Color Fix with Rex Ray

San Francisco artist Rex Ray certainly produces vivid art works so alive with color. His artwork is such a pleasure to view and is such a great pick me up!. enjoy ; )








For a color consultation in the San Francisco Bay area contact Jill Clarkson Color + Design, jill.clarkson@comcast.net

A Great Poster Repro from Sf Girl By Bay!

Victoria, aka SF Girl By Bay has hand screened these wonderful reproductions of the WWII era poster "Keep Calm and Carry On" I love the colors she's chosen. You can order yours right here.

Can't Get Enough Brown

I receive so many emails requesting more pictures and advice on decorating with brown that I've compiled some photos from a variety or sources in hopes of providing some inspiration to those of you looking forward to decorating with this color. Without further ado, we'll start off with a designer who has this color name for his last name and who is a big fan of decorating with it, above photos from designer Kenneth Brown.

Below a beautiful pink and brown nursery found on ratemyspace.com.






From one of my most favorite all time blogs with enough eye candy to get your design high on for days, below pics from Desire To Inspire,






From Southern Living,


From Apartment Therapy,



There is more but blogger.com is being so painfully slow rght now uploading my photos...it's killing me!! will try again later!!

here we go again! : ) From Desigers Guild below is a lovely throw and some beautiful bedding. I really like the Ikebana bedding, immediately below.










here, brown with blue and a very popular pairing with turquoise,


this green and white room has an elegant and organic feel with the rich brown curtains,


a unique kitchen with mixed wood finishes,


Jill Clarkson, Color Consultant

Beautiful Wood Grain Tile

Check out these gorgeous floor tiles from Porcelanosa. The wood-tek line is gorgeous and these porcelain and ceramic tiles work with radiant heat and can be easily cleaned. They look great on the floor or on the wall.


A spanish manufacturer, Porcelanosa is well known for their beautiful tile but their bathroom furnishings are modern, sleek and are making a splash in the us market.



Jill Clarkson Color and Design offers color consultations and design services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information email jill.clarkson@comcast.net

Red Hot Finds

Following up on my earlier post, "Red Hot", here are some fabulous finds in reds. Above Unison Bedding, via Design Public. I like the teal accent pillows against the poppy red, it really pops!

Below a bold and beautiful chandelier and floor lamp. I'm sorry I seem to have lost the link to where I found these because I saved the images a week or so ago!! Kick me! ; ) I'll figure it out and let you know where you can get these! In the meanwhile, if anyone knows, please send me a note. : )



Local San Francisco artist, Rachel T Robertson, makes beautiful, unique art collages. Below is her red rose collage. You can learn more about Rachel here.





Above a beautiful Angela Adams rug in red and pink.


Jill Clarkson Color and Design offers color consultations and design services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information email jill.clarkson@comcast.net

Decorative Painting with Spirit

I recently learned about a painting technique called Lazure. Here is a description of the the technique from www.lazure.com.

What is Lazure?
"....An unusual, more spiritually oriented painting technique, separate from sponging, ragging and typical glazing is the Lazure technique. Color is a vital consideration in 'tuning' a room for its intended use...the white surface behind lazure color reflects light back through the layers of glaze making the colors appear to be 'in the space' rather than simply on the wall ... The combined colors in the lazure method weave an enlivening variety for the human eye and Spirit. Never intruding, always inviting, the colors interplay with the subtle nuances of Nature, creating a depth not normally present on most interior walls."
From Home Design from the Inside Out
by Robin Lennon

There is something about this finish that I'm really drawn to. Here is further explanation from Danielle at Living Spaces.

"Lazure was developed by Rudolf Steiner for the purpose of not only bringing beautiful color into the room but to bring nourishment to the human spirit. The Lazurist must be able to bring a meditation stillness to the painting process. When this is achieved the walls will be imbued with beauty and a tremendous good feeling."



I think this is a great finish for childrens rooms and yoga/meditation rooms. True Lazure has to be done with at least 2 people using pure pigments and rhythmical movements. With some help from my friends, I'm going to give this technique a try on a wall in my son's room. We'll see how it goes!! ; )

Vetrazzo Recycled Glass Tile

Who knew your last bottle of Guiness could look so good? Vetrazzo glass tiles are made from all sorts of recycled glass and the color palettes are really, really nice. The tile also comes with a story so when you buy the tile you receive a certificate of transformation which tells you just where the glass in your tile came from. so clever.

Above the beautiful blue glass from discarded bottles of Skyy Vodka. Below the warm colors of Alehouse amber and I love the simplicity of the Hollywood Sage.

Check out Vetrazzo.com for more info.

Red Hot

I just LOVE red, it's a fabulous color that gets your attention and even speeds up your pulse. Red has many different meanings across the world but the main keywords for this color are energy, stimulation, power, action and excitement. I like a little something red in every room if even just for a small pop of color like in the pictures below. The red kitchen above is so dramatic and probabaly a bit too much for most of us in day to day living, but I do like it!!





This darling house sitting by a river is charming, almost sentimental, in a story book kind of way.



A red painted door is said to bring good luck. In early america when people traveled by horse and carriage they had to stop often and a red door was a sign of welcome meaning they could stop there for the night. In Ireland a red door means you've paid off your mortgage! In Feng Shui red belongs to the element of fire and is the most auspicious of colors. The door into the home is where all good energy enters and so it is painted red to attract postive energy and prosperity.


more on red coming up

Creating a sexy bedroom

If you want to raise the temperature in your bedroom, read on for some great tips and tricks. Creating a bedroom with sex appeal is easy to do using the right lighting, texture and color. Simple additions and proper placement of accessories can make all the difference. Color is important and though peace promoting shades of blue are a popular choice for creating tranquil environments, such as a bedroom, they do little for flattering your skin tone. However, mood enhancing ambient lighting, texture and color can pull it all together.




As for color on the walls, you can work with most any color however, warmer neutrals and more saturated colors like apricot, salmon, gold and stimulating reds add the heat factor. Purples and fuschias are passionate and magical. Sizzling red is dramatic and sexy aglow with candle light. If you want to create a sensual environment, stick with warm colors. The bedroom above in rich brown is sophisticateded and sultry. (picture from la.apartmenttherpt.com)

Good lighting is essential. High voltage lighting is a mood killer and lighting with a dimmer switch is a great choice. Bed side lighting with low wattage is a must as is keeping the clutter at bay. Delighting the senses with texture, whether its tactile velvets, cool and delicious silks or sumptuously soft knitted blankets, add to the bedroom experience. Scented candles and music are great mood enhancers so be sure and have some of your favorite cd's handy.




Sweet Dreams!