What Influences Color from the Runway to the Living Room
It was once believed that what graced the runways of Milan, New York and Paris would take about 6 years to influence home decor trends.
Styles, patterns and colors would leave the runway, appear on pages of the fashionable glossy magazines and then end up in our closets. People’s home fashions would never directly reflect the fashions that they wore. In recent years the world of interiors has seen about a 2 year lag from runway to living room.
Now that gap seems to be closing in at a much faster rate, according to Gretchen Aubuchon Editor in Chief of Fashion + Decor. ”Style your home…Style yourself. Fashion + Decor takes fashions from the latest runways and pairs them with a match in home decor. Fashion + Decor is the largest and the only online tool that inspires readers to bring their personal style out of the closet and into every single room of the home.” Aubuchon believes that “The social media drive seems to be bringing the creative minds and the creative worlds together.”
Image via Fashion + Decor
We’ve been hearing alot lately about Pantone in the worlds of design and social media.
You may have seen and read alot about The Color of the Year on Twitter, on Facebook as well as across a myriad of design blogs. So what, exactly does this mean? Pantone has been a leader in color for both home and fashion. For 40 years Pantone has reflected the worlds of politics, art, media, fashion and music. From the avocado green of the 1970s to the Emerald green chosen as today’s color choice, Pantone understands that color illustates and highlights our memories of days past and punctuates the memories that are being created today.
This is not to say, however, that Pantone alone drives the color choices seen on runways and furniture showrooms.
According to Aubuchon, many those have already been in the planning for several seasons. Currently, we know not only what’s hot in the Spring 2013 lines, but we are getting glimpses of the Pre-Fall 2013 lines. So while most furniture makers know which pieces will be featured at High Point Market his fall, there’s still time to add some emerald to the mix, maybe even a few will try to toss some into the Spring market in April.
High Point is highly influencial, it’s where one goes to find the earliest look at emerging trends at the High Point Market, the legendary design destination. There are many factors involved in determining what will become the newest styles and trends and smart manufacturers will, however, rush to create a few smaller pieces to offer in their lines for the next season. Aubuchon describes the difference between a style and a trend is that “styles have staying power, while trends come and go. Trends can, however, turn into styles.”
Where Pantone is truly influential, is introducing color, not to the designers, but to the general public.
These Color of the Year choices influence our decisions as consumers on how we want to dress and decorate and furnish our homes. Interior designers then go in search of certain select items of these colors or within varying shades of these colors for their clients. This is a perfect example of social media’s influence on both the fashion and the home-front. When Pantone announced that Emerald 17-5642 was the 2013 color choice of the year, social media in all forms, from blogs to Twitter to Facebook, shared this information almost immediately. Pantone says that Emerald Green is “Lively.
Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being.” Suddenly images of bright green graced and infiltrated our computer screens. This shared information, in real time, has more influence on the general consumer than a glossy fashion or decor magazine who, at time of press is completing issues for publication several months into the future. When the print publications get the word out and start featuring all things in Emerald, the news will be old news.
We all seemed to develop an immediate Orange Crush when Pantone declared Tangerine Tango as it’s color of the year.
Bursts of happiness infiltrated our homes, from paint color to accent pieces such as cushions, throws and pillows, to accessories such as dishes and lamps. Small kitchen appliances too would embrace these colors, as would the pages of popular home decor catalogues such as Pottery Barn. Again, the bloggers and social media experts had much bearing on the quick spread of this popular color. Orange seems not to be going out of style anytime soon and this trend could very well have staying power.
Color trends also include varying shades of the featured colors
This includes more subdued, bolder and brighter alternatives. So while Emerald Green may be the color of the year, we will see many shades and varying forms of the color green infiltrate our wardrobes and home decor.
Classic colors are here to stay.
