Hue

How we see color

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

What do you think of this statement?

"Remember this: that the light that falls on to your eye, sensory information, is meaningless. Because it could mean literally anything."

Intrigued? Check out: Optical Illusions Show How We See, a talk by Beau Lotto recorded at TED this past July in Oxford, England.

Finally, a comprehensive argument for the context of light, color, and our perception. Need more? A snippet from Beau's talk:

"nearly every living system has evolved the ability to detect light in one way or another. So, for us, seeing color is one of the simplest things the brain does. And yet, even at this most fundamental level, context is everything. What I want to talk about is not that context is everything, but why is context everything. Because it's answering that question that tells us not only why we see what we do, but who we are as individuals, and who we are as a society."

Fascinating stuff...

Thanks to reader Catherine Stein for this tip!

Sleeping with color

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Heading to Paris and need a place to stay? Perhaps the Color Design Hotel is your cup of tea.

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I love this review of the hotel

"It’s perhaps a bit ironic, unless you’re quite up to speed on additive color theory, that the first impression of a place called Color Design Hôtel should be predominantly white. But as a palate (or palette) cleanser, white is the obvious choice — and as a contrast to the relatively gritty Bastille, one of Paris’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, the hotel’s stark minimalism is certainly striking."

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Created by Jean-Marc Galabert, one of Paris' major hoteliers and designed by Carole Picard, each of the 4 floors upstairs is imbued with a single color theme: red, blue, purple, or green.
If you know French, there is an interview with the designer as she takes us through each space. I'd love for someone to translate for us, if they can!

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It feels a bit gimmicky to me. While I appreciate the use of color against a stark white background, the lack of balance turns my stomach as I try to imagine myself locked up in one of these rooms for an overnight stay. My lasting impression is one of inbalance.

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Luckily, the carpets and beds were left in gray to temper the vivid colors injected in each room.

What do you think? Would you stay here and enjoy it?

Giveaway on Design Hole

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Readers, looking for unique gift for that hard-to-please person? This custom car interiors book is hilarious, and will have your recipient in stitches (or furiously jotting down notes on ideas they liked!)
Head over to Design Hole for a chance to win this completely zany, utterly colorful book.
Contest ends Friday, so don't delay!

Graffiti gone Rococo

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

During the summer of 1982, the artist Keith Haring painted a mural at Houston Street and Bowery in downtown New York City.

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The mural was up for only a few months that summer before it was painted over, but its image became an instant landmark, remaining imprinted in the memories of of the downtown artist community.

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For what would have been Haring's 50th birthday, Deitch Projects is honoring this famous artist with a mural by the Brazilian twin brothers known as Os gêmeos. In a recent NYT article, Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo are said to have elevated graffiti art to its "Rococo phase".

This ornate, enormous mural stretches 51 feet long across a 17 foot high concrete wall. It's pretty impressive to imagine this was painted with spray cans. Blazing with saturated colors, the background drips down from the top with deep blue green to green to chartreuse and finally to yellow, bathing the characters in a warm glow.

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There's also a great slideshow on the mural.

I'm thrilled to see such whimsical, large scale art out there for public consumption. But it's only up 'til March, so if you're local, please go check it out!

Evil manipulation with color

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

I abhor smoking.

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It's been scientifically-proven to cause cancer (both by first and second hand smoke). And it's smelly- if someone is smoking nearby, there is no escaping the stench. It's not fair to those of us who don't smoke that must endure while others puff away. I remember before the ban in several states in which I've lived, you'd spend an evening in a bar and come out smelling like an ashtray, your eyes stinging and watering, your lungs raw. And don't get me started on smoking around food- ick! It turns my stomach. Sorry readers who smoke, but that's how I feel.

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So when I learned that cigarette brands are trying something new with color packaging to persuade consumers that their cigarettes are somehow less harmful than others, I was disgusted.

