Celadon is a great color for spring! It’s fresh, pretty, and pairs well with a variety colors. With blue and grey, celadon looks sophisticated and soothing. When paired with more vibrant hues, it balances out energetic colors for a well-rounded look. Celadon works with so many other colors because it stems from ocean blues, hazy greys, and muted greens. It definitely has a real zen-like quality!
1. Paraty Leather Shoulder Bag
2. Hand painted wallpaper from Gracie Studio
3. Dining room design by Suzanne Kasler
4. Evening gown by Zac Posen
5. Sage Wisdom from Benjamin Moore
6. Chic celadon. Image via Vogue.
7. Maribel Lantern Lamp by Coleen & Company
8. Celadon Grasscloth Wallpaper by The Wallpaper Company
One of my favorite tools for choosing colors with a client is House Beautiful’s 500+ Paint Colors App. This handy, visually pleasing app lets you browse colors along the entire spectrum. The app also puts complementary colors together and gives you related options. This useful app stemmed from House Beautiful‘s book Colors for Your Home.
House Beautiful’s Colors for Your Home
I find the value of this app comes from the ability to help clients visualize ideas and color interactions. When I can show my clients their preferred colors next to complimentary hues and examples of those colors in a room scheme, they begin to think about how colors work together and feel confident we are on the same page.
Favorite Paint Colors App
Color App Menu
For homeowners who want to color shop on their own, the House Beautiful app encourages them to branch out from their safety zone and consider colors they may not use on their own.
Choosing from a color spectrum.
The app includes several tools to help choose a color palette. Color River lets you browse paint colors and read reviews from professionals. Editor’s Picks features House Beautiful’s top color picks in ten different hues while the Color Personality Tool lets you learn your personalized color based on numerology. In My Paint Box, you can save and compare paint colors. There’s also a social aspect to the app that allows you to share your favorite colors via Facebook and Twitter.
My Paint Box
You can download the House Beautiful 500+ Favorite Paint Colors App on iTunes!
Blue is a safe color that a lot of people gravitate toward. With so many different shades of blue, it can be bright, serene, bold, subtle, or dramatic. You can drench a room in blue or use it as a strong accent color. In fashion, blue looks good on almost anyone and pairs well with a lot of other hues. What do you think of blue?
1. Blue Living Room via Home Ideas Mag
2. Blue Agate from Concetto
4. Bluestone
5. Custom chair in a client’s home.
6. Christian Louboutin Lady Highness
7. Quadrille Fabrics, image via House Beautiful
8. June Short Pleated Peplum Dress by Alice and Olivia
9. Ornate blue door, image via W5RAn
I’ll be honest with you — I’m not obsessed with the color pink. It’s just not my go-to color on the wheel. It always seems like such a stereotypical, over-used “girl color” to me, but it also makes me think of bubblegum and Pepto-Bismol. It’s not an easy color to design with, but I can appreciate it in certain elements. I love pink flowers and reading Pinkalicious with my very girly-girl four year old. Pink has also become a positive symbol for breast cancer research and awareness. Many women look beautiful in pink, which exudes femininity. It makes people think of spring, flowers, hope, and happiness. I don’t know about you, but as we endure yet another snow day here, I could use a reminder of spring! What do you think of pink?
1. Photography by Waldemar Hansson
2. Princess Pink from Benjamin Moore
3. Chloe Marcie Leather Handbag
4. Alexander McQueen Skull Embellished Watersnake Ballet Flats
5. Bedroom design by Amanda Nisbet
6. Retro pink fridge from Smeg
7. Pink shagreen box with brass inlay from Galart International
8. Square in Square rug in Rose by Vanderhurd
9. Oil painting by Kate Perkins
I absolutely love black! I wear it just about every day. Something about black makes me think of confidence, so I feel stronger when I’m wearing it. In interior design, black makes a dominant accent color, especially when used in a key area of the room. You can’t be wary of black when designing with it; you have to be bold and fearless, whether you choose to use it for paint, furniture, or fabric. I am obsessed with it!
2. Lens Chandelier by Holly Hunt
3. Karl Springer Coffee Table from Todd Merrill Antiques
4. Bagatelle Spot wallpaper from Osborne and Little
5. Blackman Cruz Neoclassic Dining Chair
6. Michael Kors Black Leather Hobo
7. Benjamin Moore Black Satin
9. Black tulips: I love these!
10. Christian Louboutin Diplonana Black Leather
I’ve seen quite a few lists of design trends to watch for in 2013, and several of them really resonate with me. Some appeal to the traditionalist in me, while others are a bit riskier. It will be interesting to see which of these trends get the most attention over the upcoming year or beyond, and which turn out to be more short-lived. Here are the predicted trends I am most excited about!
1. Brass: This is a metal I’ve seen come up on more than one list. This warm, ’70s inspired finish is something I’m already in love with.
Brass staircase designed by Kelly Wearstler.
2. High Gloss: Nothing compares to the shine and polish of a high gloss lacquer! Lacquered walls really stand out and, when thoughtfully combined with more traditional elements in a room, create an unforgettable look.
Incredible lacquer walls, design by Jeffrey Bilhuber.
3. Art: Selecting just the right piece of art for a client’s space is one of my favorite things about designing. I am always on the look out for an artist whose work appeals to me and fits perfectly with one of my projects. I love that this is a trend for 2013.
Octopus sketch by artist Tierra Connor.
