Tag Archives: colour

My Desire for Pink

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This spring I have had a real desire to decorate with colour – especially pink.  I have never been a ‘pink’ person but I have been imagining my décor with hits of this bright hue.  It could be that the neutral colours of winter have me wanting anything but taupe, linen and grey.  I have been imagining how fun it would be to have something like this bright pink sofa from www.jamesstuartduncan.com and decorate a room around it with other hits of colours like juicy orange, sunshine yellow and chartreuse green.

So this past weekend I went shopping…..but for clothing/shoes/accessories.  Something I love to do!  A session of retail therapy always works wonders.  Of course a change of season is always a good excuse to go shopping too!  My subconscious mind must have been preprogrammed because the first thing that I found was a pink (actually raspberry) patent purse from www.badgleymischka.com.  I realized that my desire for colour had transferred over to my wardrobe.  It was way over my budget but I had to have it so I justified it by the fact that it cost a lot less than the pink sofa.

This purse became the ‘springboard’ for the shopping adventure that followed.  Those who know me will agree that generally I dress in black and white not bright colours so this shopping spree was a departure from the norm.  My eyes scanned the racks of clothing looking only for pinks, oranges, purples and chartreuses.

So this is what I came home with.

Whereas had I gone furniture shopping I would likely have come home with this – same colours, different pieces  Funny how that works!

Sofa and Chair: www.jonathanadler.com  Bouquet Chair: www.moroso.it    Lacquered Trays: www.westelm.com    Striped Pillow: www.roomandboard.com  Chartreuse Pillow:  www.westelm.com

 

 

 

Shedd Aquarium

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On a trip to Chicago I visited the Shedd Aquarium.  Considered to be one of Chicago’s no. 1 cultural attractions where visitors can make ‘inSheddible’ connections with over 30,000 animals, from snails to whales.  Initially I thought, boring…., but I was actually quite captivated.  Along with seeing beautiful fish and lots of creeping and slithering animals I was amazed at the amazing kaleidoscope   of colours.  Design takes its inspiration from nature and the colours at the Shedd definitely showcased this.  So I thought I would share some of my Shedd photos and parallel them to furniture pieces from Moroso www.moroso.it

All animal images via Modmissy.  All furniture images via Moroso.it

Colours of Spring

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It’s here.  Spring!  And it arrived in Toronto with an unbelievable temperature of 25˚ Celsius. (77˚ Fahrenheit)  Considering it is still March this warm weather is just not the norm for this time of year.  The elevated temperature makes for the sudden burst of spring flowers rising up from the ground.  The colours of spring have arrived!  Inspiration grabbing hold of me, I decided to take a walk through my neighborhood with my camera and Benjamin Moore Colour deck in hand.  Climbing (precariously!) through some of my neighbours’ yards I took photos of spring flowers matched up with a Benjamin Moore paint colour.  Some kind neighbours even toured me through their backyards proudly showing me their beautiful spring flowers.  Thought I would share with you too.

Purple Crocus = Purple Hyacinth 2073-40

 

Yellow Crocus = Sunshine 2021-30

 

Glory-of-the-Snow = Summer blue 2067-50

 

Hellebore = Precious Pink 2084-40

 

Not sure what this flower is but I inadvertently walked into a bog to photograph! = Grape Green 2027-40

 

 

Pink Snowdrop = Spring Blossom 2172-70

 

Spring Heather =Taste of Berry 2085-40

All images via Modmissy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Saguaro Weekend

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My ‘Friday Space’ this week is inspired by the desire to getaway.  March so often being the month for travelling to warm destinations I decided that lounging poolside is where I would like to spend time this weekend.  The Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona is a colourful oasis that promises to both shock and calm at the same time.  A departure from the usual colours of desert sand and kitschy Southwestern hues the Saguaro is alive with rich oranges, reds, vibrant pinks and violets that reference the desert wildflowers native to the nearby Sonoran Desert.  In this photo I love how the orange umbrellas pop against the pink walls.  (I am a huge fan of the combination of pink and orange.)  I like the strong linear white roof line that draws your eye around.  The purple building rising up from behind gives another pop of colour.  The mature palm trees give the impression of being in a lush rainforest oasis.  Even the rolled up beach towels lying at the foot of the chaises are bright pink.  And in the middle of it all is the aqua blue pool tempting me to dip in, to relax and unwind.  Pure ‘colourful’ heaven!  Enjoy your weekend.

http://www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/arizona/saguaro

In Anticipation of Spring

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Today we are greeted by the first day of March which really means only 19 more days until the first day of spring!  Thinking of it this way makes it a little easier to get through these last days of winter.  The greys of winter will soon be banished by the colours of spring.  I can’t wait.  When I saw this photo I was reminded of spring flowers. 

New for spring from Ikea www.ikea.com is the GAVIK table lamp.  Made of coloured transparent double glass the lamp when lit spreads beautiful effects in any room.  In anticipation of spring I thought I would also share with you a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson about flowers.  Enjoy

The Flower by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.

To and fro they went
Thro’ my garden bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.

Then it grew so tall
It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o’er the wall
Stole the seed by night.

Sow’d it far and wide
By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried,
“Splendid is the flower!”

Read my little fable:
He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.

And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.