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Based on new laws banning the misleading use of the words "light", "mild", "ultra-light", "smooth", etc. cigarette companies are turning to color coded packages to communicate this same information. "You can manipulate people's perceptions of risk even by changing the shade of a color," tobacco control expert David Hammond says.(source)

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It's reported that R.J. Reynolds changed the packaging of Camel Lights to reflect the belief that smokers perceive the language of lights and blue colors as possibly safer.In research studies, shown packs of cigarettes in person and online, smokers deemed “silver’’ or “gold’’ brands as being less dangerous than regular varieties.(source)

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As the flavors get "lighter," so the do the colors. For example, Pall Mall's Ultra Lights, while a bright orange, are still the lightest of the line. The lighter the color, the healthier it appears to many smokers. In another recent study, 80% of those questioned (smokers and non-smokers) believed that cigarettes packaged in a light-blue box would taste better, would contain less tar, and would be safer than cigarettes packaged in a dark-blue box.(source)

Granted, color-coding has been used by marketers forever, so why should it be any different for cigarette manufacturers? In supermarkets, black packaging is perceived by consumers to be higher-quality. And how would you find your favorite box of Cherrios if they weren't in a bright yellow box? But the subversive nature of misleading a consumer to believe a product is something that it is most certainly not, needs to be regulated.

What do you think?

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Guest post at Bossy Color

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

What do you think of color design reality shows?

Head over to Bossy Color's blog for a guest post I wrote for her on "Covering the Spectrum with 'Color Confidential' "

Thanks for the invitation to write for you, Annie!

Musings on Color

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

This is neat. Rachel Berger, a graphic designer in San Francisco, shares a project she completed during her MFA program at the Yale School of Art.
100 Colors, 100 Writings, 100 Days

Every day for one hundred days (from October 30, 2008 to February 6, 2009) she picked a paint chip out of a bag and responded to it with a short writing. The examples are her favorite forty, each writing titled with the number of the day it was written (out of 100) and the name of the color from that day’s paint chip.

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I bought my first yam this week. I wanted sweet potatoes, which sound a bit friendlier, but the store didn’t have any. The yam is quite rooty, forever looking freshly pulled from the earth — something that is born, grows, and dies in darkness. It’s bumping around my cupboard now, rolling into view when I take out the sugar canister, tin of anchovies. It’s clumsy and bulky. I rudely shove it back, out of my way, further into the darkness.

What stories would you tell about this color?

Will color win over design?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Apartment Therapy is hosting their annual color contest. As the rules state, "In October, we're looking for the most colorful, beautiful room on the planet".

Will readers do right by us this time? Last year was a complete and utter disappointment, as readers voted for the most highly-designed space, but one that really lacked much color. (certainly through no fault of AT editors, who selected some -amazing- spaces for us to vote on)

"Colorful rooms are the heart of great homes, and adding color is the most affordable way to change a room, but few feel comfortable using it. To inspire confidence and improve homes, we're inviting readers to share their colorful rooms, tips and sources. Brand new in 2009 is our Personal Color Palette, which will allow each entrants to display their own color choices."

So head over to AT and make sure that the most colorful room wins this time!

Back to Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Okay, okay, okay, I will resurface from my jet-lagged fog. Actually, it's really nice to be back. Sleeping in my comfy bed (no more rock-hard twin beds shoved together as a "full"), eating food other than Italian, kissing my lovely dogs, seeing friends and family again.... Anyone who says vacations are relaxing must have been very selective about how and where they traveled!

So, as soon as I download and edit my pictures from our trip, I've got some great stuff to share with you from Italy. Just need to get my act together now!

Traveling the world in search of color knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

My color organization, the IACC-NA, is an associate member of the AIC, or International Color Association. While their website may be a bit dated, (cringe!) their data is cutting edge. We get regular updates about what's going on in the bigger world of color, and get to drool over international conferences we could only dream of attending (who has the money these days?)

