Live In Full Color

Fresh Combinations: blue, green and fleshy pales

Julie Hoylen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:20:25 +0000

pillows and fabrics from Calico Corners

The addition of fleshy golds and fresh greens warms up classic blue and white in home, in fashion- add in a touch of dingy gray, coal black and metallics ( either gold or silver would work) and you’ve got a look that’s totally futuristic boho.

Diane Von Furstenberg Resort 2010, Marni Spring 2009, Marc Jacobs Spring 2009 and Rodarte Fall 2009- images from Elle.com

Style Inspirations: Seeing Fireworks

Julie Hoylen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:35:55 +0000

What is it in our psyche that makes a fireworks display so very exciting? Is it the combination of explosive danger and burst of bright, beautiful color? Is it symbolic of human emotions…like a feeling of excitement so overwhelming you feel as though you might burst at the seams. Is it the tingly feeling of falling in love? Whatever the reason- one thing is for sure, it’s a thrill that never tires.

Since childhood my personal favorites are the ones that first explode in a flash of metallic light and then break into hundreds of little shimmery fireballs that appear to be falling as if in slow motion from the sky. There is something so poetic and mystical about them…to me they somehow seem to be off in a celestial world of their own. They would make the perfect inspiration for a glamorous room or absolutely timely for a chic, holiday-weekend ensemble.

Micheal Kors silk geogette kaftan, the perfect 4th of July drink - a Cherry Bomber, Frette’s fireworks inspired duvet cover $1200, Schumacher Fireworks wallpaper in white opal, JCrew’s Beaded Fireworks Necklace $118, Benjamin Moore’s Stunning 826- a great celestial blue, $310 La Perla beaded two piece $650, Jimmy Choo Plush embellished sandals $895, Fireworks chandelier

Best In Color: June Week 4

Julie Hoylen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:18:31 +0000

‘FREE’ is a very popular color these days: No I did not make up that great tag line- it’s just one of many on Glidden Paints habit-forming ( love that the last nun is in white heels) website. The paint company is doing a little revamping these days, all with the intent on inspiring consumers to ‘get going’ on their summer color projects. They’re introducing an improved paint formula (available at The Home Depot starting July 1), and a whole slough of helpful color tools aimed at taking the fear out of choosing the perfect colors -including a reduced 282 color palette with coordinating ready-to-go tester bottles with built in brushes for just $2.97. But the piece de resistance has to be that they are so hyped on inspiring they are actually giving away free quarts of Glidden Paint to get you started- register from June 25 through July 2 through their website and the Glidden color of your choice will arrive probably around the same time it actually starts feeling like summer here in the North East of the United States ( which at this rainy rate-I’m guessing will be sometime around late July).

Apparently ‘brights’ were popular in ancient times too: It’s hard to imagine the Greek Parthenon bathed in a wash of blue or the soldiers that line the ancient Roman column accessorized with eye popping colors… but according to new scientific studies in both London and Rome (video), the history of color trends just got a little more exiting. Discovery Channel reports on two new studies that use light to detect traces of the original pigments faded over the wear of time. Hmmm…will Egyptian Blue become next season’s Cobalt?

Wow- color theorist weren’t joking: if you’re a color enthusiast you are probably well aware that when you take one color and place another color next to it, together they will affect how you see each color. Confused yet…don’t be, this optical illusion ( which is almost too much for my brain to take this early in the morning) depicts exactly that. Green and Blue spirals, right?- well, believe it or not the spirals are actually the same color. Discover’s Bad Astromomy blog explains how color combining really can trick the brain.

Muse’s favorite color as muse: I love to look at the resort collections each June because I think they are a good clue as to what’s coming next Spring ( plus it’s a good indicator as to whether some of this year’s biggest trends will last the test of fashion time - so far it’s looking like strappy gladiators are still a go). And I especially love when I spot color playing a role in inspiring. In true Dior tradition ( he was all about color after all), John Galliano’s Resort 2010 collection pays hommage to one of Dior’s favorite muses the pattern maker- turned- atelier power broker Mitzah Bricard. A stylista who was as famous for her leopard prints and signature shade of ultra feminine lilac as she was for her business smarts. Style.com has all the glamorous pix.

