Paint the Town Red!

Even before the final countdown to the holidays began I was thinking that it would be great to have a bold, red window display here in the shop. Our inspiration was this intriguing 3-dimensional looking wallpaper from Romo. With the addition of the nailheads you have touch it to convince yourself that is actually a flat surface.

Red is not typically one of my go-to colors, but nothing says celebration like red. Red conveys a sense of passion and intensity so much so that the phrases “Power Tie”and “Red Carpet” conjure up strong images. Crimson, ruby and rouge can all speed up your heart rate.
Think of Valentino and red is the first color that comes to mind. He practically invented the color. He’s the Ferrari of the fashion world.

The last two covers of Elle Décor featured red as the dominant color in their room designs. I think they may be on to something here.

One of my favorite fabric lines-Marimekko-often uses a pop of red with both orange and pink to really make a statement. And it’s a match made in heaven with a red Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair.

And red is such a popular color for front doors because it really stands out and looks great with almost any house color.

"When in doubt, wear RED." - Bill Blass

Paint It Black

Even though I’m known for my use of color I had to hold my breath when we decided to paint one of our showroom walls black. It was a bold move but it created just the kind of drama I was looking for. Not scary, Halloween black but sophisticated, elegant, mysterious black. A black wall can add depth and perspective to a room and can be as prestigious as “black tie”.

If any of you have seen the new film “Coco Before Chanel” you’ll know that she was the one who made the little black dress the chic, enduring fashion statement that we all own. In fashion or interiors you can make jewel tones pop with black or contrast it with white for a timeless combination.

Even if you’re not ready to take a leap of faith and paint a room or even a wall black, every room should have some black elements in it. It can provide definition or a common thread for the eye to follow. It can be as simple as the frames on photos, the grosgrain trim on a pillow or a few well-chosen accessories. We recently changed all the exterior doors here to black and it looks sleek and classic. But remember that black is not just black. It can carry the subtle differences in value in the likes of ebony, jet, ink, midnight or onyx. I absolutely fell in love with this striking image of Gwyneth Paltrow's beautiful black Hampton's kitchen...I am currently using this as the inspiration behind one of our client's butler's pantry. Stay tuned!

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
Coco Chanel