces, or as my mother has always said “punch it up” is an art unto itself. How does one decide?

Information is so accessible. Access to ideas is endless. But HOW does one decide? How to make the decisions, the right combinations, what to keep and what to change…? The internet and TV…Anthropologie to Pottery Barn, Pinterest and beyond…You pin a gazillion things – but how do YOU decide?

But it gets kind of funny  – because for as many sites as you visit – there are oh so many professed “trends.” Therefore,  sifting through is the challenge and distilling what seems to take the lead. Pastels, patterns and florals is my finding…but is this just spring? Will this fade with the next season? Or is this a “look” that will last for a while? And do I embrace it all or pick and chose? How does one decide? Elle Decor 2016 design trends table

Pantone the color experts are even all over the place. Their designers were “inspired by the contrast of urban design and lush vegetation.” Whoa, really? That sure is a wide swath of possibilities!  And to say that these colors  are unisex is as though attempting to blurr the lines. A guy might wear a pastel pink, Rose Quartz, shirt – but would he upholster his sofa with it? Fashion and Home Decor often parallel their trends – and then they must veer off that same course for practical if not socially directed reasons.  Redford-3-Seater-Sofa-Peony-Pink

But the rationale is so amusing…for example,  Pantone writes: “Colors this season transport us to a happier, sunnier place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves.” Yes, we all long to escape the doldrums of the short, dark, cold days of winter – hence the positive effect of transporting us to a happier, sunnier place is obvious – every year for that matter. That’s why tropical destinations are the prime vacations for winter getaways. Even most avid snow skiers manage to sneak in a run to the white sand beaches for some sun and fun alongside their plans to hit the slopes, get frost-bitten and nestle by the big fires.

I guess I’m looking for a more cerebral explanation for the color movements. And yet, maybe there aren’t any – so let’s not pretend then. What does it mean a “place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves.” Wittier like a guy upholstering or painting his man cave with Rose Quartz or Peach Echo? That’s witty all right!!!!! That’s not the cerebral that I meant. But it is an interesting rationale. Color is giving us permission to express our REAL selves. I guess that’s one way.

Yet, here are 5 different color series for the upcoming year…and as you can see – it’s all there – it’s all covered.  Pantone color-trends-2016

 

So as you climb out of the dark, cold recesses of winter and squint your eyes at the bright, colorful luminosity of spring in bloom, where will trends take you on your journey to “punch-up” your interiors?

 

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