Color Inspiration: Blue and Purple

Julie Hoylen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:53:37 +0000

A quick trip past the fresh flower depot at my local Costco and my ‘only what I truly need to buy’ mantra went flying by the wayside. Oh, well- we all do need fresh flowers surrounding us, don’t we.

First I thought about which vase I would use ( a traditional blue and white vessel brought back from Italy years ago) and instantly I was drawn to these long stemmed, deep purple beauties.

It’s interesting how a little thing like the pairing of a vase and flowers can tap you into what colors are inspiring you at that very moment. I even said to fellow shopping and LIFC blogging buddy April at the time that ‘right now, I’m sooo loving purple and blue together’…funny because this time last year I bet you I would have gone straight for the bright yellow sunflowers.

But that is the charm of fresh cut flowers, for $8.99 I was able to instantly add my latest favorite color combo into my life ( this is also why it’s quite handy to have a variety of vases in your supply closet).

There is just something so sensuous about blue and purple together…it’s images of lavender fields against a deep blue sky, it’s hydrangeas and the twinkling blues and purples of the summertime dusk, it’s traditional beachy blue and white with a dash of creative and energizing purple.

And of course once I realize I’ve got a color craving I have to investigate whose on my color team….and partake in some great ideas on how to surround myself in it this season.

exotic resort ready- this Spring’s Gucci collection finds some blue and purple inspiration as does this Alessandro Print Bracelet from Emilo Pucci

This dining room from Metropolitain Home shows how dramatic the pairing can be

Adding a little extra ‘pop’ of color can change the feel of the combo- red and yellow tend to be a favorite offset color to add, as is just a touch of orange ( as seen her in this fab little Pucci number) personally- I also think just a bit of green makes for a nice ‘garden party’ feel.

okay, this Hermes beach towel has now been official placed on my (unrealistic) ‘things I truly need to buy’ list!

Tory Burch gets her inner peacock/Brady Bunch on- with a mix of olive green and white

a touch of red in this guest bedroom by Paula Perlini featured in House Beautiful helps distinguish the blues in the fabrics from the periwinkle on the walls.

same goes for this cute bikini from Diane Von Furstenberg

also from House Beautiful, this table setting designed by Rebecca Moses shows an eclectic miss-matched hues pulled together by an overall them of purple and blue looking truly vintage modern

Designer Cynthia Rowley’s dining room featured in Elle Decor follows a similar color theme

on the runways from this year’s CFDA women’s designer winner Rodarte…with a vibrant touch of orange

While this bedroom by designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz from Elle Decor( which reminds me of The Valley Of The Dolls) would be the perfect place for me to daydream about my favorite combo this season!

Best In Color: June Week 3

Julie Hoylen — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:02:14 +0000

‘A Minute On The Lips A Lifetime On The Hips’ gets a colorful makeover- Angelina Jolie watch out because a new lipgloss is promising that by the end of the summer we all might look just like you ( okay as a disclaimer they are not actually promising that but Angie just happened to be the first person that came to mind when I read the name of their product!) The lipgloss is the first product created by PurpleLab, whose philosophy is to create products that do ‘double duty for mulit-tasking mavens’ ( check founder Karen Robinovitz’s site blog about the trails and tribulations of starting a cosmetic co.- its quite endearing) Her first products, 6 lip plumping glosses each containing the natural appetite suppressant Hoodia, will if nothing else…give you the idea that ‘wow! maybe if I took the time to apply a fresh coat of color to my lips every time I came face to face with an open sleeve of Chips Ahoys, I just might have the will power to walk away’- hey it’s worth a try! $20 each- through B-Glowing.com

I haven’t learned how to calibrate the colors on my laptap yet, and now I have to figure out my tv as well! The switch has happened and the USA is now official digital. This is not only monumental in picture quality, but has been perhaps the biggest excuse husbands across the country have ever had as to why they need to pull money out of savings to buy a flat screen tv. But what happens when your new toy doesn’t look nearly as pretty as it did in the electronic store? Perhaps it’s on the wrong color setting ( who knew?) Luckily this week the New York Times is offering up some colorful help.