Here's a little taste for you color foodies of the conference theme this coming year in Mar Del Plata, Argentina:

"Color in food is a new theme for an AIC meeting. A variety of topics will be presented from technology to design, including architecture, biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, as well as social and economic aspects. related to the production and consumption of food, such as: colorimetry, color & appearance, advertisement, color technology, lighting, color communication, color instrumentation, commercial architecture, consumer expectations, color chemistry, color design, color preferences, color physics, packaging, color psychology, inasmuch as these aspects are related to food.

The conference will be held at Hotel Dos Reyes, downtown, 300 meters from the seashore. "

Ahh, doesn't that sound divine?

In praise of yellow- tips for how to use it in your home

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Last but certainly not least, our final guest post during my vacation from reality. Annie Elliott is a fabulous color designer in the Washington, DC area whom I discovered shortly -after- moving away from the area. Luckily for us, she writes a fantastic blog to keep us all grounded and in touch.

A recovering art historian, Annie worked in museums before realizing that her great love was interior design. She started bossy color 5 years ago and hasn't looked back. She brings her clients in the greater Washington, D.C. area streamlined design solutions and, of course, innovative color palettes. Through bossy color blog, Annie offers design tips and responds to readers' design dilemmas.

In Praise of Yellow
by Annie Elliott

If it were up to me, I'd paint the whole world yellow.

I guess it's good that it's NOT up to me, because I'm sure I'd miss the other colors soon enough. But I find that as an interior designer, yellow is often my first thought when asked...

"My foyer connects to my stairwell, which leads to the upstairs hall...what color would work throughout the house that isn't beige?" (The answer: Benjamin Moore's HC-6 Windham Cream)

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"How can I keep my family room lighthearted and fun?" (Farrow & Ball's 233 Dayroom Yellow)

"My son and daughter share a room. What color should I paint it?" (Martha Stewart's MS107 Orchard Ladder or Benjamin Moore's HC-5 Weston Flax)

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"How can I make my dining room warm and inviting without painting it red?" (Benjamin Moore's HC-12 Concord Ivory)

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Yellow is both historic and modern. It can be friendly or edgy.

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It looks great with black and white...

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...or in a rainbow.

I'm not even in love with a specific yellow. Obviously, the shade we ultimately select depends on the room, the light coming in, and the mood we're going for. All that good stuff.

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If you're not a fan of yellow, I'm not out to convince you. All I'm saying is, you have to admit that yellow is pretty versatile.

You might want to give it a chance.

Stuck in Neutrals- Getting Over Your Fear of Commitment

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today, I am thrilled to introduce to you Kelly Berg, interior designer, color consultant, writer, and all around lovely lady based in my neck of the woods, the San Francisco Bay Area. Many of you may already be familiar with Kelly from her insightful comments on Hue, and her own fantastic blog, Arte Styling. Vibrant and vivacious, I am delighted to know her.

Kelly began her design career in Los Angeles as a set decorator and stylist working in the mediums of TV, print, and film. She has worked with celebrities including Reba McEntire, Emeril Legasse, and Tia Carerre and has developed and produced projects for HGTV, The View, and Soap Talk. Arte Styling, established by Kelly in 2003, focuses on interior design and color psychology with the mission to inspire individuals and organizations to express their authenticity and truest vision. Kelly holds a B.A. in Interior Design from the Design Institute of San Diego and is a member of the IACC-NA.

Stuck in Neutrals
Getting Over Your Fear of Commitment
By Kelly Berg

There is a lot of confusion regarding “neutral” colors lately. Especially when it comes to our living spaces. Everywhere you look, designers and home experts are coveting these non- committal hues. But the deﬁnition of neutral seems to constantly be in ﬂux. And when it comes time for selecting the perfect paint colors for the home, many homeowners are left feeling perplexed and overwhelmed. Before we all reach for the latest and greatest shade of beige, perhaps we should delve a little deeper and ask ourselves what exactly are neutrals and why do we want them in our homes anyway?

