Friday, November 26, 2010

Oh my goodness I am still FULL. Thanksgiving is wonderful just for the simple fact there are no gifts involved and we gather together just to EAT. (Ok, we gather together to share and make new memories too). I love this time of the year but I find myself hyper-ventilating at all the things I should be doing in preparation for the upcoming holiday. I give myself a little talking to as I know better than to leave everything to the 30 day countdown, but still, year after year I do it anyway. Think about it, I have ALL year to prepare so that I won't feel rushed and do I do it? Nope. Maybe next year I'll give it my undivided attention and efforts.

I've had a great month and have had many new experiences as well as places to visit. I've had the opportunity to work with a wonderful Designer and an even more wonderful person. I'm going to add my little slide show and see if you can guess where I am and whom I am working with in developing new products for 2011.

On March 8, 2011 I will host a hands on workshop with Annie Sloan, author of Creating the French Look and Quick and Easy Paint Transformations, at this location.
For more information click on "Products I Use" which takes you to my web site and workshop/event schedule.

Until the next post.........


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Just a little COLOR information I'd like to share.....blogging has to be somewhat of a learning tool don't you think?


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One of my many passions is "color". In school they nicknamed me the "color queen" because I have been given the gift of seeing color when I walk into a room. Color has always come easy for me even as a young girl, I knew what color should be used at any given time and in any given room and with any combination of flooring, wood work etc.

I think a lot of people don't trust their intuition about color. The worse thing that's going to happen if you used the wrong color is that you get another can of paint and paint over it." Color isn't terminal.

Did you know that RED creates moods of happiness, energy, strength and romance. A red wall particularly with brown-red tones, can make a room warm and inviting. Red has been shown to stimulate appetite and therefore is both popular and unpopular in dining areas. Red's cousin pink is good to use in the master bedroom since it promotes romance.

BLUE creates moods of peace, security, relaxation and harmony. Blue walls are wonderful in bedrooms, meditation rooms and anyplace you want to promote relaxation and sleep. Go with a smoky or deep blue for "quiet" rooms to promote rest. A hint here though, blues can be cold and depressing if overused or if the shade is too bright.

GREEN creates moods of calm, tranquility, hope and rejuvenation. Green can be used in any room to invite serenity, but is good for entryways in lighter and brighter shades because it has an energy-regenerating quality. Green plants are an affordable, easy way to add green to a room and can go anywhere.

YELLOW creates moods of optimism, cheerfulness and tolerance. Yellow is especially good for illuminating background for black and white photographs. Yellow can be a difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.

PURPLE creates moods of mystery, spirituality and healing. A good way to used purple is through flowers and plants - irises, orchids and violets. Purple carries depth when paired with items that have texture, such a furniture, pillows and place mats. Purple's combination of hot and cold tones makes it accessible and can be used with most other color schedmes. Too much purple can come off as artificial.

BROWN creates moods of earthiness, nurturing and stability. In the living room, brown will reflect warmth and refinement and can be used in the furniture, in baskets and wooden magazine racks. Brown is a good base color because its earth tones help all the colors around it come alive.

ORANGE creates moods of energy, enthusiasm and warmth. Orange is great for dining and family rooms because it encourages joyful gatherings and good cheers. Set a bowlful of oranges in a dining area or use and orange table cloth. Pair orange with browns, creams and gold for traditional rooms or cobalt blue and lime green for a contemporary feel.

My last hint......using the same shade at a value or two lighter as the walls on the ceiling adds a softness to a room. You will be amazed at the impact on the room. And remember, light affects color dramatically, flourescent light brings out greens and blues in a color. Incandescent light brings out more of the red or warmth in a color. View colors day and night because they will appear differently.

I hope this will help someone out there that is afraid of color. One of my missions in life is to get rid of all WHITE walls. Don't get me wrong, I love white and I love black but not on walls. TONE, TONE, TONE.......I shall say no more.



2 comments:

Phyllis said...

How fun to see Annette's workroom as well as the beautiful paints. What yummy colors. I also loved your essay on the uses of color and how different colors create different moods and feelings. I agree about white walls. When there is so much color in the world why should we limit ourselves to only white. At least there are varying tones of white that add so much richness to a room. You will be very busy in the months ahead with all your workshops. Wish I could come down and take one of the gilding ones. Well maybe I can. I will have to look at my calendar. That would be so much fun!

Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic said...

Isn't Annette Tatum of House Inc. just the most talented and charming woman! I so admire her eye for style and design. Thank you for taking us into her workshop.