Aubuchon states that while we are seeing a resurgence of bright and vibrant colors on the runway, and predicts that we will see “color, color and more color” on the runways this fall there will always be a place for the beiges, blacks and greys. ”They’re not going anywhere. They’re staples in our homes and in our closets.” Furthermore she adds that an all black wardrobe or a grey room is here to stay.” Aubuchon says the best advice she can give is to be true to who you are, how you live and your style. Don’t go out and buy an emerald green blouse or rug if your personality is more blue and beige.
You’re reading What Influences Color from the Runway to the Living Room originally posted on Freshome.
The post What Influences Color from the Runway to the Living Room appeared first on Freshome.com.
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Magazine
20 Creative Color Schemes Inspired By The Color Wheel
An empty room is a blank canvas for any decorator to fill with color, pattern and texture. While decorators have a handle on color schemes that work, choosing color schemes can be a scary proposition for others. Fear not, there are a few easy guidelines to follow that will have anyone picking colors like a pro. There are five basic color schemes and a myriad of options from which to draw upon for inspiration and we will review each of them.
Monochromatic
The monochromatic color scheme is perhaps the easiest to understand. It is the use of any one tint, hue or shade of a single color. This scheme can be either very relaxing or very dramatic depending on the color chosen and the various shades or tints incorporated. For a bit of drama consider the use of a warm hue such as red or orange. For a cooler feel try blues or greens. Grays, whites and creams are fabulous options for neutral schemes.
Analogous
The analogous scheme uses consecutive colors on the color wheel. Mixing colors that are adjacent to each other creates a colorful yet harmonious look. Using more than five colors would be a bit jumbled and cause visual confusion in a space. A safe bet is to pick three to four that you like together and decide which will be a key color and which will be accents. If yellow and green are favored colors you could build a scheme that involves yellow orange, yellow, yellow green and green into a space.
Complementary
A complementary scheme is a created by using colors, shades, tints or tones of two colors found opposite each other on the color wheel. This scheme is easy to use and leaves a room feeling harmonious and soothing. Pick the two colors you like and build your scheme from there. Expand the palette by incorporating a lighter tint or a darker shade of the two colors. This will add some depth and character to the room. Add white to both green and red to achieve the vibrant and cheerful look of the pink and green room, or add white to the yellow and blue to achieve a soothing formal look for a living room.
Split Complementary
A split complementary scheme involves the use of three colors. Start with one color, find its complement and then use the two colors on either side of it. For example, the complement of blue-green is red-orange and the split complement of blue-green would be red and orange. Again, any shade, tint or tone of these three colors can be used when developing your color scheme.
Triad Complementary
The triad scheme is another three-color scheme that is easy to execute. As with the split complementary find the one color you want to use and then locate the other two colors adjacent to the split complementary colors. For example, the bedroom picture features blue, red and yellow in tints of each hue. Using three colors in this manner creates another wonderful harmonious look. The look can be dramatic, warm, cool or soft depending on the tints and shades chosen.
Color schemes need not be hard, just well thought out with a little help from the color wheel. The good news is that there are options within each scheme that allow for the use of favorite colors, tints and shades. Pastels, bold saturated colors both have a role in all possible schemes, making one fun to put together. Do you have a favorite color scheme?
You’re reading 20 Creative Color Schemes Inspired By The Color Wheel originally posted on Freshome.
The post 20 Creative Color Schemes Inspired By The Color Wheel appeared first on Freshome.com.
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Magazine
Benjamin Moore’s Picks Lemon Sorbet as its Color for 2013
Color trends, in recent years, have seen richer, darker, more saturated and jewel-toned colors on walls, in furniture as well as in accessories. For 2013 Benjamin Moore has chosen Lemon Sorbet as its Color of the Year, claiming that it “is the perfect transitional color between the mid-tones and saturated colors seen in today’s home furnishings and the softer, lighter pastels which are emerging.”
Lemon Sorbet is a perfect backdrop to any room.
