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Julie Hoylen

Julie Hoylen

"Born with a natural sense of style, Julie is a fashion stylist and consultant working in the New York City area. Julie's professional experience " more...
April Clark

April Clark

"April has an eclectic sense of style. Her love of all things vintage, inspire her color choices. Forget the crisp white shirt; leopard and Pucci print" more...
Kimberlin Brown

Kimberlin Brown

"As a sculptor turned jewelry designer Kimberlin's eye for form, structure and beauty can be seen in each of the unique pieces she creates from pr" more...
Kate Smith

Kate Smith

"As a professional color expert, trend forecaster, engaging speaker and chief color maven, I work with corporate clients and buiness owners on using co" more...

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In each issue: Color and trends December 2007

5th Dec. '07 · Category: Fashion & Beauty , Category: Home & Garden · Tags: , , ,

Authored by Julie Hoylen

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I am a magazine junkie — my husband, my mailman and even my friends who are more than happy to bypass their recycling bins to hand their read subscriptions over to me.

When I open my mailbox to find a brand new sparkling issue, I swear my serotonin level doubles- it’s kind of a sickness.

But some good can come from this obsession of mine…. I’ve decided each month to do a wrap up on what my favorite magazines are saying about color- a quick flip through the trends and ideas that keep us inspired each and every month.

Red is not a color for sissies, but you can’t go wrong with this orangey red that reminds me of carved cinnabar boxes from China. It’s warm and cheerful with chintz. Or add a coat of gloss for a lacquered effect and the room will feel like a glamorous jewel box. go out and buy two buckets of red and change your world in a weekend.” designer Todd Romano talking about Farrow and Ball’s “Blazer 212″- “Color For Coziness”… House Beautiful

“The allure of jet-setter style is irresistible: graphic black and white against a polished interior best exemplifies the globe-trotting gourmet high life.” Elements of a Room/ Chalet Style… House & Garden

“At it’s best, plum evokes royalty and is as rich and elegant as it is interesting, adding an unexpected dimension to upholstery or even tableware. Plum is every-where these days, and it’s utterly classic when done right.” The color you need now… Southern Accents

“Shades of gray…a pair of deep, gentle hues, combined with bright-blue accents, create a dreamy, restful retreat.” Paint palettes… referring to Benjamin Moore’s Rushing River and Nightfall… Domino

” I’ve realized going to the extreme with one color is fun when you play off different textures.” fabric designer Kitty White talking about decorating her own home… Cottage Living

“I choose my menu based on color a lot of times. I love a colorful plate of food, but not necessarily a colorful plate. If I’m serving on fiestaware, I might not put as much thought into the menu as I would if I were serving dinner on Russel Wright white plates, for example.” actress and author Amy Sedaris talking about the affect color has on appetite… Metropolitan Home

Metallic- Get ready, get set, and go for the gold- not to mention the silver, bronze, copper and more. From fabrics that shimmer to wall coverings that shine, there is a mine’s worth of precious metals out there guaranteed to put a gleam in your eye” from Trend alertElle Decor

“All is bright- for her annual Christmas Eve dinner, Gael Towey ( chief creative director of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia ) dresses her New York City brownstone in an unexpected holiday color- pink… the table, dressed in rosy pink linens and bejeweled with pink roses and shining lusterware plates”… Living

“Usually strict evergreen loyalists, we fell in love with this cotton-candy-ish conifer. It’s unabashedly festive, and you don’t have to strap it to your car to bring it home. Traditional trimmings wouldn’t cut it, so we wove jumbo lights in and out of its branches, then dangled glass globes and plastic balls, which have the sheen of soap bubbles “ from Glow and Behold- holiday decoratingBlueprint

“Gifts Galore… shades of coral, winter whites, peacock palette, candy colors” holiday gift ideas… Town and Country

“I like to give my friends the royal treatment with gifts of sparkly metallic finishes and crown motifs.” Mary Emmeriling on what she will be gifting this holiday…Country Home

Hot colored appliances- it used to be that purchasing an orange or yellow mixer constituted a commitment to colorful decor in the culinary zone. But now, with manufacturers introducing major appliances in vivid shades such as cobalt blue and deep burgundy, you can make a statement from the kitchen to the laundry room”. from Fresh Faces: New this season… Home

“Juicy News, Ripe tangerine and turquoise are bountifully in season” Elle Fashion TrendsElle

“I think the color is a translation of all the energy that’s in London,” says David Saunders, a fine-art-print designer who put together his bright, geometric first collection under his David David label this season. State of the Union, Sarah Mower spotlights the most optimistic, color crazed collections to come out of London in yearsVogue

Pearly Whites, pristine and cool, a frosting of pearls gleams on a quilted bag, silk shoes and an angelic necklace.” Scene Stealers accessoriesIn Style

“Equal parts playful and ladylike, jewel-toned pieces add the perfect jolt of color to my winter wardrobe.” Hope Greenburg, fashion director from- what I want now, editor’s picksLucky

“It was a year of rainbow brights. Style setters worked the room and the photographers in bold blues, steamy reds, and fiery yellows.” from Best Dressed 2007- Primary ColorsHarper’s Bazaar

As a quick note, before I close my first post on the subject, I must mention my personal sadness upon learning that House & Garden’s December issue would be their last to print. I absolutely loved that magazine! I read Dominique Browning’s editorials each and every month and devoured every beautiful issue. Their website, blogs and art direction were a huge inspiration to us as we were developing this site. Our best wishes for a successful creative future to all those involved!   SensationalColor.com

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Pantone Spring 2008 Fashion Color Trends

1st Dec. '07 · Category: Fashion & Beauty · Tags: , , ,

Authored by Kate Smith

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…

Pantone Spring 2008 Fashion Color Trends Picture   SensationalColor.com

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Colors of South Beach

28th Nov. '07 · Category: Destination Color · Tags: , , , ,

Authored by Kate Smith

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?   SensationalColor.com

Sale on

26th Nov. '07 · Julie's Daily Tips ·

Authored by Julie Hoylen

Hitting sales racks at the end of each season is a great way to pick up classic pieces for the next year. But before you swipe that card, take time to understand the stores return policy on sales items. Many boutiques and online vendors offer sale items as “final sale only” deals and while larger department stores may have a more lenient policy about returns, often times there is a time constraint on when the items can be returned. Keep this in mind and make sure the piece perfectly fits on you and into your wardrobe before you buy.   SensationalColor.com

Use color to divert attention

21st Nov. '07 · Kate's Daily Tips ·

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.   SensationalColor.com

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