So it probably should come as no surprise when it comes to color, two very big trends in fashion and home seem to follow in with this same ‘dual personality’.  While we can’t seem to get enough of soft, grounded nature-inspired neutrals we find ourselves more and more attracted to the out- of- this world bright and highly saturated hues that exist somewhere between techno and exotic.

A quick flip through my favorite magazines this month I couldn’t help but notice the ads that caught my eye and drew me in were taking into account these two very different trends and speaking to my own two-sided consumer cravings.  Envelope me with subtle textured, earthy hues or blast me with a kaleidoscope of vivid colors- and basically you can say ‘I’m sold!”

What are your current favorite ads?

As we all become more eco-conscious our view of what it means to be earth-friendly broadens. It is no longer simply about ‘recycle-reuse-renew’ but is expanding to a broader understanding of the interconnectedness of our planet.

A shift in our collective view is what can bring about a change in our desire for certain colors and this is where trends begin. While we still have a desire for green and find comfort in brown our more global perspective is being expressed with the color blue.

My friend and CMG colleague, Leatrice Eiseman correctly read this trend when she recommend that Pantone named blue the color of 2008. By choosing this single color they aren’t saying that this specific color is the ‘must have’ hue but rather that this color represents the overall mood or focus around the globe.

This has proven to be very true and right now blue is resonating with so many people that when someone ask me what colors are hot I reply, “Any hue as long as its blue”.

If you have any doubt just look around. Every hue of blue from sky to navy can be seen for home and fashion everywhere right now.

House Beautiful picked up on the importance of blue in 2008. I especially loved this home that beautifully blends many blues. The living room above is predominately done in the softer spa blues with deeper blue accents. While the dining area mixes bolder blue with bright turquoise.

Pottery barn has plenty of blue in their collections, too. In the current Pottery Barn paint colors there are a half dozen blues.

I think this light blue pillow is perfect with the light neutrals and dark brown wood. It has a fresh, modern look while the darker blue and white rugs draw from ancient indigo dyed textiles.

If you are in the market for a Kitchenaid mixer you have two blues to choose from at Williams-Sonoma. The deep cobalt and the light, fresh blue.

Martha Stewart went with a blue that is more aqua for her cookware line but selected a clear blue for her bedding sets available at Macy’s.

Blue in combination with brown or tan that has been a popular choice for the last few years and is still going strong.

But now blue is also being paired with green. In the same way that these colors create a balance in nature they can come together in perfect harmony in your home. These two froms from 2modern.com are good examples of this color scheme.

If you’re home isn’t yet ’singing the blues’ now is the time to find the perfect hue for you.

Do you still need more inspiration for adding a bit of blue to your home? Here’s a few of my favorite homes filled with blue from past issues of House Beautiful. Each uses blue in a bit different way.

• The color blue is the lovely, persistent thread woven throughout your elegant Jackson, Mississippi, house. See more about this home on housebeautiful.com
• A teacher at Parsons School of Design used to say,’Put a little blue in everything you do.’ Some people think blue is cold, but my client loves blue so much she wanted a completely blue house. See more about this home on housebeautiful.com
• Designer Robin Bell fills this Florida house with more blues than you can count. See more about this home on housebeautiful.com

Nothing inspires me more than my favorite mags… let’s take a look at see what great ideas we can find.

A new makeup palette is always fun for warmer days… Allure takes a look at spring’s best beauty trends which include icy white accents, gilded gold eyes, terra-cotta rose cheeks and cherry lips.

Bazaar gives a look at this season’s most colorful accessories. Their advice this spring is to go bold with color… don’t be afraid to mix an apple green purse with shocking pink pumps.

Better Homes and Gardens features this Virginia Beach home that takes it’s color cues from the ocean outside it’s doors. Misty blues, greens, purples and pinks throughout the house give the home a sophisticate, yet beachy feel.

I flipped when I saw this colorful idea from Coastal Living magazine. Strategically painted colorful stripes give the illusion that this beach house playroom exist under a beach tent! I will definitely be keeping this picture in my “one day I have to try this” book.

