High Point Becomes the Emerald City

As you may recall, the Pantone Colour of the Year is Emerald Green.  The halls at High Point seem to be flooded with colour choices, many of them bold and bright.  Emerald tones are certainly among the mix, as shown by some of the favourite finds of the Style Spotters.

Century Furniture: Consulate chest in malachite
Pinned by: Grant K. Gibson

What a great little piece from Century Furniture!  And super versatile for your interiors.

World’s Away
Pinned by: Kelly Kole

The Greek key detail is popping up in many showrooms and on all sorts of textiles and accessories.

Currey & Co: Dimitri Secretary
Pinned by: Kelly Kole

An update to the traditional secretary, this one from Currey & Co., the Dimitri features quirky red coral-like handles that pop against the otherwise high lacquer look.

Wesley Hall: style 740
Pinned by: Kelly Kole

This is not traditionally a style I would choose, but there’s something eye-catching about this bold-print fabric.  The green might not be quite as dark as a true emerald, but in combination with the muted browns and grays that balance out the colour story, it’s beautiful!

Go and find some emerald you love!

Pantone Colours for Fall 2013

With many streets in Toronto and surrounding areas still buried with snow, Fall likely isn’t the first season on people’s minds at the moment.  But for those who like to plan, Pantone has released their fashion colours for fall 2013.

In Pantone’s words:

Women’s fashion colours for Fall 2013.
This palette is eerily close to what you’d find when exploring my closet… love it!!

With the changing season, the greens from spring evolve and develop.  Multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate, bringing luxury and elegance to the palette, while yellow-toned Linden Green brings a lightness and brightness to the deeper shades of fall.  Try pairing both with Mykonos Blue, a bold, meditative blue, for a classic and relaxed fall look.

Exotic Acai adds mystery and richness to the palette, and can be incorporated with the other colours to create a number of powerful fall combinations.  Pair the elegant shade of purple with Emerald for a regal disposition, or spirited Samba red for an expressive and dramatic look.  Koi, a decorative orange with dazzling and shimmering qualities, is a statement colour that serves as a pick-me-up for your wardrobe. Vivacious, an unruly and wildly deep fuchsia, adds an ebullient sensuality to the palette.

Spring (left) vs Fall (right) 2013
Deeper. Richer. A great fusion of colour.

Pair Vivacious with anchoring Deep Lichen Green, a naturally lush shade of green, for a dynamic juxtaposition that captures both ends of the seasonal spectrum.  Rounding out this season’s cornerstone colours, Turbulence, a dark mercurial gray, and Carafe, a rich, glamorous brown, provide more interesting and sophisticated alternatives to the black basics usually worn in colder months.  Both staple neutrals pair gracefully with more expressive colours within the palette, such as Samba, Koi and Vivacious.

Men’s fashion colours for Fall 2013
What looks good on you will look equally good “on your space.”

Notice the similarity between the men’s and women’s palettes.

Before you comment about fashion colours not translating into home trends, consider how quickly trends are jumping from the runways to the stores these days.  And not just the clothing stores.  But anything and everything related to home décor — accessories, furnishings, artwork…

A selection of Interior Colour Palettes for 2013: Glamour(top) and New Old School (bottom).
To see more, click here.

There are colour trends you can follow for your home.  However, when debating on what colour(s) to paint your favourite room, take a look in your closet.  If it looks good on you and makes you happy, it will look great surrounding you and your space(s).

Never be afraid to stick to your favourites!

The Colours of Canada

Home Hardware and Beauti-Tone Paint have teamed up with Simon Chang, Order of Canada recipient and fashion industry veteran, to create the Oh Canada! colour collection.

With 42 colours spread over six palettes, each one inspired by Canada’s distinctive regional charms, the Simon Chang Oh Canada! Trend Colour Collection inspires Canadians to “Think Canadian. Paint Canadian.”

“This collection captures the beauty of the many regional aspects of our country as seen through the eyes of a fresh, original designer,” says Bev Bell, Creative Director, Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products Division, Home Hardware Stores Limited.  ”Together, this outlook inspires a range of colour that is purely Canadian.”

Beauti and the East
Trend shades: Fishing for Complements; A Reel Find.

Culture Club
Trend shades: Tragically Hip; I Pink I Love You.

I love this palette with the mix of both cool and warm gray tones!  Though I have to wonder how Canadian music icons, The Tragically Hip, feel about that particular shade of pink.  And given my personal love of red, I would certainly be tempted to use O Canada (SC065) in lieu of Tragically Hip (SC073).

Northern Reflections
Trend shades: Canadian Mint; Chilling Beauti.

Peaceful, earthy, and neutral without being a sea of beige…

Pacific Overture
Trend shades: Unknown Legend; Unexpected.

Savoir Flair
Trend shades: Oh là là; Pièce de Résistance.

Wheat Till you Try It
Trend shades: Natural Beauti; Hay Day.

The trend colours.

