Lately, we’ve been hearing, reading, and talking a lot about the 2010 color of the year. It seems blue is the hue on everyone’s mind. From ICI’s Icy Blue to Pantone’s Turquoise and Verdigris from Global Color Research. We’ve pulled together the influences and inspirations for you in some of our recent posts. A few weeks ago I wrote about the ICI introduction in an installment of Trend Tuesday: Icy Blue is Icy Hot. Kate’s been keeping us up on announcements from Pantone and Global Color Research in her posts Color of the Year: Turquoise and Three takes on the Color of the Year. And you may remember a few months ago when I featured blue-green as one of Color for Your Home’s next hot hues in Trend Tuesday: Going Blue-Green. Read more..
Whether you’re decorating with a traditional or trendy Christmas color combination, your seasonal style can only shine through with the ornaments, accents, and holiday decor trimming your tree or adorning your mantel. During my trend spotting trips to Holiday Market I search for the freshest festive finds. Here are five of my favorites for you to deck the halls with this year.
#1: Jolly Gems & Jewels – the iridescence creates a layering of color and light. Offered in both garland and ornament style these gems and jewels bring a sparkle to any tree.
Over the last few years pink has gained popularity as a viable color choice for Christmas decorating. It’s feminine, youthful, and some values of pink have the same high energy as red. Pink has the power to lighten and brighten up a room for the holidays. Today I’m sharing 5 simple steps to using pink this Christmas.
In October, my Trend Tuesday: Thinking Pink post honored Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the color pink, but we all know efforts to cure breast cancer aren’t reserved for just one month, it is constant and ongoing. Many groups around the country host Holiday fund raisers supporting these research endeavors, calling them Pink Christmas. Here’s an example of one organization from Michigan.
As a favorite color to many females and young girls, along with the worthy cause pink represents, it’s easy to see how the color can become fashionable across generations, cultures, apparel, interior design, and even Holiday decor.
So how do you create a pink christmas for yourself? Follow these 5 simple steps… Read more..
Decorating for Christmas is the seasonal way to add some color in your home, even if only for a few weeks. Green often works as our neutral backdrop, in trees and garlands, which blends naturally with the rest of the interior. This gives us the freedom to explore unique color combinations, not necessarily following the same color scheme that’s already in the space.
In my post Trend Tuesday: Bring Bright Hues into Fall with a Bang, I pointed out 5 tips on how to decorate your home with a full palette of bright colors. Continuing to track this trend through fall and into winter it’s apparent that these punchy, optimistic, happy hues are here to stay, even for the Holiday. (This makes me smile). So I thought this was the perfect time for me to break out tip number 6 (bet you didn’t even see another tip coming)…Use Bold Color to Brighten Up your Christmas Decor. The colors shown below (same inspiration from the other bright post) offer a nice range of both warm and cool which can be mixed and matched or used all together for a fun twist on traditional tree trimmings.
Each year I work closely with some of the most talented seasonal decor designers in the world. Two of the most exciting benefits that stem from these relationships are seeing all the colors and products come together in display at market and then sharing these fresh new styles with all of you.
The Tree Decked Out in Color
Start with a backdrop in color from the Ashley Spruce Designer Collection
Big Bold Ornaments and Beaded Garlands
Super Standing Seasonal Statues and Stellar Lighting
A colorful twist on the peppermint
Chic Christmas Chandelier adds new dimension to Holiday lighting
Are you incorporating the bright colors into your Holiday decor this year? We’d love to hear your inspiration!
Special thanks to NorthStar by Premier, Midwest, and California Floral & Home Atlanta Showrooms.
This week I thought we’d take a break from the hoop-a-la that surrounds the holidays and introduce you to ICI’s Color of the Year 2010.
Here’s what ICI had to say about their choice:
“In keeping with our overall theme of ‘Reclaim’, we are looking towards the qualities of truth, integrity, openness and hope. The Colour of the Year is an airy and optimistic blue that symbolises infinite horizons, new beginnings, renewed energy and a positive dynamic.
This clear, transparent shade encapsulates a sense of purity and goodness – a hopeful and chemical free colour full of possibility. It puts over an image of vast skies, breezy ozone freshness and the energy and essentiality of water. Given these associations plus the fact that it is a receding colour it will always create a sense of space.
Blue, in colour psychology terms, is the colour associated with sky and sea. Airy light blues are recognised as being refreshing, soothing and liberating. They are good in helping to combat mental strain and stress, physical tiredness and feelings of exhaustion whilst at the same time being re-energising and encouraging fresh starts. They are also thought to enhance powers of communication which can help to promote feelings of confidence.
