Mellow Yellow

Following from my blog last week about the new colour trends, I wanted to look a bit more into Radiant Yellow as a colour to use in the home.  It’s not a colour that is used very much ‘yet’ but as it is now forecast as a new colour trend for 2013 – 2014, I thought it would be fun to see what ideas are out there and how it can be used ‘tastefully’.

Yellow is perceived in general as a happy and uplifting colour, but too much can be overbearing.  It is the lightest and brightest colour on the colour wheel, and can even be perceived at times by blind people.  In different cultures it can mean many different things and this could influence the way you use it too.  For example in Japan it means Courage and Nobility.  In Islam it means Wisdom and for Hindus it is a sacred colour.  For the Chinese it represents Honor and Royalty, and for the Native Americans it is the symbol of unconditional love!

Here are some ideas I found that I loved with yellow.  Remember though, less is more, especially with such a powerful and strong colour.  So keep it toned down with lots of neutrals.

I love how the yellow carpet anchors the whole room.  Just one big item to make a statement.

A white office space is spruced up with this yellow office chair.

Even a child’s nursery looks amazing with just one small chair and a piece of art.

How about just putting in one big piece of art?  That makes a statement, and can easily be changed into another colour if you fancy a change!

It’s easy in the bedroom too, in this case with some contemporary graphic sheets and a couple of accessories.

A couple of yellow armchairs and some cushions look great in this grey living room full of family souvenirs.  Yellow and grey is a great combination.

Yellow stimulates the brain, so here is a clever way to incorporate it into your office, by painting the backs of the shelves in yellow.  Very subtle.

Another way to display it in an artful way is by using some graphic wallpaper and framing it like a big painting.  Cheap and easy!

Black, white and grey, with a splash of yellow on the couch.  That really pops!

A little bit of yellow on the ceiling in this kitchen with some yellow towels.  Different!

Another black and white and yellow combo that works well, and again with a statement piece of art.

Color Trending for 2013 – 2014

We are living in uncertain times now, with the economy still at an all time low.  Whether we like it or not, the economy greatly influences the way we live and how we express ourselves in the way we dress, how we feel, or even our homes.  Remember The Hemline Theory which shows that every time skirts get shorter, then our stock markets improve! (Get your minis out again, and cheer us all up)!!

With this theory in mind, color trenders have been greatly influenced by our economy and have come up with palettes for 2013 – 2014 that are there to cheer us up, and to make us feel more secure.   Here is the new color palette for 2013 – 14  from The Color Association of the United States (CAUS).

CAUS’s  new palette for is based on the theory of  ‘Seduction’ no less!  Anything that will seduce us, and get our minds away from the reality of life, and the gloomy forecasts.  Each color category has a ‘Seductive’ name such as ‘Entice’ for the reds, and ‘Swept Away’ for the blues.  And have you seen the names they have given the colors themselves – Flirt, Warmth, Fling, Auror, Glow, . . . .   Very seductive!

The overall directives for the coming year are to be less structured in our homes, and mix and match textiles and wall coverings with unusual color combos.  But with so much going on with the colors and textures, it is important to keep things minimalist, and use neutral colors as an anchor to play off the brighter colors and textures better.  In my next blog I will show you how.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I LOVE Cardboard!

Was in Habitat in Antibes earlier today and found these. I think they look great, are really inexpensive and definitely eco-friendly!  You can find them as pendants or table lamps and look really good!!!  Funnily enough from far away they looked like lace!

This is the pendant:

This is the base for the table lamp before the shade is put on.  It really is cardboard.  Looks like something I just made over the weekend with scraps in the garage!

This is the shade for the table lamp shown just above:

Incase you didn’t believe me about how in-expensive they are, here are the price tags!

Also love their Origami collection even though it has been around a while.  Paper and cardboard – just kids play really!!

Legs!

I love photography, especially black and white, and vintage even more. I love the Harcourt style (more posts on this to come later) such as the old black and white photos of the movie stars of the 30s and 40s. I don’t know who took this photo, and it’s not an old ‘vintage’ one but it emulates it well with the right lighting, the pose and the long stemmed cigarette!

Trees in the House!