Manufactured in Canada by Home Hardware, the Simon Chang Oh Canada! Trend Colour Collection of Beauti-Tone paints is available exclusively at Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, and Home Hardware Building Centre locations across Canada.

European Winter Colours

Have you ever wondered how winter looks in Paris, Milan, and Antwerp in terms of colour?  Throughout Canada, late January often feels dark and gray and can be somewhat disheartening to many.

Late January colour trends from (top to bottom) Paris, Milan, and Antwerp.

According to the Pimkie Colour Forecast, Paris seems to be lively and bold, whereas Milan and Antwerp seem much more subdued at present.  This is merely chance, as a rewind to look at colours in May 2012 (around the time of Mother’s Day) shows Milan to be more playful and bright.

Pimkie colour trends from May 2012 (top to bottom): Antwerp, Milan, Paris.

What I find interesting throughout the last several months is the prevalence of colours with a red undertone — everything from bubblegum pinks to violets to more earthy clay tones — making them suitable companions to Emerald Green, the current Pantone colour of the year..

As an additional point of comparison, mid-November proved much more colourful throughout the three (3) European cities. Top to bottom: Paris, Milan, Antwerp.

Dramatic Black Shakes it Up!

Black is a favourite accent colour in interiors.  It helps to ground a room and add some weightiness.  But it is rare that we see black dominated spaces.  There is a fear that the room will become too dark.  Too small.  Too heavy.  Too depressing.

A black room need not be daunting. Or dark. Despite textural black walls and bedding, this bedroom exudes a simple elegance.  (Image: Google images.)

I love this office! Again, simple in design, but a powerful look. (Image from homedit.com.)

There are so many associations and interpretations of black:

…power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery;

…fear and the unknown (black holes).  It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, ‘black death’);

…strength and authority.

from Color Wheel Pro

Though somewhat moody, there is definitely elegance in this seating area.

Despite having black walls and a large black sofa, this living room has a certain lightness given the light floors and ceiling. (Image from homedit.com.)

In colour psychology… black is protection from external emotional stress.  It creates a barrier between itself and the outside world, providing comfort while protecting its emotions and feelings, and hiding its vulnerabilities, insecurities, and lack of self confidence… We all use black at various times to hide from the world around us in one way or another.  [But it is also said that] black absorbs negative energy.

… impression of elegance, sophistication and confidence.

…sexiness and seduction, as in the temptress in sexy black lingerie creating an air of mystery and intrigue.

          from empower-yourself-with-color-psychology

High ceilings and natural light, along with an over-scale, sparkling chandelier create a surprisingly bright black dining room. (Image from homevoo.com.)

For some reason, I start thinking of black tie events when I look at this space. Lots of texture and sparkle for high impact glam! (Image from Google images.)

Let black envelop you.

I would be quite happy to call this spacious kitchen mine! (Image from kitchencabinetscolors.com.)

Pinterest Home Colour Stories from Turkey

Pinterest has quickly become a favourite design tool for the masses.  When daydreaming or planning a dream space, many turn to Pinterest for inspiration, pinning their likes to boards of their own.

Current Living Room colour trends from Pinterest in Turkey.

An interesting project, Colour and Space, was recently conducted for Jotun, a local decorative paint brand in Turkey, by designers Mie Frey Damgaard and Peter Ørntoft.

Current Kitchen colour trends from Pinterest in Turkey.

The designers analyzed boards in two (2) categories – location and colour – and placed the results into pie charts to create trend wheels by type of room.  The results?  White for kitchens, the palest pink for kids’ rooms, and maize for living rooms.

Current Kids’ Room colour trends from Pinterest in Turkey.

“Apparently the Turkish people have a very different and more colorful taste than the Scandinavians… Had it been data from Scandinavia, the diagrams would have looked a lot different – more subtle and white/light greyish.  It’s nice that you can see a difference in culture depicted in these diagrams,” says Ørntoft.

Current Bedroom colour trends from Pinterest in Turkey.

I would love to see similar trends from other country-specific Pinterest sites and boards!  I’d also love to see how colour trends change over time.

Flooring and Accessories Trends from Surya

Most people believe rooms to have only four (4) walls.  Like many design professionals, however, I would argue that there are six (6) — both the ceiling and floor are important design elements that are often overlooked and which can add significant impact and drama to any room.

Surya, a company which manufactures area rugs and home accessories, has some fantastic statement pieces for your floors.  They have put together a sneak peek of some of the trends they will be exhibiting to retailers and trade professionals at winter markets, thus providing multiple ideas for decorating the “fifth wall.”

Trend Spotter: Colour – Emerald City

Not a surprise to see Emerald on the list given that it has been named as the Pantone 2013 Colour of the Year.

Trend Spotter: Colour – Majestic Magenta

Purples with red undertones have been on the design radar for quite some time and are finally becoming more mainstream and prevalent.  Notice how well they go with the neutral of the moment…gray.

Trend Spotter: Colour – Mood Indigo

I love the Mood Indigo palette.  It can translate to so many settings and styles: classic, elegant, nautical, country, relaxed…

Trend Spotter: Design – Flower Power

Florals are not for everyone, but with patterns becoming larger scale and often more abstract in terms of shape and colour, they add a special sense of whimsy and playfulness to a space.