This DIY project is just too cute not to pass on… A simple, fold away dollhouse was created out of two pieces of foam board. Creative decorating suggestions like using wrapping paper for wall paper or painting each room a favorite bright color make each one truly individual. This would make an awesome gift or raining day project with the kids!

Country Home starts spring out by suggesting that you discover a new hue and wake up your rooms with color. Their four rules for using color are to match room to hue ( chose color based on the mood you seek for each room), seek balance ( add white paint to soften the hue, black paint to gray the hue, or a complementary color to dial back the brightness) put color to the test and select your standouts ( paint a sample board first and watch how the color changes throughout the day, add color to the piece that you want to be focal points in the room). Great advice!

Domino peaks inside the loft of stylist Lili Diallo. Here she talks about falling in love with this rust colored mid-century modern couch, and then after getting it home realized she was perplexed on how to incorporate it’s color into her decor. Her solution- work the rest of the room’s palette around the difficult hue, eventually toning it down by painting the wall behind the sofa an icy blue and placing a body pillow in a surprising shade of raspberry on top.

Elle Decor’s cover story this month features this Manhattan apartment by designer Katie Ridder. The couple, who have an extensive collection of contemporary art seeked her help on how to incorporate the various pieces into their decor. Ridder choose a palette of bold colors like aqua blue, lilac and coffee…” the colors don’t compete with the art, they promote it”, says the homeowner.

There is so much color talk in this months issue of House Beautiful it was difficult to decide which article to talk about. I choose this photo from a home by designer Jamie Drake because I simply feel in love with the deep blue walls paired with this pale lime chair. Throughout the home, Drake used a heavy palette of greens- forest greens, olive greens, moss greens mutate from room to room and in each case are set off by another color- pink in the master bedroom, Prussian blue in the guest room. “If it’s bright, fresh, lush and green, I’m attracted to it” states Drake. Looking around all of the green in my house, I have to say I agree!

Lucky magazine takes a step by step rundown on an exciting nighttime look. The pairing of deep navy eyeshadow and wine colored lips as seen on the runway at Narciso Rodriguez. Artistic director for Shiseido , Dick Page describes the why it works-” Both shades are intense, but the color’s transparent, so they don’t compete with each other. That’s what keeps it sophisticated.”

Marie Claire takes an even deeper look at runway makeup by sending reporter Ning Chao to take the challenge ” Could you pull off model makeup?”. Here she is given the same treatment as the high fashion models, and experiments with the make-up looks that appeared on the runway at L.A.M.B (retro siren) and Badgley Mischka (society lady). I will be adding MAC’s Flaming Fuchsia , the neon-pink color used at the Badgley Mischka to my summer makeup bag!

Met Home features this amazing Atlanta home. The dining room, which is located in the center of the home is painted in an amazing dark color ( Benjamin Moore’s Black Bean ) with equally dramatic dark floors. I love the way the colors of cream and satin blue play off the dark interior in this room!

Southern Accent’s ” The Color You Need To Know Now” features Daffodil Yellow. They describe the color as warm and inviting with a youthful attitude. I love the David Hicks wallpaper featured in the photo. The paint colors they suggest are ( from L to R ) Banana Yellow by Benjamin Moore, Yellow Brick Road by Behr and Lemon Twist by Sherwin-Williams.

March’s Vogue magazine features a look at this spring’s most intriguing trends. Here is an example of all over-prints, extreme texture, saturated color and a glossy shine as seen on the runways at Marni. I love that shade of tomato red, but am not sure that even I ( who wears hats all the time ) could pull off that chapeau!

Have you been inspired this month by a great magazine feature? Let me know.

So let’s take a peek into my mailbox for a little color inspiration that will have even old man winter craving spring.

