Design Within Reach Semi Annual Sale!

Now's your chance to get 10% off over at Design Within Reach. Go see Andrea at the Mill Valley Studio and get your hands on some cool new goods. Sale starts now!

Max Color, Max Drama

Big punches of color are every where these days. I don't think there has ever been such a colorful period of time, at least not so far in my lifetime anyway. It seems a bit of everything goes, large and wild prints, colorful silhouettes, mixing patterns and textures, vintage and modern but watch out you don't over board with a good thing.
I love this lively sofa from anthroplogie and this nama rococo wall paper at Rose and Radish in San Francisco.

Aquamarine can be added to a palette in many ways. For a refreshing, energizing look, add aqaumarine's compliment color red/orange. For a tropical, beachy feel, accent with coral, sand, gold and lavendar. Adding white will always give a touch of the mediterranean. To increase the calming and soothing properties of aquamarine try a monochromatic scheme or combine with other soft pastel shades.

Above is a bathroom with our color of the week. It looks calm yet fresh. Below is Benjamin Moore's paint color #675, named Thunderbird. I thinks it''s a fantastic color.

Aquamarine in a childrens bedroom

You can see how fresh yet soothing this color palette is in this childrens room. It's very well done. The colors are soothing and inviting.

Color of the Week; Aquamarine

The first color I would like to feature in the Palette of the Week is the cool and refreshing aquamarine. The lovely blue green is one of my most favorite colors. Think tropical waters of the caribbean and imagine how it would feel to be slipping into that body of warm, delicious water right now. It's nice. Your worries fade away, your shoulders relax and you smile. This is a sampling of the emotional benefits of this color. Blue green is one of the most healing colors of all. It's revitalizing, destressing yet full of creativity and inspiration.

While I was on chemo, I would at times through out the day, and always at bed time, close my eyes and mentally saturate myself with specific colors. The side effects of the chemo would temporarily lessen and I was able to relax. I meditated on color and it was nice. You can use this color to help you relax. It's an excellent color choice for a spa like bathroom. It's a calming color which makes it a great choice for the rooms of lively and excitable children... after you talk them out of having red, yellow and orange, which will excite them even more.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March. To wear an aquamarine stone is said to bring great luck to the wearer, promising wealth and happiness. Legend has it that giving the gift of aquamarine will insure long lasting love, and mutual respect and honesty.

How do you feel about this color?

More pics coming up showing this color in action. Stay tuned! ; )

Choosing colors you love!

Nailing down a new color scheme for your home may seem a bit overwhelming and it can be! If you're someone who tends to shy away from color but are yearning for a new look, or if you're someone who just loves all colors and can't decide on one scheme, then one piece of advice I can offer is to go look into your closet. In your closet you'll see your color preferences within your wardrobe. Here is Paris Hilton's closet. Most of us don't have someone color coding our closet for us but we can certainly see her color preferences here. These colors are also evident through out her home.

It's probably a good idea to try and stay somewhere within the color parameters of your wardrobe. If you look washed out in a yellow sweater then it's not a good idea to paint your bedroom yellow. If you still love yellow, even though you can't wear it, try adding some of the cheerful color in the way of accessories & art. If your wardrobe is full of neutral colors then you may want to stay in that realm, but you can experiment & add a little punch with accessories in bolder colors.

Before painting a new color scheme definitely buy some large paint chips and live with the color for at least a few days before you take the plunge.

Coming Up: Palette of the week

I'm going to try and offer up a color Palette of the Week, each week, featuring a color palette that works beautifully together. I'll be posting photos of interior and exterior accessories, furniture and art as well as home & office environments that are using the main color chosen for the week. You'll get the chance to see if that color would work for you or perhaps see a new way of working with a particular color.

The Palette of the Week can be used in home environments, print, graphic design, marketing and even in your wardrobe. I'll explain a little history on the main color and share information on the emotional and physical impact of that color.

If you have a certain palette you've been incredibly drawn to or feel works well for you, I'd love to see it and hear from you what those colors remind you of and how they make you feel. I may post your pictures here so other people can benefit from your color success. So, stay tuned and don't be shy!

Another Tile Diva, Rebecca Lonegran

Having just posted about lovely tiles from Ann Sacks, I also want to introduce you to yet another Tile Diva, Rebecca Lonergan. She's a local San Francisco Bay girl who operates her business online with her partner, David Bousfield. Keeping their overhead low they are able to offer very competitive pricing. Choose from ceramic, glass, stainless, pebble and even an eco friendly cork tile from Cork Delux. I epecially love their signature line, modwalls. These tiles are just so fun and funky, perfect for a bathroom, kitchen or your own mosaic art projects.

The Queen of Tile

Tile, beautiful tile. If I could, I would tile my bathroom with none other than Ann Sacks tile. Along with the Signature Ann Sacks collection, offered are the works of several other talented designers such as Angela Adams, Erin Adams, Robert Kuo and Barbara Barry. Materials used are glass, ceramic, stone, leather, wood, concrete and metal. How is that for selection? Check out the site, you'll also see some wonderfully unique plumbing fixtures and lighting.