Want some fresh air in your home? If you can’t go to the woods, then let the woods come to you!  Here are some great ideas with decal wall stickers!

contemporary decals design by other metro Etsy

eclectic decals design by other metro Etsy

modern decals design by other metro Etsy

Even here!

modern bathroom design by boston interior designer Melissa Miranda Interior Design

Open Spaces and how to unify them

Open spaces are being used more and more in design today.  Before, when homes were not so well insulated, rooms were kept smaller to make them easier to heat.  Today this is no longer an issue, and people want open spaces as they are great for entertaining, keeping an eye on the kids, or to simply not feel isolated when cooking in the kitchen by yourself.  The challenge with open spaces is how to unify them with colour for your decor to make them all feel that they still belong together, and there is a continuity.  Here are some ideas.

In this first example, to be different white has been used as the accent colour.  All the rooms are unified with a soft grey colour on the walls and ceilings, accented with some black on the kitchen cabinets.  The whole space is then warmed up with some wood elements with the coffee table and some colourful cushions, but the 2 main items are a big white L-shaped couch and also a big white shiny dining room table and chairs.  Finally to bring it all together some white accessories have been added in the living room and in the kitchen.

contemporary living room design by vancouver interior designer Space Harmony

This open space is unified with the brick that has been used on the main back wall that serves both the kitchen and dining room, and also a repetition of the brick around the column in the kitchen.  The floor is a grey sealed concrete that runs throughout the spaces.  Black has been used as an accent colour around all the window casings and mirror frame on the left, and also in some of the kitchen cabinetry and chairs.  Even though the chairs are not exactly the same, their design is similar and ties the whole space together.

modern dining room design by other metro photographer Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech

This design cleverly defines each space with the ceiling soffits.  But the whole area comes together as one with the choice of a brown hue seen in the warm wood floors,  the kitchen cabinets, the dining room table and the living room furniture. The darker browns are lightened up with a cream colour on the walls and fireplace which also adds visually interesting texture to the room with its choice of rugged bricks.  Colour is then added in little splashes with the lighting in the kitchen which is orange, and also the choice of the green and turquoise blues on the dining room table for the dinnerware and napkins.

contemporary kitchen design by calgary architect Dwayne Seal Custom Designs

How about having some fun, and using one big item to anchor the room, like the choice of this big green L-shaped couch.  It adds the big focal point to this room that is decorated in browns and white.  It’s a simple and effective solution!

modern living room design by vancouver architect PLACE, hl johnston architect ltd

If you are afraid to try colours or not sure how to use them in open areas to unify the spaces, then try this idea.  Paint everywhere white, use white cabinets in the kitchen, and choose white furniture, then spice it up with a small amount of colour here and there, such as in the cushions, lighting and kitchen accessories.  Also adding a smaller piece of furniture as seen in the back here with the green chair, ties the whole design together.  The big advantage of using this idea is that it is easy to change the colours according to your mood or season!

contemporary living room design by portland architect Alan Mascord Design Associates Inc

The Poster Imposter!

I have just returned from the trade show in Paris – Maison et Objet 2013.  The point of going is to source out new ideas, trends and designs, to be inspired for future projects.  One of the things I found that I really loved was wallpaper!  Not exactly a new idea or concept I know, but today it is nothing at all like the wallpaper of the past, the wallpaper that our grandparents had plastered everywhere.  The secret today about using it, is to use it sparingly, on one wall for example.  It will make a bigger impact and make you feel less ‘closed in’ than when it is on all the walls.  Wallpaper has come back with panache in the last 5 years and one of the designers that I absolutely adore who is really making a difference is French designer Christophe Koziel.  Here are some examples of his work for wallpapers, and his way of turning a room’s atmosphere around completely by using Trompe l’Oeil for his wallpaper. He is the Poster Imposter! and it is all Made in France!  And as Christophe Koziel says himself, his wallpapers are like theater decor.  So enjoy the show!

A wall of old books from floor to ceiling – Ivory Library

Close up of the Ivory Library

More books in different shades:

Feeling cold at the moment? How about some knitwear?

Ahemm!

Faux wood – named Boua:

Tiles:

If you don’t want to do a whole wall, how about just a door (or two or three!)

And finally, his newest idea, is turning a whole wall into a Hausmannien palace with velvet textured panels for doors and several panels for walls that give a perspective of several rooms, in the Hassmann style:

Rolls begin at 37€ for a roll of 10m.  Visit Koziel.fr

The End!