It suits both traditional and modern design. Benjamin Moore’s senior interior designer Sonu Mathew explains that this season we will see a softening of the palate, and refers to this softening as “the emerging pastel.” Paired with white, rich woods or even a bright raspberry for a pop of color, Lemon Sorbet can be used in a multitude of ways in a multitude of rooms. It can be used in a toned-down manner to create a serene and relaxing space, or paired with a fun and punchy color to create energy and drama.
Like the cool, sweet desert it is named for, this color is a perfect palate cleanser.
Lemon Sorbet can work well in any kitchen. In the above kitchen the pastel yellow is paired with white to highlight all the decorative and architectural accents as well as with the dark wood to offer balance and contrast. Lemon sorbet is bright and cheery in a room with natural sunlight, but color experts warn that this color can often be seen as too vibrant in rooms that are often flooded in natural sunlight, and should best be considered in rooms without direct sunlight.
Try it on for size
Perhaps yellow walls are not exactly what you’re after or just a bit too much of what you’re after. Try lemon Sorbet on an accent wall, try color blocking it, or simply as an accessory. Bring in a piece of furniture for your pop of bright color. Here the lemony chair pairs well in contrast to the deep and rich colors found in these natural wood backgrounds.
Coastal tranquility
Lemon Sorbet is not for every room or every setting warns Donna Frasca, Color Specialist in Charlotte, North Carolina. “You won’t see it much here in primary living spaces here in the South, with the open floor pans and direct sun exposure. But I certainly would use it as an accent color to lighten or brighten up a nursery, bathroom or children’s room.” Above the pale yellow lends itself beautifully with the pale blues in this coastal, nautical home.
“It’s a color that will bring a smile to anyone’s face,”
Adds Frasca, “but not everyone will appreciate the color. For many homes, it’s a tad too lemony.” In order for it to work properly in your home, Frasca states that it’s important to keep the undertones the same. Lemon Sorbet has a more feminine feel to it. To give it a more masculine feel Frasca suggests blocking it into a room or adding a darker stripe or two over it.
Accessorize
In the collage above created by Barbara Heill-Soneck we’re shown how yellow can be used to brighten up and liven up a space for those who think that yellow walls are just too much, too feminine or simply not their style. Lemon Sorbet can be considered as a perfect accessory color in any room. Yellow pillows, throws or a piece of furniture painted in Lemon Sorbet can add the perfect touch.
Yellow is often described as cheery and warm, yet it is often viewed as tiring to the eyes due to the high amount of light that is reflected. According to color psychology, yellow is a high attention getting color, making it a good color to use for traffic signs. It’s also a color that is said to induce hunger which is why it is found in so many fast food restaurants, and maybe not the right choice for your kitchen if you’re watching your weight!
Perfect pairings
When pairing a bright pastel such as Lemon Sorbet one needs to think closely about the other colors it’s paired with. Darker and more subdued colors tone the yellow down and therefore make it seem less bright and easier on the eye. Here Lemon Sorbet is paired with a dark, rich wood, a bright raspberry for a pop of color and a soft, cool grey. On the ceiling is Blue Ice, a perfect complimentary color that that brings out the room’s architectural details. Without these other colors and textures to offset the brightness of the Lemon Sorbet might be too bright for this room.
Sophisticated, warm and inviting.
Benjamin Moore’s Sonu Mathew touts Lemon Sorbet to be sophisticated, warm and inviting, adding that it’s a great conversational color for your space. But color specialists warn that it is important to give careful thought and consideration to the shade of yellow you choose and where you intend on painting the particular shade of yellow. Get swatches – this is an absolute must. Better yet, buy samples if you can and paint your color on several walls. Perhaps you initially thought you wanted a Lemon Sorbet bedroom, but the morning sunlight and the angle in which it shines is simply too much for your eyes. Instead, you think the color is a perfect solution to your playroom woes.
What do you think? Is Lemon Sorbet for you? Do you think of it as a cool and refreshing palate cleanser or would you prefer a different flavor?