Let’s start with the deﬁnition of “neutral” colors.

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We’ve come to know “neutrals” in interiors as beiges, ivories and taupes. Some people describe neutrals as colors that aren’t on the color wheel. There is a perception that these “new neutrals”, as they are sometimes referred to, are calming and soothing - the perfect backdrop for any room because they “go” with everything.

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But true neutrals are actually grays - the hues that are created when two complementary colors are mixed together.

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And every season an even newer “neutral” seems to pop up on the color radar. One year it’s orange, the next it’s lavender. This year it’s gray, or “greige”, that is getting a lot of attention as the latest go-to neutral. (Ironic, since gray is really the original neutral!)

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We’ve been trained to think that being neutral is a good thing. The word “neutral” has a mostly positive connotation in our society. If we’re neutral, we’re not hostile. We are not out to offend anyone. We are calm and under control. We go along with everything and are considerate of others. We don’t take risks, we don’t make statements, and we don’t express our true feelings. We do and think as we’re supposed to and in doing so we live in a safe and uncomplicated world.

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But there are downsides to being neutral, especially when it comes to using color in our homes. Contrary to what many color, home and design “experts” are feeding us, neutral colors do not equate to neutral emotions. Too much “neutral” can actually create under-stimulating environments which can contribute to elevated stress levels. Humans are designed to require a certain amount of stimulation from our surroundings. And although our individual thresholds for color stimulation vary slightly from person to person, overall we do not respond well to overly-muted environments.

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So, if this is true, why has beige inﬁltrated our built environments to begin with? One theory, according to this Sherwin Williams Stir article , is that beige, and all of its incarnations, was popularized by builders during the post World War II housing boom. Because aluminum and vinyl siding materials were quick to fade they “began painting the siding in softer shades, blanketing the cities and suburbs in whites, beiges and grays” leading to a sort of “numbing effect on our society.”

So when we use “neutrals” in our homes are we, in a sense, stuck in the 1950s? Not necessarily. When most of us talk about using “neutrals”, we are usually referring to the desire to have colors in our homes that are both ﬂexible and relaxing. We are not trying to recreate the 1950s. But somewhere along the way - with a little help from those mid-century suburban builders - we have developed a very inaccurate belief that to have ﬂexibility and relaxation in our homes we are strictly relegated to beige. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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Do you ever say to yourself when gazing over a beautiful green meadow sprinkled with wildﬂowers, “I love this landscape, but it’s just not neutral enough for me. I really would have gone with Tawny Taupe for the grass color. It would be much more relaxing”?
No? That sounds rather ridiculous, doesn’t it? And isn’t nature the ultimate representation of ﬂexibility and relaxation? Nature doesn’t care about being “neutral”, and neither should we.

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So, perhaps it’s time to clear up all this confusion and simply banish the word “neutral” entirely from our color vocabulary. What do we need “neutrals” for anyway? “Neutrals” were created out of fear. Fear of offending. Fear of committing. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of standing out and being different. But who wants to live in an environment built on fear? It’s time for us to
all say no to “neutrals” and happily embrace the hues that nature intended.

What's in a Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today's post comes from another favorite colleague of mine, Elizabeth Brown. Always astute and inquisitive, Elizabeth has a unique take on color. Let's see what she has to share with us!

Elizabeth, IACC-NA, is a Seattle based color consultant, oil painter and occasional blogger and goofball. She enjoys engaging in reverie at water’s edge at her wee cottage in Bremerton, Washington and is especially fond of birds. Although she would prefer to be dwelling in 18th century France, Liz is guided and most grateful for the support from her family, friends and colleague, Rachel Perls, for leading her down a path to all things technological.

What’s in a Name?
by Elizabeth Brown

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The word… it makes our thoughts come alive, turns them into reality. So do words create color or does color demand description?

