Choosing Color with ...

Choosing color with Donald Kaufman...

Paint Swatches

I came across an article in this months Elle Decor on choosing colors...food for thought for anyone planning to paint in their home..

If you have not heard of Donald Kaufman, it is no surprise unless you are into painting houses, interior design or something similar.  This man, along with his wife, is a nationally known color consultant.  He started his own company in 1976, and his best advice "is to use as few colors as possible."


Don Kaufman color

His rules are:

1. Use like intensities: don't put bright green in a room next to a gray-green.

2.  Look at your neighborhood for inspiration if you are considering paint for the exterior.

3.  Spend time looking at all of the elements in a space- furniture, windows, the color of the floor.

4.  Use complementary colors from a color wheel.  If you have a yellow kitchen, try blue for the dining room.

5.  Tone it down.  Find the color chip you think you want, then look for a quieter version, as it will look much brighter on the wall.

6.  Dark colors make a small room feel larger.  They make the walls recede.

7.  The cost is in the labor, not the paint.  So go for the gold in materials.

***Another tidbit from his article: warm neutrals are the safest choices , which is why they represent 90% of all paint sold.  Hmmm....do you want to be in the 90% or more unique?

 

Custom mixed paint color from Kaufman Paints



I use these rules daily when helping clients with choosing colors!  You should think about them as well!  And, if you need help doing this, I would be glad to help!  There are several ways to contact me- just do it! 



2 Hour Headboard

Pottery Barn's Natural Linen Headboard

Two Hour Headboard

Finished Headboard




Do you have a spare 2 hours?  And about a $150 dollars? That's all it takes to build this beautiful, Pottery Barn-like headboard.....



Yes, sometimes it is easier to buy a piece of furniture...but in this case, it was just as easy to build it.  AND, you get to pick the exact fabric you want!!!  I have to confess that this is the 2nd HB we have built-the first was for the master bedroom and used a toile fabric.

What do you need: a saw ( a skill saw works great), a 2 x 4 piece of wood, a piece of plywood the width and heigth you want, poly batting, fabric to upholster with, an electric staple gun is nice, but a manual 1 is okay too, bolts to hook the HB to the bed. 

If you are not sure of the size, just check out a website that sells headboards; consider the size of the bed, room and any heigth restrictions because of windows or daylight basement foundation walls.

We needed a queen size HB, so we made the headboard 61 1/2" W x 46" H with about 30" of that heigth for the headboard itself.  (The rest is legs or ~ 16")  I found instructions online-just google "How to make a headboard" and you will find lots of help. The square shape of mine is only 1 option, you can draw any shape, like an arch or victorian arch as well.

"Wrapping"

It literally took 2 hours to complete, including installing the nailheads.  I purchased these through a local upholstery shop. The 100% linen was extra wide and purchased at a local Jo-Ann store for $9.99 per yard and sprayed it with a protectant.  


Just adding the Nailheads

Nailheads at corners



Spacing of the nailheads was pretty easy- we used 1 of those fabric pens that the ink disappears after a certain amount of time.  We chose to space them with a width of the nailhead between them.  So the nailheads were 5/8" wide, we put our marks at 2 times this or 1 1/4" apart. 

Fun project- not too much money  spent- I saved over $650 by making it myself.  (Yes, the Pottery Barn HB cost $799 plus postage)  So-o-o-o, happy building and stapling!   Send me pictures if you do get the itch to make your own headboard at v.v.design@msn.com 




BEFORE's and AFTER's...

Some "Before & Afters"


It has been a several months-sorry about that!  No excuses except that I was working on a new website..does that count?  Ok, so I have lots of material to talk about...and by the way,  like my page on Facebook at "Verna Vuckovich@ v.v.Design"   I post a design quote and inspirational photo most week days!

How about a couple of BEFORE and AFTERs?  These were done for a client-the same client, but for different spaces. 



BEFORE: with shredding from cats claws

This club chair sits in my client's living room at her home...it was getting ratty from a cat and some sun damage.  Instead of reupholstering it- we decided to slipcover it.  I know slipcovering it is just as much work as reupholstering it, but a more comfortable, casual look was needed.  This chair sits by itself, next to a fireplace.  It needed some pizazz!  And, boy, did it get it!  A nice bright green, graphic fabric was used that is 100% cotton- so very washable.