Trend Spotter: Design – Gilded Age

Gilded Age introduces many of the fabulous metallics that  are available, providing great intensity and depth of field in relatively simple designs.  Mixing metals is encouraged!

Trend Spotter: Design – Urban Nomad

A bit of ethnic flair can add great geometric detailing to a space.  As you can see from the above, texture can be just as important as pops of colour when it comes to the nomadic trend.

Trend Spotter: Design – Rugged Refinement

Combining flair and texture, Rugged Refinement is relatively muted and simple.  But combining thick wools with more delicate, silky ruffles creates maximum impact, particularly in more monochromatic designs.

One of the nice things about Surya, particularly for those who are interested in DIY projects, is that they prepare and suggest groupings of pillows, artwork, poufs, and throws to go with their floor coverings.  So if you’re not sure how best to compose your room, take a look at their inspiration boards.

Emerald Tidings

In case you’re not aware, the 2013 Pantone colour of the year has been announced as Emerald.  For those of you looking to spruce up your home with the jewel tone, or perhaps for a gift for someone else, here are some widely available ideas.

1. Go Natural!  Step outside and grab something from your garden or head to your local florist.  Whether you opt for more traditional seasonal elements like cedar branches, a Christmas tree, and/or garland, or for whatever stems that catch your fancy, nature is the easiest source of vibrant greens.
   

   Real or artificial, bring the outdoors in!
   Images (from left to right): Style at Home, photo by Michael Graydon; freshome.com; Martha Stewart Living.

2. Light it Up!  Every space needs a light — think overhead lights, task lighting, or simple ambience.  If you have an existing fixture you love, consider purchasing a new shade.  Or opt for brand new sources.
   

   Lights from (clockwise from top centre): Eangee Durian accent light; Light Source contour lamp; from lampsplus.com (W7079); Arteriors Home Roma glass table lamp.

3. Decorate the 5th Wall… also known as your floor!  An area rug can act like a piece of art, adding colour, depth, and vibrancy to a space.  It also helps to define distinct areas or groupings and can help to warm up the room, which is especially important if anyone lounges or plays on the floor.
   

   Let your area rug help to set the tone for your room — serious, playful, dramatic… From top left: Surya Sag Harbor (SAG1001-58); AT Color Reform; Weavers Art, Maharajas Garden (midnight and emerald); lampsplus Giant Swirl Marina.

4. Accessorize!  Add in art work, toss cushions, throws, vases, or anything else that seems to fit with your style and the space at hand.
   

   Accessorizing the room can include any number of things. I love the natural stone accent wall in the bedroom!! Note also the trim on the pillow, the blind, and the natural greenery. Don’t be afraid to mix tones and patterns. Images from pinterest. Vase from Daum. Pillow from Surya.

    

Colours for Mid-November 2012

I’ve noticed a marked trend towards darker moods in the past couple weeks since the clocks shifted back an hour for daylight savings time.  It is nice to see that the Pimkie Colour Forecast from Europe does not reflect the pattern of lessened daylight and attitudes .  In fact, the colours are downright bright and cheery!

Colour trends for the past week from, top to bottom: Paris, Milan, and Antwerp.

Perhaps it is just me, but the prevalence of pinks and purples is both surprising and inspiring.  Both have been on the interiors radar for quite some time, though I know many of my clients and peers have been staying far away from both.  Perhaps they are still haunted by dusty rose hues and the candy coloured pastels of years past?

Enjoy the sunshine and the weekend!

A Colourful 2013

Official “colour of the year” selections are being announced by all the major paint companies.  Based on trends at High Point, there was not one consistent colour.  Rather, manufacturers were showing bursts of colour in carefully chosen accessories.  The paint companies, however, have been announcing their selections.  Following are the 2013 Colour of the Year selections for Benjamin Moore and Dulux.

Lemon Sorbet, 2019-60 (Benjamin Moore)

Benjamin Moore is offering a sunny outlook with Lemon Sorbet as there 2013 Colour of the Year.  Per their press statement:

It’s the perfect transitional colour between the mid-tones and saturated colours seen in today’s home furnishings and the softer, lighter pastels which are emerging for 2013.  This beautiful yellow hue harmonizes with other trending pastels in the mint, coral, pink, blue, and vanilla families.  Uplifting without being overpowering, lemon sorbet (2019-60) is the ideal home paint colour to complement any décor.

Inspired Violet, 90BB 09/186 (Dulux)

Over at Dulux, they’re thinking indigo.  Inspired Violet, a deep, dark blue with an infusion of violet, is their 2013 Colour of the Year.

“Next year’s stand out colour can best be described as a robust, intriguing blue with a purple tinge,” said Martin Tustin-Fuchs, Brand Director for AkzoNobel, makers of Dulux paint. “It’s a colour that emits a feeling of tranquility and stability in the midst of our increasingly hectic lives.”