I am so please that CMG featured my article on Marrakech in the Winter 2007 Color Chips. The photos they added look great!
If you’d like to read the article it is available on Sensational Color.
Also you might want to look back at Jaima Brown’s post Blushing Beauty which she wrote shortly after her recent trip to Marrakech.
Another great read is the blog My Marrakesh. Maryam does a wonderful job of giving us a view into an American families quest to build a guest house in Marrakesh. The pictures and writing are both inspirational.
Enjoy the journey to this colorful destination…even if only virtually.
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The latest color trends forecast released by Pantone shows what they report to be the ten hottest colors for Spring 2008.
See the colors here…
Download a copy of the report here…
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As if a few days of breathing salt sea air and sipping champagne weren’t enough to spoil me I had the added pleasure of strolling along Ocean Drive in Miami’s colorful South Beach.
South Beach has the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings anywhere in the world with more than 800 of these gems within a square mile.
Constructed mainly of masonry or stucco, their flat roofs, geometric patterns and rounded motifs give the many small, pastel-colored hotels a distinctly modern look.
Pastel and neutral painted buildings in beige, gray, cream, rose taupe, and butter yellow are accented with brighter pastels in peach, pink, aqua, and green, or with deeper neutrals such as charcoal gray or black.
Both the style and colors signaled a period of renewed optimism and confidence in the U.S. during the post-depression building boom of the 1930s.
Today the Art Deco treasures are being preserved and some newer buildings that complement the distinctive architecture of the area have been allowed to go up.
The show doesn’t stop when the sun goes down on this historic district. Neon and colored lights beckon in red, white, orange, blue and gold adding to the festive atmosphere of this international hot spot.
Can you blame me for not coming back to work until today?
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21st Nov. '07
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Kate's Daily Tips
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Authored by Kate Smith
Use color to divert attention away from an awkward or unattractive area in a room. For example if your view is less than attractive you can take the attention away from the window and into another part of the room by painting a wall in a bright or unexpected color. You could also strategically place a vivid poster or boldly colored wall hanging to draw the eye to another part of the room. Our eyes are naturally attracted to bold pops of color.
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The way Farrow and Ball’s Stone Blue looked in Dominique Alexander’s Fall 2007 runway-inspired room in The Washington Design House was spectacular.
I couldn’t stop looking at the color from all different angles, and it is too bad that the photo doesn’t do this gorgeous color justice.
While the overall look of this room didn’t immediately grab my attention the way the Chanel-inspired room did, the turquoise niche certainly drew me in. It also made me want to go back and take a second look at how the fashion designers who had influenced his thinking used turquoise in their Fall collections.
In talking about his design, Dominique Alexander said, “Each of the fashion designers I drew from for the inspiration for this room is wildly different from one another.”
“Narcisco Rodriguez offered subtle intensity with fresh pretty clothes. His collection can best be characterized as simple and modern.”
“Alexander McQueen was perhaps the most inspirational to me. His runway collection was futuristic. McQueen was heavy on the drama and fantasy of fashion. His silhouettes were very tailored and expressive.”
“Moving onto the legendary house of Versace, the fall collection was sophisticated and glamorous, while still being fun and fresh. One of the things I love most about Donatella Versace is that her collections have never been literal.”
“I chose to be less literal in my interpretation of ‘Turn Up the Turquoise.’ I utilized turquoise to highlight volume and to draw the eye to a particular shape. Overall, the palettes were neutral and very geometric.”
“In the room I designed, you should notice that the colors chosen are very fresh. I wanted to draw your eyes to the fantastic curves of the seating arrangement. I used color to enhance the character and depth of the room.”
I really appreciate that Dominique took a more subtle approach in his interpretation of the theme. I think his strategic use of color is very effective and adds interest and a bit of glamor to this modern room. What do you think?
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I’m often asked about color trends, but this year that question seems to keep coming back to the same color - PINK!
Pink has been seen this year in both ready-to-wear and couture collections. I especially like how Valentino graced the Fall 2007 runway with pink as an elegant counterpoint to the palette chosen for the season: black, brown, ivory, sage, plum, and the designer’s signature red.
Pantone showed a soft pink called Strawberry Ice as one of the top fashion colors for Spring and featured it on the cover of their fashion forecast.
In February, I was interviewed by CBS Sunday Morning about…you guessed it…PINK!
The interview was taped in one of my favorite retail stores, Thomas Pink, where shirts in this hue are a favorite of both men and women. UK retailer Moss reported that pink now surpasses blue as the number one fashion color shirt for men.
Pink has also found its way into the home, and it’s not just women that are going pink.
This month, in an article titled “Colors That Men Love,” House Beautiful included two hues of pink: Colonial Rose from Fine Paints of Europe and Coral Gables 2010-40 from Benjamin Moore.
ICI paint (makers of Ralph Lauren, Glidden, Fuller O’brien, Devoe Paints, and Dulux) named pink their color of the year for 2007.
The Pantone 2007 Interior Color Forecast developed by my colleague and friend, Leatrice Eiseman, included pink in six of the eight color palettes for Interiors 2007.
Home diva Martha Stewart showed her passion for pink when she bathed her Maine country home from floor to ceiling in pink.
The pink color-mania, which began to hit its stride at about the same time Motorola released their Pink RAZR cell phone early last year, came on even stronger this year with everything from couture fashion to home decor to motorbikes sporting this once-but-no-longer strictly feminine color.
While there are many factors influencing this trend, one that can’t be overlooked is the rise in the popularity of pink as a show of support for breast cancer awareness and support groups.
Pink products continue to explode into the retail scene as retailers and manufactures come together for this cause. KitchenAid has a line of limited edition pink counter-top appliances that were developed to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through a campaign called Cook For The Cure®.
Campbell’s soup and M&M’s are two of the many, many food and beverage products promoting pink.
Even Ford Motors is offering the 2008 Mustang with a “pink package” in support of breast cancer awareness.
Interest in pink continues and we’ll be seeing pink through the holidays and into 2008.
With so much attention, is it any wonder that this hue continues to blush so beautifully?
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White is one of the best colors to improve space; it makes space bigger, cleaner, and calmer. Designers use white for these reasons all the time.
There are many different perceptions and shades of white. Some can be mixed, while others are best left alone.
These rooms all use white with neutrals, but white is also the perfect canvas for more vibrant colors to shine upon.
In their book At Home With White,
Atlanta Bartlett and Karena Callen show how white gives you the opportunity to add color and texture and provides a crisp background for any other colors you or your designer may choose.
Read an excerpt from At Home With White…
White is the most-used color in interior design and can open up a space, add dimension, and invoke a sense of romance, elegance, peace, and possibility. Another beautiful book that offers inspiration and options for every room in your house is White Rooms.
Have you created a room you love with white?
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24th Oct. '07
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Kate's Daily Tips
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Authored by Kate Smith
By putting color on the inside of a bookcase, cabinet or niche, whatever is displayed inside will stand out. Paint is often the easiest way to add color, but if you don’t want to make a permanent change, you can also add color or maybe even a pattern by covering foam core cut to fit into the space with fabric or paper.
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17th Oct. '07
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Kate's Daily Tips
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Authored by Kate Smith
When purchasing furniture, if you select a neutral color for larger pieces, you can easily update your color schemes by changing the paint and/or accessories in the room without breaking the bank.
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