Definitely AFTER

 The office is her work office where she visits with staff and sometimes has board meetings.  She wanted the space to be welcoming and home-like(it is a mental health center after all!)  The walls are a pretty sage green-upholstery on the office chairs were not changed, the small oval mirror, and wall pieces were inherited with the space.


BEFORE

BEFORE

The AFTER's show some artwork was added-not too pretentious, small pillows on the chairs for counseling or staff, plants, the warm colors in the artwork and the metal pieces add to the decor.  

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER



How would you want your office to look if you could do anything you wanted?

Let me know if you would like me to discuss a specific topic and I will try my best to get it done in a timely manor!

2012 Color of Year

It is that time of year again-what is the Pantone Color of the Year? Number 17-1463, it is!!!Tangerine Tango.

This reddish orange, according to Pantone, "continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward." To refresh your memory, Pantone has developed a color system and technology that helps us interpret color in a variety of industries.  It basically unified how we can identify colors for furniture, paint, fabric, etc.  To find out more go to their website-they even have the different color language formulas for this and all of their colors...(I don't want to confuse anyone, so google it for more info.)

Crate and Barrel Parlour Chair

Orange is considered a happy color, less intimidating than yellow or red, but definitely a "I am confident with my decisions" color!  Pantone is quoted as saying:  "Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.  'Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.' ”

Fiesta Dinnerware. Photo by Dan Henry.

McCall's Kitchen/dining room. Chandelier has been replaced with a much more modern fixture since this photo.

Maybe you don't want to go that red with your orange choice...This dining room photo shows more of a burnt curry/pumpkin- a color my daughter(see above) and a family friend have painted in their home.  I love that they were confident enough to try it!

Photo found at Home-Interiors.com

Why not bring in pillows with this snappy color? A bedsread, tabletop accessories, or paint a wall in your home with this energetic color. Personal devices and appliances are also available in this color-if you just don't want to commit that far!





What happens at the Aria, stays at the Aria...

 What or where is the Aria?  Vegas, of course!  And what was I doing there, besides shopping, was taking pictures and oohing and ahhing over it all.

I was lucky enough to stay at the Aria because I tagged along while my husband attended a class there.  Of course there is alot to see in Vegas in general, it is all about being bigger, more showy and  more grand than anywhere else...

The Aria Resort and Casino, Las Vegas is a AAA  five diamond rated hotel with 4004 rooms in two 51 and 61 floor towers with curved glass and steel that meet in the center.  To quote their Facebook page:  "Among the notable aspects of Aria is its incorporation of technology in the exterior and interior of the hotel, specifically for the reduction of energy consumption>  It is the largest hotel in the world to have earned LEED Gold certification.  On account of its smart rooms which automatically adjust curtains, turn off lights and electronics, and regulate temperature when a guest enters or leaves a room, Aria was described in Popular Mechanics as possibly 'the most technologically advanced hotel ever built.' "

This first picture is of a leather wallpaper hung near the elevators.  The swirls are stitched into the leather.  Very COOL!!!

This wallpaper made of leather with the colorful stitching.

 This "artwork" hangs near the spa and health club area.  It was made of solid colored silk fabric sewn onto the base in wavey style lines. 

Artwork quilted of silk

The closet are of the rooms had the center console of drawers and 2 closets, one on each side.  The closets had lights that turned on and off when opened and shut, consecutively.
Very dark wood with simple embellishment of silver running through it was a modern touch.

Closet area.

The main area of the room was equipped with an iPad type device that could control curtains, temperature, tv channels, and an alarm clock.  Bronze with embroidered aubergine motif silk bedding, the softest pillows on the planet, dark aubergine velvet pillows, headboard of the aubergine velvet against a beautiful  backdrop of wood and silver.  (P.S. the pillows and bedding were available for purchase in their retail shop.)

Bed area.

Desk, tv and fridge area was very simple, yet elegant.  Wall on right was full length glass looking outside.

Desk area.

The view out of the full-length window in our hotel room was down to this awesome canoe sculpture located in front of the Vdara Hotel and Spa. (Picture was found on Rex's Blog and Casino Guide.)  Pretty cool, huh?!?!?

 Even the ceilings in the lobby area had huge cut-outs made of dark wood.  If you have a chance to stay there, it is well worth it!

I hope you have a healthy, happy New Year!  I hope to inspire you to surround yourselves with beauty!

Color undertones? ...What???

What undertones do you like?  Not underwear...but color undertones?