This months “Makeover” section features this awesome, colorful home by interior designer Ashley Whittaker. “That turquoise and white linen on the dining room walls is dreamy… I know, I love it. One dreary winter day my client and I had driven out to the house to meet. We had chosen the turquoise linen for the sun room, but when I walked through the dining room and held the sample up to the wall, we both said, ‘that’s it!’ the turquoise brightened even the grayest February days. It has great impact and sets a tone for the colors throughout.”

“Rhapsody in Gray” Elle Decor takes a look at the Bel Air home of fashion designer Monique Lhuillier. “Not only does the designer know how to handle white, she has a firm grip on the inherent beauties of gray too. “It’s very tonal, but I am really into textures, Lhuiller says of her house, a rambling French-manor style structure whose muted interior finishes run the gamut from fog to stingray. Like many couturiers who spend their working hours dealing with brilliant brocades and dazzling silks, the designer explains, ” We wanted an escape from color when we come home from the office.”

This month’s “paint palette” in Domino takes a look at 25 different version of deep purple. “This regal hue can easily overwhelm a room, but when it works, it’s both rich and livable.”

Cottage Living takes a look inside this colorful Atlanta Cottage and explains the colorful choice for it’s bright yellow and blue living room. ” She took her color cues from his (her husband), company’s signature color- bright yellow, and paired it with royal blue for a bold combination…. ‘I even got the exact Pantone color from his graphic department to match the leather on the antique ottoman.”

Southern Accents showcases this Palm Beach home that marries Indian motifs with a tranquil palette. “In the back a garden of orange trees, jasmine, and a sampling of other subtropical plants surrounds a 60-by-11 foot lap pool.”

Home’s look at color this month features this colorful kitchen. “A soft blue ceiling adds a coolness to the room and is a fun surprise.”

Living magazine has a beautiful pictorial on potter Frances Palmer’s vibrant cutting garden. “Imposing seven-foot-tall dinner plate dahlias and top heavy sunflowers tower over maroon, pink, red and orange zinnias. The dense riot of color, form, and texture creates a winsome, romantic patchwork.”

A take at Country Home’s show house…“The big idea..bring nature indoors with colors that harmonize with the landscape. ‘Part country style is looking outside for inspiration,’ says Senior Home Editor Beth Eslinger. ‘For this house, we picked up on the colors of the mountains and sky, as well as the woodsy environment.

Vogue’s February issue has a full layout showcasing one of the hottest accessories of the season….“grand scales: Outsize day bags and shoes in technicolor exotics make a big, bright statement.”

Marie Claire also looks on the brighter side of accessories…“The new color- Neon”

“Color… Take on a tangy tone for a decidedly modern look. ‘The shape is Grace Kelly, but the color is rock and roll.”

Allure’s “Fashion Cravings”…. True romance: pink dresses and red shoes that are sweeter than a box of chocolates.

And I thought that America Ferrera has never looked better than she did in this gray Monique Lhuillier dress…

and of course the fact that there were a sea of beaded and metallic embellished dresses up and down the red carpet….

I have to give a special shout out to all the ladies who brightened up the dreary skies over Los Angeles on Sunday night at the 2008 SAG award… though some of the silhouettes left me a little dizzy, the colors had me jumping for joy. Any chance they were inspired by my “future looks bright“post?

Who was your favorite brightly dressed star?

Credits:

• All photos from Star.com, except for the photo of beautiful Vanessa Williams, which is from moviefone.com

So cozy up with me by taking a quick, colorful peek into a few of my favorites issues….

“Soft hues of Gray and Beige are making a comeback this season”…notice how Harper’s Bazaar used these “new neutrals” for their cover shoot of Uma.

Lucky has a really great spread about mixing “rich, bright colors into your winter wardrobe”…”a peek of baby pink sweetens the vibrant tomato red of this jacket; gray pants an a cream turtleneck make everything that much more refined.” I absolutely love tomato red… I never would have thought about combining it with a soft pink… I will definitely be trying this!