“Post card Perfect”, “Sheer Exposure”, “Zanzibar”. Could you tell me which colors these names represent? Did Cro Magnon Man have such color choices as he painted in his cave? Hardly. And who gets to name these colors anyway? Let’s see, if I were to add up the all the names of the different hues from all of my fan decks, there would be thousands of color titles. Believe it or not, some existing cultures have only four words to describe color. Linguistics professor, Paul Kay who has spent his life debunking linguistic relativity through the study of color states that the number of words that a culture uses to describe colors corresponds with its degree of industrialization.

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There was no word for mauve until the hue was accidentally created in the lab in 1856 by English chemist Williams Perkin as he attempted to synthesize quinine as a cure for malaria. The word orange did not exist in Europe until the fruit appeared as an import from the South China Seas. Is there a color we don’t know yet? Or should I say, read yet? Something not from our visible electromagnetic spectrum, something that might come from another galaxy, a chemist’s test tube or from our own earth’s uncharted deep seas? Or perhaps from even from our literary imagination.

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Oh, how to decipher all this colorful nomenclature! Maybe there’s a deeper meaning, a code to be cracked. Could Don Brown, the Free Masons or even Al Qaida be sending us cryptic messages through our fan decks? And maybe, just maybe, if you say all the names backwards, really, really fast, it makes the colorful sound of “Paul is dead?”

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The other day I saw a car named Chevy Cobalt that was red and another named Toyota Sienna that was blue. Now that is just not right!

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All of this talk about color naming has left me dazed and confused …hey…why do you think they call it taupe?

Sources:
“Draining the Language Out of Color” by Philip E. Ross, Scientific American, April 2002
Color – Messages and Meanings by Leatrice Eiseman
Bright Earth by Philip Ball
Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World by Simon Garfield

I'm "Boho Folk Retro Chic" What are you?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today's post comes from Cherie Detwiler. We used to meet up monthly in the DC/Baltimore area for inspirational color field-trips. Sometimes it was a museum, special exhibit, or green resource store; other times, a cool restaurant. She moved to Los Angeles the very same time I moved to the Bay Area, and I miss our get-togethers. Okay, the mike is all yours, Cherie!

Since I’m a guest writer on Rachel’s color design blog, I figure the topic I choose will also tell you about myself and my style, yet open the door for all of you to look into the archives for color and design inspiration. My love for music and color is equal. So, why not merge the two and get inspired? The select three album covers are from singers/songwriters that hit my note and their album covers hit my style!

I'm "Boho Folk Retro Chic" What are you?
or Finding Color Design Inspiration in Classic Vinyl Album Covers
by Cherie Detwiler

Carole King/Tapestry
“Live in the colour of your dreams” - Carole King

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Carole King can jam on the piano while feeling at home in her bohemian setting from her Tapestry album. I love the translucent flowing curtains, rustic wood elements and the soft patterns on this album cover.

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This comfy bedroom has sunlight coming in that catches the saturated reddish hot pink tones that rest on a deep earthy backdrop. It pulls me in and I want to jump on the bed and read a great book from my tall pile of options.

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The workspace is where the imagination comes alive. Fill the room with inspiring pieces.There is a lot going on in this room yet the colors are soft and the transition smooth.The soft greyed down greenish blue walls, the earthy golds and the punch of rustic red. Write music, hum tunes or just play them in this space.

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This shabby “bohemian” chic room invites me in to daydream, from where all great ideas are born. Several framed eclectic pictures hang over top the daybed, typical of bohemian design. What I like is the shabby chic whites and pale wood tones moving into these soft yet bright pops of pink and yellow variations.

Bob Dylan / Bringing It All Back Home
“Whatever colors you have in your mind I'll show them to you
and you'll see them shine,” - Bob Dylan

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Good ole Bob, he “just keeps on keep’n on” and is a simple guy in a big scene. How about rock-n-roll Victorian style? Oh yea, I love the elements of a cool chaise by an ornate fireplace. This is where the guitar should be practiced with a glass of wine in this cozy ‘fallout shelter’.