There are lots of different areas we could talk about with color, but today I want to talk about undertones.  Contrary to what some people think there are only 2 undertones to color: Blue and yellow.  (No, there is no red...unless you are talking about skin???)

This photo is Feras Irikat, who is the Design Director  at Oceanside and Mandala Tile.  He is standing in front of colors that show the blue undertones to the left and the yellow undertones are to the right.

First, if you tend to like a color with blue undertones what does your personality tend to be like and /or what kinds of things do you like around you?  You tend to be a list writer, like modern, shining, like quilding such as Louis VXI, like lots of pattern, like intimate, close rooms, use accent walls, nametags, you can be analytical, time conscious, and can be naggers.

On the other side, if you prefer yellow undertones in your colors, you tend to not write lists, you prefer organic things, textures, open living lifestyle(versus closed, intimate rooms), no nametags, you tend to be very friendly, not time conscious, and when you say things you only say them once and don't repeat it.

Where do you fall?  And do these generalities apply to you? 

Consider that there are visible wavelengths of color to humans with green being at 550 or the exact center as it has equal parts  blue and yellow.  This color always has a positive reaction, but it can also have blue or yellow undertone.   Blues produce melatonin in the brain, but in high levels it can produce depression.  Red is a stimulant, and pink can over-stimulate girls.

What colors on each side of the color spectrum have no undertones?  Magenta is purely blue and red, and on the yellow undertone side, orange is purely yellow and red.  Some people go as far as to carry a color swatch of the orange and magenta with them when chosing colors as each side will help you choose a harmonious color story.  If the orange goes better with your chosen color, then your undertone is on the yellow side.  If the
To find out where a color falls, and therefore what it’s undertone is, simply know 2 important facts:   There is only one color that exists on the warm side of the chart and not the cool side, Orange.
And, there is only one color that exists on the cool side and not the warm side: Magenta.

But how do I use this information?  Put a swatch of orange and magenta next to your color or a color palette and you will see quickly where your colors fall on the spectrum. Do they blend together and are your undertones consistent to result in a harmonious and perfect blend for your purpose!

All Colors are Good, All Palettes are Not
Remember there are no bad colors, but there are bad palettes. Keep the Harmony of the colors, a smooth transition on the eye between the pigment and the undertones make a beautiful palette.
magenta goes better with your chosen color then the cooler colors will harmonize best!

This room below shows both colors(or close to them) in one room...

from Tradional Home.com

A side note:  after WWII, navy blue became masculine because of the army uniforms.  Prior to this, pink was considered masculine because it was red with a some white mixed in and red is usually associated with warnings or power.  (Think red power ties.)  Very interesting!!!  In current times babies are inundated with blues for boys and pinks for girls...

Think about this, black to the blue undertone people represents an authoritative color, but to yellow undertone people it is a morbid color.

I don't know if this helps you in any way but it IS interesting to think about!

"Color is music to your eyes!"

I have always been intrigued by color, and take as many classes as possible regarding color as I can!  When I signed up for the Montana Tile and Stone Summit in Bozeman, MT in September little did I know that I would get to hear one of the most dynamic speakers ever.  His name is Feras Irikat and he is the Design Director of Oceanside Tile and Mandala Tile Companies. 

I was so excited after taking his color theory class, I have just been dying to share some of the information.  This is the  2nd blog covering it all!

Pigment and color are influenced by texture, rough or smooth, honed or polished, etc.  (Think about how a textured wall will have some shadows and the paint appears differently to show the texture.)

When considering a color, it must be looked at in it's intended environment WITH  the light source that will be used.  Remember that there are light fixtures that cast a blue or yellow (cool or warm) light, and these will affect the color used.

No 2 people will react to a color the same way!  We all see it slightly differently.  And, as we age our cornea becomes more yellow so this too affects our perception of color.  Our color perception is affected by conditioning also.  Consider that before WWI, navy blue was considered a feminine color until it was used for Army uniforms.  And pink, since it was a lighter shade of red was used for boys as it denoted power and authority.  Boy, not now!

from MinimalistHome.com

Think about why you purchase certain items: do you need it, value it, or is it an emotional purchase?  Color can affect the emotional purchase...

Condiser your clothes when deciding on a color palette because whatever colors you look good wearing you will look good sitting in.  Don't buy a yellow sofa if you don't wear it, because you will look sickly!

Remember that there are no bad color choices...meaning if you love a color it will be "in style" or appropriate for your living spaces.  Any color will look good as long as it is your taste.