A balance of the spiritual and the intellectual is represented by the allusion to air, sky and water – the freedom of the spirit married to the rationality of the mind; the vision of the artist to the knowledge of the scientist. Both in interior and exterior settings this blue has an important role to play. It complements perfectly the contemporary materials and modern neutrality of glass, steel and concrete, but also works with stronger and more traditional interior shades such as crimson, burgundy, plum, teal, pewter and gold.
This colour speaks of hope and clarity – a pure, clean and unpolluted direction for the future of our planet; a chance to reclaim possibility with renewed vigour and energy – the clear new horizon of tomorrow.”
As I was reading ICI’s forecast this weekend all I could think was how extremely inspiring in nature this color is and how this color brings the feeling of freedom, relaxation, calm, and openness into a space. It also got me thinking about some great rooms I’ve seen lately and some of my favorite designers. So as Kate and I sit here in Atlanta, GA (getting ready to teach our Color Certification Course tomorrow at ADAC) I felt it was only appropriate to share some rooms by one of my new favorite (Atlanta) designers Janie Kirsch who’s icy blue designs are truly icy hot! Oh and on top of that I added a few extras from one of Americas most well-loved TV designers, Candice Olson, and some shots from the best home mags around.
To download your copy of ICI’s 2010 color forecast go to colourfutures.com
Like most everyone, I’ve got a lot to be thankful for this year. I’ve got my wonderful family and friends, my health, my fabulous color trend career, and of course…totally trendy fall table settings. With the season rich in tradition rapidly approaching, I’ve got the itch for bringing something new and unexpected to the “table.” Every tradition has a beginning; you had so much fun with it that the next year it’s repeated, then again, and again, until all of a sudden you realize it’s turned into a ritual.
One of the “traditions” I’m most known for is that I will completely out-do myself with my holiday tabletop designs, at least that’s what I’m told. Family and friends expect to be surprised, because they know the table won’t look anything like it did the year before. This is fun for many reasons, but my favorite is (no doubt) the requirement and responsibility that comes attached to this custom…purchasing new dinnerware! Oh, the overflowing excitement of planning the perfect place setting, like this one below. A Bountifully Beautiful Dining Space!
Traditional Harvest Holiday Table (yes, we also did a tree) designed and decorated by Holly Adler, seasonal decor product designer and myself (Kiki Titterud) for the Celebration, FL Holiday Home Tour 2007.
Although we love the classic look from above, this year I’m inviting you to start a new tabletop tradition. Isn’t it time to toss the quintessential turkey aside and bring in a new bird? How about saying no thanks to harvest gold, pumpkin spice orange, and olive green and putting a twist on fall colors with new combinations?
That said; I’ve created this recipe for setting this year’s hottest harvest table.
B + B + R (Birds + Blue + Red)
Combine at least two of these three elements for something uniquely familiar.
Follow this fresh take on fall color combinations…
Then place them on your holiday table…
A special thanks to two fabulous ladies with loads of potential (who also helped pull some of these images) Laura Giles and Susanna Foster, Interior Architecture students at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. It was super fun spending yesterday with both of you for ASID’s National Real World Design Week Shadow a Designer Day. Watch out designers, we’ve got some rising stars here!
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Having grown-up in the “Halloween Capital of the World,” this delightfully devilish day has always been one of my favorites. If you weren’t aware of this haunted halloween honor bestowed to my birth city then I’ve got to take a moment and scare you straight. This “title” does NOT go to Salem, Mass or Hell, Mich, but to none-other-than Anoka, Minn. Don’t believe me, go ahead…google it, I dare ya.
I was raised in THAT house, you know, the one that scares the pants off people and sends some little kids running from the door instead of towards it. Of course, all meant in frightfully good fun. One little girl in the neighborhood used to ask her dad every year if she could go to the “blinking house with the talking pumpkins.” My dad has a habit of going overboard with ALL holiday decor; to my mom’s dismay (but I believe she secretly enjoys it too). He puts strobe lights in every window of the house, hence the blinking. And he wires mini speakers into the jack-o-lanterns then plays eerie music from a stereo inside the house. He has bodies coming out of graves in the ground and skeletons hanging from trees and lots and lots of spider webs. Now, that’s just a teeny tiny taste, but you get the idea.
So all my life I’ve been surrounded by spooky scenes on Halloween. I guess it’s no surprise that one of my color forecasting specialities is in seasonal decor. I work closely with many of the top halloween product designers, manufacturers, and wholesalers. I travel to holiday market where we trade trend information and preview the year’s most spellbinding stuff and spooktacular colors. This Halloween’s color concoctions are about two things….True Neutrals (black, white, and gray) and Secondary Hues (orange, green, and violet). Probably not a huge surprise as those are all pretty classic colors of All-Hallows-Eve. What’s tricky about this year’s trend is that it’s not about the color but the freaky fun finishes adorned by the colors. Check out my palette below along with tricks and treats for making your Halloween Hauntingly Hot.