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I'm not a huge fan of velvet YET, couldn't be happier to relax in this Victorian library room and feel like a rock star. This would definitely be the location of my album cover photo shoot! Sexy Victorian dressed in purple, blue, hot pink and limey yellows, I'm home.

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I really like this room holding an industrial Victorian look with its wallpaper, settee pieces and a huge steel designed wall divider. The colors in here are lively as red, deep pink and mauve tones sit in front of a rich blue wall. The green adjacent wall pops through the industrial divider adding an edgy coolness. This says to me, I’m fun and innovative. This office is truly inspirational for the creative energy field.

Elvis Costello/ The First 10 Years
“There’s a blue note in each song” – Elvis Costello

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What can I say? I love jumping around to Elvis Costello and his retro style. Give me a groovy chair and a retro-print accent wall and I’ll hang out there every morning with my coffee and newspaper. Bold colors separated by some white space – oh yea, I’m awake. Let’s go Costello!

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There it is, my groovy chair in lime green. A sophisticated retro look for the hard-working professional exposing clean lines, contrasting colors from black to lime green and some added warmth in the amber tones. I guess it's time to grow up yet it doesn't stop us from rocking out now and again.

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Le Retro? Awaiting my rocker friends to pick me up for a concert while primping in this way cool room. Sharp colors of purple, yellow and blue that say, “It’s time to live a little.”

These three singer/songwriters and their vinyl album covers really sum up my musical and design preference: I call it, "Bohemian Folk Retro Chic". Yup, that’s me!

I suggest you go on an adventure. Go to the place where old vinyls lay there waiting to be found and explore your musical and design style. So, which classic vinyl album covers reflects -you-?

New England Fall Palette

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today, we are oh so very fortunate to have Barbara Jacobs guest blogging for Hue! Barbara's website was the very first one I discovered when I began my eager search for information on becoming a color consultant.

An IACC-accredited color consultant based in the Boston, Mass. area, Barbara has worked locally and nationally for over 20 years to help people create supportive environments for home and business. Since 2005 her fine arts background and long-time interest in traditional textiles and textile design have converged with her passion for color, bringing to life her line of hand woven rugs, Silk Road Weaves.

Musings on End of Summer…Suddenly it’s Fall in New England
A transition from the hot, hazy summer to a fresh entry into new creative work.
by Barbara Jacobs

Is it something in the air? To me, it’s a different feeling and smell of the air, a change in the quality of the light, a feeling of activity and energy. Translating this into color is exciting.

I want to share with you some of my favorite images that express the feeling of seasonal change here in New England. The palettes I've created reference Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum paints.

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For those who are unfamiliar with this brand, I really like her paint because Ellen mixes her colors using pigments that reflect all the hues of the spectrum. Perfect for “fall” lighting, even colors that look grayed or toned-down have a luminous quality. The number of colors that go into each can of paint make it easy for you to use paint colors that do not exactly “match’ your furniture. There will almost always be a way to create a harmonious and unique environment. And isn’t that what makes it so rewarding?

Fall palettes draw heavily from nature; just look around you, the possibilities are endless.

Top left: Rust, top right: Citrine, bottom: Tulip Leaves, center: Peridot, bottom center: Silk Road Plum

Deeper, richer and more saturated on one hand,

Clockwise from top left: Bronze, Morning Yellow, Ginger Ale, Spring Green, and Olive (center)

and earthy hues on another. In any case, a punctuation of vivid accent or very dark outlines can add an energetic dynamic.

Clockwise from top left: Wedgewood, Spring Green or Jaunty Jen, Buttercup, Cognac, Kennon Ivy (center)

In Maine, on an island…a time to contemplate, do Nothing, watch the ocean, the sky.

Clockwise from top left: Sky, Stone, Camel Hair, Mustard Seed, Olive (center), Verdigris (center outline)

Crisp colors and the trees change color and texture almost before our eyes—while we get ready for the next season.