You’re reading Benjamin Moore’s Picks Lemon Sorbet as its Color for 2013 originally posted on Freshome.
The post Benjamin Moore’s Picks Lemon Sorbet as its Color for 2013 appeared first on Freshome.com.
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Magazine
TI-84 calculator with color screen surfaces, geeks giddy with anticipation
Texas Instrument’s TI-84 makes quick work of graphs and equations like nobody’s business, but it’s done so for years while clinging to an outdated black and white screen. Now, however, it looks like that’ll change for at least one flavor of the souped-up digital abacus. Cemetech forum user 0rac343 posted a photo of a TI-84+ C Silver Edition, claiming that it was one of 24 provided by TI for in-classroom testing and that it’s slated to launch next spring. Tech Powered Math reports that a contact who’s worked with Texas Instruments has confirmed that the calculator is the real McCoy. In fact, the firm’s website has a page where visitors can sign up for updates about the number cruncher in question. With the help of the refreshed TI-84, we might finally be able to tell if Blinky, Inky, Pinky or Clyde is the ghost chasing us down in the hardware’s Pac-Man clone.
TI-84 calculator with color screen surfaces, geeks giddy with anticipation originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 08:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Ars Technica, Tech Powered Math | 
Cemetech, Texas Instruments | Email this | Comments
View full post on Engadget
Leave a commentElegant Textures and Held Back Color Palette Trapped In Sofia Apartment
Soothing colors and contemporary furniture shape elegant interiors in any part of the world. But little details make residential spaces unique, blending them in with the specific location without losing the luxury of benefiting from international inspiration. Personalizing this 180 square meter Apartment in Vitosha Mountain, set in Boyana – a neighborhood of the Bulgarian capital of Sofia – creative minds of Fimera Design imagined a comfortable set of living spaces. Carefully using high-quality elements to compose an apartment defined by straight lines, the design studio decided to use glossy surfaces to contrast with the pronounced texture of the wooden surfaces, creating a very modern display. The chosen color palette expresses the need for an uncomplicated lifestyle, with nuances of soft blue and turquoise spread across the main living space – the carpet, cushions and one of the chairs break the color monotony. Designers admit that they “have simplified the space and the horizontal lines as much as possible. Every element is mirrored in another place in the interior, and every line is a continuation of other element or a surface.” You should take another look at the previous presentation of one of their works – the Loft in Bansko – it would be fun to compare the styles, colors and textures.
You’re reading Elegant Textures and Held Back Color Palette Trapped In Sofia Apartment originally posted on Freshome.
The post Elegant Textures and Held Back Color Palette Trapped In Sofia Apartment appeared first on Freshome.com.
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Magazine
Playful Coat Hanger Adding Color and Originality to Modern Interiors
We received some photos about an original coat hanger conceived by David Cathro, a designer from Sweden. Blomp is a wall mounted coat-hanger as well as an unusual support for keys or other small objects that fit in pockets, such as credit cards, gloves and so on. The project comes with a textured, ribbed exterior surface, perfect for hanging various clothes. Each Blomp is hand cast in polyurethane resin and individually hand finished by the designer. Various colors are available, making the coat hanger easily adapted to a variety of contemporary interiors. David explained that he could not find a manufacturer for the design, as the production process is considered too difficult (perhaps some of you out there can help with that), so he currently assembles the items in the comfort of his own home. We appreciate the originality, playfulness and functionality of this coat hanger and are eager to find out your opinions as well.