Monochromatic & Analogous: Oranges with Black and/or White
Tricks:
Use a proportion or contrast ratio where one color obviously dominates the others. 70% black to 30% orange or vice versa creates a nice balance.
Use multiple values of orange; light, medium, and dark, all mixed together for interest and surprise. Then add black or white as grounding neutrals in the scheme.
Treats:
True Neutrals: White, Black, and everything in between – HOTTEST HOLIDAY LOOK!
Tricks:
Let the neutrals share the eve by using each equally in the decor. This 50% to 50% ratio creates a relationship between the light and dark.
Add pizazz to your neutrals by incorporating ivory or dark gray and fancy finishes like glitter, gloss, sparkle, or shimmer.
Treats:
Triad: Secondary Combination with Green, Purple, and Orange.
Tricks:
This ones for the kiddies! Keep it whimsical with a lot of color and just little dabs of black or white.
Use bright pumpkin oranges with the witch inspired green and purple. Stay away from the dull or light variations of these colors as they can clash with each other and cause unrest. Let’s keep it spectacular not scary!
Treats:
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, this week I thought paying homage to pink would be an especially sweet treat.
Pink is a tint of red, or red with white added to lighten the color. Pink can also go red-orange (Coral) or red-violet (Magenta aka “Hot Pink”). It can be youthful, fun, exciting, and some shades even have the same high energy as red. They are sensual and passionate without being too aggressive. The softer pinks are often associated with romance. It is the color of joy and happiness, and for women the attraction to pink can speak of a desire for the more carefree days of childhood.
Inspirations of pink in the past and present have been rooted in the designs and lifestyles of a few iconic people.
In cosmetics and cars…
In fashion design…
In 1947, fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli introduced the color “hot pink” to western fashion. She dubbed the shade “Shocking Pink,” though today the color is more well-known as “magenta.”
In interior design…
Inspiration for Men…
As a trendy hue pink can stand alone in a Monochromatic palette veering slightly away from red being influenced by purple resulting in a bright magenta or by orange as a clear soft coral. In color combinations pink paired with orange in a Diad harmony is fresh, new, and conversational. Building off today’s high-contrast in color trends, complementary schemes with pink plus blue-green, green, or yellow-green blend the masculine cool side of the color wheel with the warmer, lighter, more feminine hues. And going off the wheel putting pink with yellow in an experimental combination is warm, fueling feelings of optimism and creativity. So how does pink translate into the interiors of today? Let’s take a look.
Monochromatic…
Diad Harmony…
Complementary Combinations…
Off the “Wheel” schemes in pink and yellow…
I’m happy to announce that Homefurnishing.com launches today with my ‘Ask Kate’ column feature.
The first article is titled: ‘Finding the Perfect Kitchen Color… Please check it out and look around this fabulous new website.
Animal prints ride a slippery slope between trendy and just plain tacky. They are in essence classic, however, it seems that the way we use animal prints or the type of animal print makes all the differences and is a sign of the times. One year it may be cheetah, the next zebra. One year it may be print, the next skin. No matter what the design, every year you can depend on an animal or two to represent all others as the “Hot” print(s).
So after the years of rotating and cycling in and out of trendiness, it’s time to put a new spin on these safari styles. With all the color in the future forecasts (check out our other trend tuesday posts), you won’t be surprised when I tell you that this year it’s color that wrangled up those rodeo prints and made hides hip again.
This season my question to you is “What color is that ________ (you fill in the animal print)…maybe Zebra?”
The focus isn’t necessarily about the design of the print itself, it’s all about how you pair it with color! Will the print be used in it’s natural palette to tie a colorful room together? Will the pattern emulate the true design and in it’s natural splendor bring interest to a bland space? Or will the animal be infused with color, pairing the print with a hue or two (or multi)? Guess what, they all work and they are all great recipes for decorating with these designs. So whatever you choose, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, zebra, cow, remember color is key to creating this hot look and keeping animal prints fresh as we move towards 2010.
I found these fabulous fabrics that combine today’s hot hues with designer animal styles to fit any interior decor. Add a touch of one of these to any space creating interest with a color infused natural pattern.
Portion control in any design can make or break the balance, but when working with animal prints this element becomes even more important. Too much or too many animal prints and you might think your room went on an African Safari or took a trip to Cody, Wyoming (the Rodeo Capital of the World). Now don’t get me wrong I do believe you can create a “Luxe Safari Style” or a “Western Rodeo Chic” design using animal prints to evoke a casual element in an elegant environment. So don’t stampede over your style, pay close attention to how much and how many animal prints you include in each space, like these successful spaces below…
Natures Neutrals Animal Prints
Animal Prints Surrounded by Color
What color was that animal print again? Animal Prints Infused with Color