The Colors of ‘I Do’: Valspar Paints has a great blog called The Color Buzz..if you don’t know about it check it out. Since June is the month favored the most by brides-to-be, it seems only fitting this week to take a look at some of the hottest color trends for nuptials both in history and modern times. And even if a wedding is a ‘been there done that’ event for you ..you have to admit it’s always fun to see just how different the trends are from when you shoved cake in your own love’s face.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now that’s what I call a carpet of flowers!: I’m marking this one down on my calendar of ‘events to remember since the next one is scheduled for August 2010!’ Since 1971, every other year the The Grande Courtyard in Brussels becomes carpeted with over 1 million begonias. This image from 2008’s event takes it’s pattern from traditional Medevil design. I’m guessing the Begonia industry is represented by a seriously good PR agent in Belgium! Thanks to CMG for pointing us over to the story on the Lotushaus blog.

Shiny vs. Matte- What’s Your Color Preference?

Julie Hoylen — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:06:29 +0000

When you think about your reaction to a particular color you might straight off the bat list that your reason behind your ‘love, like, indifference or loathing’ of a hue as being rooted simply in your personal color preference. ” I don’t like the color orange..thus I do not like this orange pillow” ( okay perhaps you wouldn’t word it quite like that- but you get the idea).

a shiny orange canister on your kitchen counter, no way- but a terracotta pot, why yes!

images from Etsy and HGTV

But there are many factors to take into mind when making color choices and the actual color of an object or can of paint is just one of them.

The colors that will surround the color in question is another ( maybe that’s why you’re at a friend’s house and you see those same orange pillow on her pale green couch and you find yourself saying ‘ I love that pillow…funny because I normally don’t like the color orange’).

The light that you are viewing the color under is another-the pillow looks great in her dimly lit living room-yet place the pillow on the white rocking chair in her bright sun room and you might just find yourself back where you started.

Ceramic Glass Pendants by etcArts from Etsy.com

But the one factor that you might not immediately think about is the color’s finish-and a color’s finish plays a big role in how you react to it. By theory even if two objects are the same color but one has a shiny finish the other rough, you will automatically feel that the rougher more textured object’s color appears ‘warmer and darker’. The shinier object will appear to you as ‘cooler and lighter’. Something to keep in mind, especially if you live with stucco walls or dream of sleeping in a lacquered bedroom.

It seems as if more and more -manipulating a color’s finish has become a big trend in home, fashion and design…and is something to always keep in mind when working to achieve whatever your own color goals are. Here’s a few of my recent ‘finish’ favorites-

Black goes from shiny to matte- JCrew’s Jenna Lyon’s painted her bedroom walls ( trim and all) with black chalkboard paint helping to spawn the trend of matte black walls, If owning a Bentley doesn’t make you stand out in the crowd enough this special edition GTO Monaco features an unusual matte finish that will, even nail polish gets a makeover going from it’s typical shine to a velvety matte finish for Fall

Metal goes shiny again- After seasons of matte metallics the shine returns both in fashion and in home. ‘Shine, shine, shine on’ is a hit melody on that commercial and seems to be the theme song for this year’s runways of Prada and Proenza Schouler from Style.com, Ann Sacks “Aureo’ tiles feature sheets of 24 karat gold leaf sandwiched between transparent and handblown glass while Waterwork’s Clothhilde Copper Freestanding Tub with a price tag of $40 g’s truly is fit for a king