4. Antique Furniture: The trend here lies in mixing antique furniture with more modern elements, something I always enjoy doing. In fact, hunting for just the right piece until I find exactly what I’m looking for is so exciting.
This gorgeous antique piece I found for a client’s entry used to be part of an 1800′s bar in the south of France.
5. Embellished Walls: I have long been a fan of custom wall coverings. There are so many amazing options available to suit the needs of nearly any client in nearly any space. From grass cloth and linen to hand painted and beaded, wall coverings are as varied and unique as the spaces they decorate.
For this client, I covered the walls of their home theater in Ralph Lauren Mahogany Yacare Crocodile.
6. Lace: If the word lace makes you think of your grandmother’s doilies, think again. Like other old-is-new trends, using lace in unexpected ways can bring a lot of beauty and character to a room. Think of combining it with more contemporary designs or using it in small, non-traditional ways.
This pillow features black lace accents. From the Jason Wu/Canvas line.
Which trends for 2013 are you most excited about?
Each year, Pantone announces its choices for the Top Ten Women’s Colors for Spring and their Color of the Year. This influential forecast highlights color trends in both fashion and design. I always look forward to Pantone’s list because it’s great to see how their choices compare with my own changing preferences as well as trends among my clients.
My three favorite colors from this list are Lemon Zest, Grayed Jade, and Emerald, the Color of the Year. In fact, I was pretty close to the mark last year when I created my Jade Color Board and my Yellow Color Board!
Lemon Zest is both bright and soothing. It’s not a color I would have naturally gravitated toward in the past, but it stands out and and really has a mood-lifting effect. I like it more and more as time goes on!
Yellow lacquered ceiling. Design by Jeffrey Bilhuber.
Lemon Zest canopy. Design by Jeffrey Bilhuber.
Lemon Zest works as a bright accent here, by Jeffrey Bilhuber.
Grayed Jade’s soft, subtle hue appeals to my more traditionalist nature. It pairs well with other shades and is a calm alternative to brighter greens and a more romantic alternative to simple gray. It communicates elegance and sophistication.
Grayed Jade on the runway. By Rodarte.
Grayed Jade makes a very nice neutral.
A living room I designed for a client, using tones of Grayed Jade.
Chair detail.
Emerald, Pantone’s Color of the Year, is also my favorite color from their Top Ten list for Spring. Emerald is such a chic and glamorous color, bringing to mind gems and luxury. For all its elegance, Emerald is also an energetic color that injects any space with a vibrant depth.
A kitchen I designed for a client with Emerald lanterns and accents.
Emerald sliding door.
Emerald house in the Netherlands.
Emerald green bedroom by Miles Redd. The artwork on the walls is perfect!
Emerald green as an accent. Design by Cristi Holcombe.
S.R. Gambrel’s great use of Emerald Green in a living room.
What do think of Pantone’s Top Colors for Spring and Color of the Year? Which colors do you prefer from the list? I look forward to a New Year of exciting design opportunities and challenges, as well as the chance to incorporate some of these colors into my own designs!
The combination of black and white in both fashion and design is always very graphic. You have two strong elements that are not at all subtle. People shy away from using it in interiors, especially those clients with families, but a black and white color scheme makes for a striking environment. On their own, each color evokes its own singular response (mysterious black, pure white) but when used together, the results are quite stunning.
1. Painting by artist Renato Freitas
2. Zebra Cube, Design Within Reach
5. Black Satin from Benjamin Moore
7. Platinum, Diamond and Onyx Ring from Tiffany & Co., circa 1925.
8. Wallpaper by Osborne and Little
9. Sorenson 18 Pendant from Remains
10. Black and white foyer, design by Rob Southern
Neutral almost by definition, nude or bare shades in design can be very serene. For example, the nude body is a natural art form, something very beautiful in its understated simplicity. I like the concept of stripping down to a basic, raw level that can go with anything. Starting from such bareness, a simple insertion of color adds interest without detracting from an overall calm mood.
1. Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball
2. Tyler chandelier from Made Goods
3. Cumulus wall covering by Weitzner Limited
4. Collection de Colombe Slipper Chair by Richard Mishaan Design
5. Lady Peep Nude Patent by Christian Louboutin
6. Union Square by Phillip Jeffries
7. Victoria Beckham, Spring 2013 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
8. Mansour Modern - Moroccan by Ben Soleimani
9. Monique Péan Fossilized Walrus Ring
10. Nude design, image via April and May
Grey is definitely part of a very neutral palette. It’s certainly in fashion, a softer alternative to black. Grey isn’t dreary at all, can be read as blue, and doesn’t compete with other colors. Other colors can be interjected with grey, but it’s a color to be mindful of to avoid taking it to a severe level.
1. Chinois Our Way by Philip Jeffries
2. Ann Sacks tile via Boston Design Center
3. Honeycomb Light Fixture by Tim Clarke
4. Manolo Blahnick – Scomess Elastic-Collar Suede Bootie
5. Prabal Gurung, image via Elle
6. Montaigne Collection Tournai Wood Floors
7. Grey living room, image via New England Home
b Spoke is a blog that mixes what happens when life experience and interior design are combined. As a designer, I come across things that inspire my creativity almost constantly, whether it's the vibrant color of moss growing on a stone wall or that perfect find at a local antique dealer. Taking that inspiration and sharing it with a wider audience is how bSpoke came into existence. ~ Amy Hirsch
Copyright ~ 2013