Wouldn’t Elsa Schraparelli be proud “They Went Magenta-Way”. According to InStyle all you lilting-lilac girls, antique-rose sweeties, blush babies and cotton candy cuties get-outta-da-way because here comes a powerhouse pink that takes on all comers when it’s a match and takes no prisoners when it’s not. You’re either meant for magenta or your not.

House Beautiful asked top designers: Which paint color do you always come back to?…Keith Irvine listed Benjamin Moore’s Dark Royal Blue 2065-20 “I’m mad about this dark inky blue, as it gives great vibrancy and depth to a wall- especially if you put a topcoat of good varnish over it. That’s what we did in Rex Harrison’s Manhattan apartment in this fabulous little dining alcove.” Read more….

In a really fun issue O at Home showcases talented readers/decorators… “Winter White…It may be cold outside, but the design climate right now is warmer than ever-welcoming a slew of styles, from modern to rustic to downright baroque. So how to tie last year’s woodland craze into this season’s rococo revivial? A unifying dose of the ultimate neutral.”

Hmm, Elle Decor was on a similar wave-length… “Winter White…As crisp as a fresh snowfall, the color of the moment strikes an elegant pose, from an alabaster lamp to plush fabrics to a wintry ensemble.”

The “Color you need to now” according to Southern Accents… “peacock blue... One of those old-school colors that makes you think of grand hotels and beautifully appointed dining cars, peacock blue covers the wall of libraries, butler’s pantries and other spaces where intimacy and a little intensity seem appropriate.”

Metropolitan Home looks to brighter side with a “colorways” report on “Unmellow Yellow…. The color forecast this winter calls for a bright sunshine with a twist of lemon” I love those little stoneware hot/cold drinking cups!… they would brighten up my daily teatime, for sure.

Home’s latest is chock full of great color knowledge and ideas… This was a spread on a East Hampton house by designer Jamie Drake. I love Jamie Drake so much that whatever color advice he’s giving… I’m listening! “Drakes recipe: first choose a main color you love, then add a complementary shade, and finish with two dollops of an accent color. Voila!

New kid on the block, Vogue Living’s winter issue, featured these cool colorful rugs by Miami designer Gene Meyer. “I’ve been able to lose myself in color,” enthuses Meyer, : I’ve always loved it. I am a child of the sixties. Color then wasn’t the exotic thing it has become today.”

The cover of Martha Stewart Living features cool, sunshine yellow kitchen accents, but it was this article about houseplants that caught my eye… “The upright, linear effect of the snake plant, is emphasized by tall windows, while planters echo their verdigris colors.” I love what a color statement a common house plants can make in the right planter.

Coastal Living’s “Island Hopping… to chase away the winter chill, head somewhere tropical. Dress the part with accessories in warm tones of faux tortoiseshell and shades of golden sunshine.”… good idea, let’s pack our bags right now!!!

Read any fun color advice or discovered a new color trend you love this month?…. Let me know!

Based on research and filled with hundreds of illustrations, color expert Leatrice Eiseman presents insights on color and emotion, shares how best to integrate these qualities into your work, insuring your intended message is communicated.

Learn to pick the colors you can live with today, tomorrow and throughout the decade by bringing out the natural beauty of your home’s construction while highlighting your landscape.

Read the article…

Unlike some of their competitors that have created their own paint lines, Pottery Barn has selected colors from the Benjamin Moore line that coordinate with their line of furniture and home accessories.

I think this is simply brilliant for both of these brands and for customers looking to create Pottery Barn style in their own beautiful home.

From the Pottery Barn website:

“Color has the power to calm, comfort, energize and inspire. That’s why we’ve collaborated with Benjamin Moore to create complete room color palettes, each with four shades that coordinate beautifully.”

The New England Light palette is pictured above and you can see more combinations at Pottery Barn’s website.

This is a free self-evaluation tool offered by Pittsburgh Paint that walks you through a quick series of questions to arrive at a paint color palette based on your personality traits and preferences for tastes, smells, touches, and sights.

It only takes a few minutes, and the results may be just the inspiration you need to try a new color.

Try it yourself…Pittsburgh Paint Color Sense Game