Rustic goes from texured to shiny and modern: If the thought of surrounding yourself with grainy woods makes you automatically think ‘log cabin living’ see how a simple change of finish and color can completely change a motif’s feel. Faux Bois Console from Crate and Barrel, Faux Woodgrain Wall Covering from Nobilis, Faux Bois Rug from Pottery Barn and Vase from Roost

Feeling the Felt at The Cooper Hewitt Museum

April Clark — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:59:29 +0000

On the advice of a friend, a textile designer no less, I visited the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum this weekend. I had never been to this gem at 91st and 5th ave, an outpost of The Smithsonian housed in an Andrew Carnegie mansion. What a treat ! Visit www.cooperhewitt.org to plan your visit.

The Fashioning Felt exhibit shows both ancient and new techniques for making textiles into art, sculpture, furniture, jewelry, and of course clothing. I have long had a love of this fabric, using it for my line of children’s handbags. It’s tactile sense is both comforting and sensual to me. This exhibit fully explores all felt has offer.

This is artist Janice Arnold’s palace yurt, created as a place for contemplation and celebration. At the end of the exhibit is a remarkable video that shows the artist and her team hand making all the ceiling panels.The panels are made of wool, mohair, silk and line.

I love these modern colorful “spot rugs” by Majken Mann and Nynne Fearch for Mossimo. And these sculptural “stones” by Pernelle Fagerlund are fun “textile furniture” by a very talented lady. Look how fun they look in front of this chair (also made of felt).

This fairytale piece is called “The Slice” uncut roll and slice and looks like a woodland dream, by Lene Frantzen.

One of the largest pieces is the amazing wooly wall called “Inner Moods” by Cloudy Jongstra. This wool is from the artist’s own flock, an endangered species, and is dyed with healing plants and herbs. This piece is supposed to be a healing , tactile piece of sculpture. It reminds me of a character from “Where the Wild Things Are” and also a den from the 70’s - healing indeed !

I would have shared more pictures but they are not allowed in the gallery. A kind security guard told me this after I had taken these - sorry Cooper Hewitt. Let this be a tease…get to the show. At the end of the exhibit are films about the process and pieces of felt that you can touch . I have to admit to being the most interested in touching the work…I”m like a curious child I guess.

Take a couple of hours to see this beautiful mansion and have a relaxing seat outside in the lovely park setting. There’s also an exhibit that has some amazing designers (Ted Muehling, Isaac Mizrahi, and Kate Spade to name a few) that are using sustainable materials. My favorite is the bamboo “Living Forest” by artist Ezri Tarazi- truly inspirational.

The Best In Color: June week 2

Julie Hoylen — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:22:04 +0000

warm weather black on this week’s red carpet, studded accessories from Intermix and Lady Dior Marion

Black Is Cool This Summer: I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who took the initiative to scientifically prove that the darker a color is the more light it absorbs. All it took Mr. Franklin was a few fabric swatches, a patch of snow and a bright sunny day and viola! a fashion rule was born. But science be damned- because it’s looks as if this spring/ summer black is the new, well black. From black patent leather accessories ( hey, isn’t patent for winter, too?) to dark as night summery dresses, cover-ups, sandals and sunglasses complete with studded details- black moves from urban jungle to pool party. My favorite use of springtime black goes to Dior, whose ‘film noir’ advertisement featuring Marion Cotillard has me daydreaming of being a femme fatale clad in head to toe black, teetering the edge of the Eiffel Tower in strappy high heels as well! Watch It Here

Color as Sound: There is a super cool festival happening this weekend on NYC’s Governor’s Island called FIGMENT. In it’s third year, FIGMENT is a free non-for profit event featuring artists and performers wishing to explore art as a participatory collaboration with it’s audience. One artist in particular setting out to ’strike a chord’ with color lovers everywhere is artist Ellen Hackl Fagan, who believes every color emits it’s own sound. For the festival she has created a piece of work called The Alphabet Song Game, where participants hum their ABC’s while picking out the colorful square that they believe best represents each note. “This concrete game offers participants the opportunity to contemplate abstract color/sound relationships, often the first time. Motivated by the purity and beauty of color, I’m tuned in to its communicative nature. I regularly use alphabets as infrastructure in my work to explore new ideas and palettes as I continue to build a visual language in my painting.”