Clockwise from top left: Peridot, Milk Chocolate, Jaunty Jen, Terracotta Sand, Bronze (center)

Farmer’s markets still make available local produce—peaches, nectarines,

Clockwise from top left: Rust, Berry Red, Chestnut, Luminaire, Chartreuse or Jaunty Jen (center)

and the new Fall apples combine to create a sense of transition.

Clockwise from top left:Emerald, Wheat, Chestnut, Pumpkin Spice, Dean's Dream (center)

We’re starting to see the winter squashes with their protective shells and colors that are simultaneously vibrant...

Clockwise from top left: Sandy Lagoon, Parchment, Chestnut, Clay, Morning Yellow (center)

Clockwise from top left: Stone, Edgewood Green, Bark, Chestnut, Terracotta Sand (center)

and earthy, reminding us to be ready to take shelter and get warm.

Clockwise from top left: Silk Road Plum, Peridot, Magnolia, Amber, Jaunty Jen (center)

Changing leaf color—even if it’s not dramatically brilliant foliage—can be a beautiful color inspiration. Even desert colors will also be influenced by seasonal changes.

Clockwise from top left: Magnolia, Terracotta Sand, Mocha, Tuscan Sun, Dean's Dream (center)

Using color in our homes to express a transition in mood can be a challenge. Talking about paint, maybe you are inspired to make a change. Change in seasons often has that effect! So, wherever you live, I’d encourage you to look at your natural surroundings and think about what the changes have been from the previous season. Live near water? Is the river, lake, ocean that’s near you a different color than it was when it reflected the summer sky?

Enjoy bringing the seasonal change into your own home!

NOTE: as with all color representations on a monitor, please remember to see the actual paint colors for an accurate view.

all images copyright Barbara Jacobs

A colorful history of the wedding dress

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome back, Hollie! You might remember Hollie as a guest blogger for Hue. She always has something fun up her sleeve. Here's a little more about her:

Hollie Jackson is a LEED Accredited Professional and an associate member of the IACC-NA. She has been involved in color and material selection for interior and exterior commercial projects for the past 8 years. Hollie lives in Sacramento, California and hopes that all her research on wedding dresses becomes relevant in her personal life very soon.

A colorful history of the wedding dress
by Hollie Jackson

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Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Wedding Portrait has always been one of my favorite works of art. I love all the detail in the painting and how I discover something new every time I spend some time looking at it. I came across it while browsing the internet recently and had a thought: this is a wedding portrait, but she’s not wearing a white gown. It got me curious about the tradition of the white dress. I know that other cultures have different ideas about what colors brides wear, and I’ve read about the histories behind those, but I’ve never given the white dress thing a second thought. Just took it as something that is, was and always will be.

I did some digging and learned that Mrs. Arnolfini’s gown (painted in 1434) was green to symbolize the couple’s hope for fertility in their marriage (which is funny since she already looks totally pregnant. I guess that green gown did the trick!) Before white became the standard, most brides opted for color. Wedding gowns were meant to be incorporated into the bride’s wardrobe after the big day, so practical colors and fabrics were chosen.

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For the wealthy, the wedding ceremony was a time to show off the bride’s value and that of her dowry, so rich, opulent colors produced by expensive dyes were used. Blue, not white, was thought to represent purity, as well as fidelity and eternal love, making it a popular choice.

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The tradition of the white dress is said by many to have started with Queen Victoria. She chose white for her gown so that she could incorporate of piece of lace that she had into the design. Her wedding portrait was widely publicized and brides-to-be all over the world jumped on the white dress bandwagon. Who wouldn’t want to look like a queen on her wedding day? Since then, the queen’s color choice has come to represent purity and chastity, which seems appropriate since in Victoria’s day, even tables kept their legs covered to avoid appearing unseemly.

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Today, the white wedding gown (or its sisters in ecru and ivory) is still pretty much the norm here in the West. A few designers, however, are taking some chances with color. In some instances, the dress is still white with a pop of color found in a sash or other detail.