Benjamin Moore Color Pulse 2013

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Last night I attended Benjamin Moore Color Pulse 2013 for a look at emerging design and colour trends.  The presentation took place at the Corus Quay in downtown Toronto, which in itself is a very ‘colourful’ building thus creating a very vibrant evening.  Travelling to the far corners of the earth throughout the year, Benjamin Moore gathers their inspiration and translations of world trends.  They visited furniture fairs, art shows, met with artists, attended fashion events the world over.  “Where our physical spaces intersect with our desire for expression, we seek to balance the dynamics of everyday living with cultural, environmental and personal reflections through design and color.  Benjamin Moore’s color forecast for 2013 explores these tenets and translates them into tomorrow’s color palettes”.  This year’s main theme was Intersection – the convergences of space, time, ideas and relationships.  Divided into 4 sub-groups:

  • Interflow: reintroducing colour and texture of the past.
  • Intercylce: repurposing and upcycling, new potential for useless objects
  • Interanimate:  escaping the everyday with bold and dynamic colour
  • Interconnect:  technology evolving into organic form.

In a previous post I wrote about Pantones Color of the Year being Tangerine Tango whereas Benjamin Moore’s colour of the year is not just one colour but rather the ‘pulse’ of many colours.  Benjamin Moore’s ‘pulse’ of colour for 2013 are:

  • Sophisticated reds
  • Soft pinks
  • Deep coral and camel toned oranges
  • Red/orange toned yellows
  • Kelly green and pale green
  • Watery blues
  • Mauvey purples

 

Happy Valentines Day

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I am not a ‘red’ person right now.  Meaning I am not decorating my personal space with anything that is the colour red.  Christmas ornaments – yes.  But furniture, accessories etc. – no.  I used to have a red living room sofa, my family room was red and gold and my cottage had red painted walls.  To be honest, I think I tired of red.  But in honour of Valentine’s Day I thought I would show some fabulous items that could possibly inspire me to add a little red back into my décor.   

The Eames Molded Plywood Chair. www.hermanmiller.com

 

The IPAL by Tivoli Audio www.tivoliaudio.com

 

In an ‘ode to Edison’ the Utility Red Pendant Lamp by CB2. www.cb2.com

 

The Tiuku Clock by Finnish designer Ari Kanerva.  www.arikanerva.com provides a contemporary remake of the traditional Grandfathers’ clock.

 

Kartell’s La  Bohème Stool by Phillippe Stark – cheery and fun. www.kartell.com

 

And finally if February has you feeling ‘blue’ what’s not to love about lounging on some ‘red’ – Pottery Barn Chesapeake Steamer Chaise and Cushion.  www.potterybarn.com

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Colour of the Year for 2012

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I am so thrilled – the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year is orange, actually Tangerine Tango.  Pantone Inc., the global authority on colour and provider of professional colour standards for the design industries has chosen to “dance into the New Year with this Vivacious and Appealing Reddish Orange”.  Just as Honeysuckle (pink), Color of the Year 2011 motivated us to face everyday challenges with verve and vigor, Tangerine Tango continues to provide the boost needed to recharge and move forward.  Throughout 2011 I wrote a lot about orange and how the colour played a large part in my life and my interiors.  I stated that orange is my new red.  And also, even though orange is made of red and yellow, orange has its own identity and indicates confidence and a sense of playfulness when used in décor.  Everyone has their favourite colour.  I would never say that orange is my ‘favourite’ colour but it is the colour that I notice.  It will turn my head.  It will make me smile.  Case in point; recently while having lunch at Holt’s Café on Bloor Street in Toronto, as usual I was more in tune to the décor than what was on my plate.  On one wall was a huge mosaic done completely in orange.  I found this both curious and interesting all the while noshing on some fancy sandwich.  The sandwich was good, but the orange was great.  So if you are looking for a hit of something new this year squeeze a bit of tangerine into your room!

    

Black Friday

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Today is ‘Black Friday’….let the shopping begin!  Considered to be one of the biggest shopping days, Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States.  Apparently the name originated in Philadelphia where it was used to describe the heavy and disorderly pedestrian and vehicle traffic that would occur on the day after Thanksgiving Day.  More recently the day is better known as the day that puts retailers ‘into the black’.  In honour of Black Friday I thought I would share a few of my favourite black items and some of my own black items. 

Black Leather Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

Jonathan Adler Black Sprout Vase

Black Slate Mongolian Lamb Pillow – West Elm

Black Wall Clock

My Black Wall Sconce

My Black Bertoia Chair

My Black Tizio Lamp

 

Horse Floor Lamp

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A picture is worth a thousand words!  If I tried to explain to you in words what this item looked like I am not sure the true image would be conveyed.  Yes…that is a live sized black horse with a lampshade above its head!  While walking through the ELTE showroom  (located in Toronto) I spotted this absolutely stunning (read: very unique!) floor lamp.  It would have been hard to miss though as it stands at an impressive 7 feet tall and 7 ½ feet in length.  Not your average floor lamp!  Designed by the Swedish design group Front, whose work is based on explorations and experiments that communicate a story to the observer about the design process and the material used.  Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken and Anna Lindgren, the three members of Front, have in their work assigned part of the making of design to animals.  Just as this floor lamp is unique, so too would the space that could hold such a piece also have to be.  Considering the average house has doorway heights of 7 feet and ceiling heights of 8 feet, the Horse Floor Lamp would need a very ‘tall’ home!  And the price – almost $8,000.  That’s some serious pedigree!

       

                 Image via Modmissy