Color In The Hood: Sherwin-Williams has a great online magazine called Stir. This week’s issue features a look at the use of color in the ‘new urbanism’ building movement that has been happening throughout the United States over the past 30 years. In an article called ‘Goodbye Builder Beige’, writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer takes a look at how smart thinking developers and regionally inspired color palettes are bringing the magic back to surban living.

Little Boy Blue: Sure we all can probably name our favorite color, but probably non of us will ever be able to say we hold the patent of it as well. So goes the story of Yves Klein and his affair with the color Blue. Raised on the Cote d’Azure ( how appropo! ) Klein believed that through the single color of blue- which he once described as ‘ beyond dimensions’-lies the path to transcendence. A retrospective of Klein’s work, on view throughout the summer at the Museo d’arte in Switzerland, follows the path of his vibrant, experimental and all too short career.

Camo Goes Couture: This past week The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert is in Iraq helping to give our hard working troops a good laugh. But even with loads of ‘high ranking’ guest and even suprise video appearances from President Obama and former President Bush, nothing overshadowed the real star of the week- Colbart’s hand tailored, one -of- a kind camoflauge Brookes Brothers suit. Watch a clip here

Colorful Advice: talking ‘Pop of Color’ with Life & Style

Julie Hoylen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:33:34 +0000

Hooray! My favorite Life & Style Weekly asked me once again to give a little colorful advice to their style ( and color) loving readers!

The stars of Twilight, Brad and Ang, Kate and Jon, Kendra and little ole me…Let’s just say being featured in this issue has me feeling as if I’m floating among the clouds in ‘pop culture’ heaven!

This time around L&S is looking to help you find the ‘Perfect Pop of Color’ to add to your summer wardrobe.

I think the page layout is so cute! The impressive range of colorful tanks are from American Apparel ( $17)

Using Gwyneth, Garcelle, Leighton and Amy as our muses…we took a quick spin at naming the best hues to play up the colors of these lady’s oh-so lovely locks.

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Miss Gwyneth: Gwyneth’s blonde hair is stunning with it’s natural golden shades ( warm tones ) intermixed with icy ( cool) highlights around the frame of her face- allowing her darker roots to be seen only adds to the yin and yang effect. Blondes like Gwynnie can pick colors to play up which ever tone they want to draw the eyes to. Her raspberry pink dress warms up not only her golden tresses, but her pale skin tone as well. An even paler pink would make Gwyneth pretty as a princess ( remember how sweet she looked in her famous pale-pink Oscar dress!)

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On the other side of the color wheel Gwyneth could easily decide to play off of her pale, sparkly ( cooler) highlights by wearing shades of blue…baby blue ( really pretty for you blue eyed beauties) or an ocean- inspired aqua ( for hazel or brown eyed siren’s- like Gwyneth) adds instant wardrobe drama.

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Garcelle Beauvais has rich, lush super dark hair. Now very dark hair like Garcelle’s can be tricky. True dark hair tends to be either blue-black ( making it a cool shade) or deep, dark brown-black ( a warm shade). Luckily It’s pretty easy to figure out from this picture that Garcelle’s hair is on the warm side of the spectrum..because she is simply radiant in this little golden- orange number.

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Women with Garcelle’s coloring look amazing in all types of zesty warm shade like lemon yellow and bright coral. If they happen to desire to cool things up a bit -a dark purple ( with red undertones like the color of red grapes) would be simply regal.