Ann Sacks has built a phenomenal, internationally known tile business. And, it all started on a trip to Mexico. While shopping for a Mexican Wedding dress she fell in love with some colorful, hand painted trivets. Soon after she opened her first showroom in Portland, Oregon. That was back in the 80's and the Ann Sacks collection is still growing today and stronger than ever. We just never know where that big inspiration will come from or how it may change our lives!

Artist Diana Boicheff

I found Diana Boicheff in Western Interiors magazine this month. I just love her paintings. She works a lot on birch wood with oils and wax. Really nice work.

Add sparkle to a dark room with Metallic Paint!

Metallic paints can be used over an existing color to add shimmer and sparkle. There are millions of light particles within the paint which reflect the exisiting light so it is a great option for brightening up a dark room. You can use metallic paints alone or as a glaze and create a smooth finish or a textured finish by sponging and pouncing over the wet glaze. Metallics can be a tad difficult to work with but manageable once you learn a few tricks. There is a great article here that walks you through using metallic paint successfully.

There are many, many brands to choose from such as Behr,Benjamin Moore,Blue Pearl Paints and Ralph Lauren to name a few.

For a dark room, I suggest using a light base color, like sunny yellow, a light gold or a pastel color and apply the metallic glaze on top. Your room will feel much brighter and larger and the finish will have your friends talking!

Artist Dominic Crinson

Dominic Crinson is one of my favorite artists. He creates the most stunning images which are transferred onto tiles that can be used on the floor, as a backsplash or in the bathroom. He also has a range of wall papers and carpets. Every time I look at his work my mind goes all fuzzy and his images keep floating around in my head for days to come. You've got to visit his website and see more for yourself. If you fall in love with his work like I have you can order products directly. I don't believe there is a USA partner that manufacturers for him but production times aren't so bad, even coming from UK.

Dominic Crinson's Bespoke Service; Digitile

You can also order your tiles, wall papers and carpet with your own images through Digitile or you can find an amazing image from the image library at the site which offers a fabulous range from guest artists like Brenna Jennsen,Hannah Truran, Curson Tussaud and more. Jeeze, I don't know how I could decide with so much eye candy to choose from. Fantasmo!

So Clever! Designer Keiko Altin Oyabu

This designer is so clever. Look at these jelly tiles I spied at designspotter. They're made of squishy polyurethane gel and may be applied to any smooth, shiny surface. They're self adhesive and also easily removed. Imagine how cool and delightful these must feel under bare feet! The blue jelly drops are drop shaped transparent lights. Also made with polyurathane gel they're soft to the touch and give a super interesting effect. These products are just so cool, I love them! I want some!

Wordly and Wise;Spice it up!

Mix it up with pieces from different cultures and enjoy trusted classics in hot new colors. The formal french shape of the 'Poldo" chest of drawers looks so smart with the orange laquer paint. From The Conran Shop.

Another twist on an old classic, the Shanghai Loft Wedding Cabinet looks fresh and cheerful in turquoise. Also available in coral and canary. From Red Egg.

Check out the French Petite Wings chairs, circa 1930's, reupholstered in a luscious red wool+cashmere. Again, traditon gets a fresh makeover with a red painted Italian Chair with caned seat. I also love the garden stools in lovely persimmon. All of these 3 from Mecox Gardens, NYC.

So many great finds!

Designer Lars Bolander

In Miami's Design District you'll find the amazing Lars Bolander.
From his website:
"ABOUT LARS
A pioneer of Swedish design, Lars has been referred to as more than once, yet by virtue of his diverse history and education, pinpointing his exact style remains a challenge.

Bolander's love of and passion for furniture design was solidified during his early education at the Stockholm School of Art. Continuing his education under the acclaimed originator of Scandinavian Design, Carl Malmsten, Lars began to discover, not unlike Malmsten himself, a passion for originality.
Sometime after completing his studies and a few years of free lancing Lars fell under the wing of Gaby Schreiber, known at the time as "The Plastic Queen of England" for her creation of the first plastic cup designed for use on board aircraft. It was with Ms. Schreiber that Lars would have his first experience with, and begin to develop his obsession for interior design.
Shortly after leaving the employ of Ms. Schreiber Lars was referred to Gunter Sachs for whom he worked exclusively for many years designing properties that span the globe.
Lars believes that, "Design is about fantasy and never being afraid to do something" and that "What is important is how you use what you have"."

Lars has 3 stores where you can see some interesting and unusual collections ranging from Swedish antiques to Spanish wrought iron. Locations are in Miami, NYC and Palm Beach.

The Alpha Workshops in NYC

This place is amazing and the work they produce is gorgeous! What a fabulous organization, there really should be more like it. They offer a colorful and lovely line of hand painted wall papers, do gilding and restoration work and also paint faux finishes. You can order the wall papers by contacting them here
The Alpha Workshops, Inc.
245 West 29th Street
14th Floor
New York, NY 10001

212-594-7320 phone
212-594-4832 fax

"Alpha Workshops is the only not-for-profit organization in the country that trains and employs people living with HIV/AIDS in the decorative arts. We are an industry pioneer ever since our founding in 1995, both in developing a unique training curriculum and in creating a flexible, supportive workplace responsive to the medical, financial and emotional needs of people living with a chronic illness. Alpha Workshops runs a highly regarded design studio, staffed completely by our trainees and graduates, and is well-known for our handcrafted wallpapers, on-site custom painting, decorative finishes, gilding and handcast lamps."