Share this on :
You’re reading Playful Coat Hanger Adding Color and Originality to Modern Interiors originally posted on Freshome. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Magazine
Leave a commentColor and Design Originality Showcased by Up-Over-Between House in USA
Located in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA, this originally designed residence was entitled Up-Over-Between House due to its many vantage points and ways of exploring them. According to Hutker Architects, “the house can be experienced by going up and over the whole house enjoying splendid views from the roof garden and then descending onto the southern terrace. Or, one can walk between the two stone walls to the entry and enjoy the ‘life room’ waterfront view perspective offered by full glass walls spanning between. The kitchen cabinets are designed to float like furniture within the glass and stone living areas. The experience is like being outdoors connected with the land from each and every space.” Discovered on Design Rulz, the project showcases an appealing interior design, spiced with color and surprising decorating ideas. The most striking one is a round wooden “box” in the center of the living room, hiding a small bathroom. Intriguing to say the least. [Photographer: Brian Vanden Brink ]
You’re reading Color and Design Originality Showcased by Up-Over-Between House in USA originally posted on Freshome. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Magazine
Leave a commentModern Family Home in Poland Featuring Bright Color Additions
Wamhouse completed the design of a project entitled House in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, featuring original modern details. According to the designers’ description found on plusmood,, “the house interior design has been created with a young, modern family in mind. The building has a lot of glazing, which made it easier to achieve the effect of spaciousness. An additional factor which influences reception of space are bright colors“. By adding a hint of violet in the in the living room, red combined with black in the guest bathroom, blue in the attic, yellow in the parents’ bedroom and lime green in the ground floor study, the project developers created a fresh and cheerful home, filled with personality. The designers embrace the overall result: “Thanks to such diversity of colors, the interiors are not dull, yet none of the aforementioned colors will lose its appeal too fast“.
You’re reading Modern Family Home in Poland Featuring Bright Color Additions originally posted on Freshome. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter
Leave a commentColor and Textures Defining the Modern Saratoga Creek House in California
Saratoga Creek House was developed by Berkeley-based studio WA Design and is located in Saratoga, California, USA. Built for a technology company executive and his wife, the residence is integrated within a peaceful natural setting, defined by old oaks with dense canopies, and a meandering seasonal creek. The project is made up of a series of small structures, connected by glass-encased pathways and vaulted roofs. The overall design of the residence employed a variety of materials, creating original visual effects. The architects further explain: “We designed a drop soffit of sheet bronze for the sections of the house with vaulted ceilings. The bronze reflects the adjacent exterior gardens during the day and adds a warm glow at night. We designed a unique, freestanding staircase with glass treads that becomes the centerpiece of the home’s circulation. White cement panel siding was selected to brighten the deep shade under the oak canopy. Zinc standing-seam roofing and a custom wood window system fill out the palette of materials on the exterior. Natural stone, concrete, plaster, bronze, and dark hardwoods combine in a rich palette of color and texture in the home’s interior“. Do you enjoy this project’s design diversity?
You’re reading Color and Textures Defining the Modern Saratoga Creek House in California originally posted on Freshome. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter
10 CommentsColor and Inspiration in a Small Australian Apartment Designed by Cassie Potts
We received a colorful and inspiring small apartment from designer Cassie Potts, founder of M.dart Interiors. Here is her personal description of the crib:”I moved into my small one bedroom apartment with my Pugalier ‘Duck’ only a few months ago, after returning from 4 years in London. It required a lot of imagination to enable the small space to accommodate my extensive collection of eclectic trinkets and artwork from around the world. My style is a fusion of warehouse/industrial-chic and Mexican-kitsch all encapsulated in a sun-bathed Australian beach-side apartment. Even though there is barely an inch of wall or floor not adorned with a brash curios from Mexico or some graffiti-art brought off the street in East London; white walls and shelving help to show-case the bold techni-colour décor whilst not creating a sense of claustrophobia or overwhelming aesthetic-chaos. Despite the small space, the careful arrangement of design objects has created different scenes that separate and define living areas in the apartment”. We appreciate the originality and overall happy vibes this well planed apartment inspires and are looking forward to see if your comments are as positive.
You’re reading Color and Inspiration in a Small Australian Apartment Designed by Cassie Potts originally posted on Freshome. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
View full post on Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter
10 Comments