Love a color, but not sure it’s your most flattering hue to wear? By simply placing a color that you do know enhances your natural coloring close to your face can instantly make your ‘questionable’ color work as well. Case in point- I don’t think Garcelle would look as ’super hero-ific in this gray-blue dress without that jolt of tomato red trim.

Leighton Meester is the dark eyed brunette lighting up the small screen each week on the hit show Gossip Girl. Her character Blair has no fear when it comes to wearing loads of color and in real life neither does Leighton.

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Leighton’s hair has just a touch of caramel highlights, which not only adds dimension to her tresses but really helps to play up her beautiful complexion as well. Leighton would look fantastic in almost any shade of rich jewel-like tones, much like she does in this Sapphire Versace and below in this little emerald green Dior number.

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On the other side of fashionable hues, Leighton can also play up the richness of her hair by wearing pale shades. For color I suggested the minty green and lavender tanks for a soft feminine look to play off of her dark hair and light skin. And because her dark locks and radiant skin have the ability to look good whether she is pale or tan ( spray tanners rejoice), brunettes like Leighton make good candidate to rock the ‘new nudes’ this season as well.

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There’s a pink for everyone- my favorite for brunettes like Leighton would be a shade like this that goes towards the lavender side. Nude tones can be tricky, here again the choice of a nude with strong rosy undertones along with golden jewelry and a similar shade of lipstick really help to make Leighton’s dark eyes and hair pop.

Amy Adam’s naturally vibrant red hair and sparkly blue eyes have made her everyone’s favorite ‘enchanted’ starlet. To me, Amy has proven to be a girl who knows what colors work best on her…because if you’ve been watching her on the red carpet you know that she usually gets it right.

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Amy’s best colors are ones that play up the fiery, copper highlights in her hair. Rich nature inspired hues like Teal, Eggplant and Grassy Greens make auburn hair look even brighter. And for pale blue eyed redheads like Amy- Turquoise makes eyes look…well quite frankly like they are made of turquoise as well.

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As a fairytale princess come to life in the movie Enchanted-all eyes are on Amy picture perfect in an Aubergine gown at the King and Queen’s Ball. In real life, Amy hits the red carpet in pure vintage Hollywood style complete with a deep side part and fitted Teal green gown.

Is there a hue that is universally flattering on everyone, no matter what your hair color? Life & Style asked me to name just one.

For the magazine I named Red, because the thinking behind this color is set in pretty scientific reasoning. Since human coloring is based on either warm ( golden undertones) or cool ( blue undertones) a true Red-meaning a red that can not be described as either too orange or to blue orange and exists smack dab in the middle would most easily be able to compliment all four woman’s distinct coloring. SEE- understanding the color wheel does come in handy!!!

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Ladies in Red: Garcelle and Leighton’s dark hair easily master the power of red, Gwyneth’s matching red lips helps to keep the focus on her pretty face, while Amy’s use of a mineral colored jewel necklace helps to keep the spotlight on her red tresses

As a little back note- I honestly believe if you love a color…there is the perfect shade of it just for you. After all fashion is fun….experimenting with it can be even funner!

If say you love the color blue but aren’t sure if you should be buying Cobalt or Cornflower…try both ( in the dressing room before you buy, please ) and judge for yourself which you honestly feel best in. While you’re in there why not try a few colors that you rarely wear- you might just discover a few new colorful gems!

Another great color clue I like to tell people, is to take notice of which hues you find yourself getting a lot of unsolicited compliments on when you wear them. If your true love, a trusted chum and friendly stranger all notice that a certain shade brings you beautifully to life…chances are you’re on the right color track!

Find fabric by color on etsy.com

Kate Smith — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:52:11 +0000

Thanks to a tweet from @tinydecor I learned that there is some very cool software that allows you to search the fabrics on etsy.com by color.

Check out morecloth.com for more details. I’ve already had fun playing around with this neat tool. I hope you enjoy it!