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And for the bride who wants something completely unique, there are options that forgo the white altogether. Check out this citrusy green number by Vera Wang. This dress apparently caused quite a stir at New York Fashion Week. Although Wang and other designers have had offerings outside of the white range for the past few years, most colored gowns tend to stay within the muted tones and still have a very traditional effect.

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Wedding attire in Eastern cultures is much more colorful. In this photo, showing traditional Chinese wedding clothes, or hanfu, the bride wears red, a symbol of good luck in her culture. Modern Chinese brides commonly have two or more wedding ensembles that they change into over the course of the day to mark different parts of the ceremony; one of these almost always includes a red gown.

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In India, the traditional wedding sari is also typically red, but modern Indian brides have many other colorful choices available to them like the one shown here in a beautiful gold and red combination. The most elaborate of these saris is made from the finest silk and richly-embroidered with thread made from real gold!

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The great thing about the modern wedding here in the West is that anything goes. Although the white wedding dress is still the only option for some, for brides with more colorful personalities, there are many, many great alternatives out there.

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And as our society becomes more and more globally-minded, I’m sure that the rich colors found in the East will regain popularity with Westerners and maybe eventually knock that tired white dress off of her pedestal.

Any engaged folks out there considering a non-traditional outfit for your special day? What about you all who have already tied the knot? Did you knock everyone's socks off in something unexpectedly colorful? Please share!

Dyeing to get that color right

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Our guest post today comes from Candy Glendening, a textile, quilt, and scarf designer. Quite the multi-talented lady! For the scoop on what makes Candy tick, she says:

"I am constantly inspired by the color and patterns I see around me. I find that I MUST be making something, and the media that sings to me is white fabric and dye. I dye fabric and then use this fabric to make art quilts as well as items I call “Everyday Art”: bags to carry your stuff, silk scarves to drape around your neck, a holder to tuck your journal in: these are all opportunities to create an item that brings joy to the senses of sight and touch. I also blog about my artistic process."

Dyeing to Get that Color Right
Same Hue on Different Fibers? Not as Easy as You Think!
by Candy Glendening

I dye natural fibers with fiber reactive dyes. Unlike paint, what you see is NOT what you get, the final hue of fabric is never revealed until it’s been washed and dried. Although it’s fine to let the dye do what it wants to do, as a scientist, I like to be able to predict my outcomes! I keep careful records with attached swatches, and years ago, when I was working only in cotton, I created this palette, from two sets of primary color dyes.

Using this allowed me to create all sorts of lovely tertiary colors to work with by using only six different dyes, like this one.
Three years ago I began working in luscious silk, dyeing scarves.

Mixing the colors for the scarves involved a bit of trial & error, where I would start with a color “recipe” from my cotton swatches, but I’d often times need to tweak it before I was satisfied. I now have 20 different color combination recipes I use to dye gorgeous, repeatable, multi-colored silk scarves.

One of my favorite scarves is one I call “Wild Rice”.

But when I dyed cotton with the same mix and dilution of dye I use on silk, I was disappointed.

Last spring I very methodically dyed cotton and silk in the same set of dyebaths to observe how the same combination of dyes would react with cotton & silk. Here’s one page of my results.
As you can see, what gives me a nice even shift of hues on cotton does NOT on silk!

In my ongoing explorations of fabric dyeing, I have now managed to create different recipes for five of my favorite silk color combinations on rayon and cotton that are much closer to the silk hues I love right now. Basically, I have to increase the amount of dye I use on cotton and rayon to match the intensity I get on silk. Also, fuchsia/magenta strike MUCH quicker than blue or yellow on silk, so I have to increase reds on the cotton and rayon to more closely match the silk.I hope you all have enjoyed a peek into a fabric dyeing studio.

Thanks, Rachel, for letting me share!

All photos ©Candy Glendening, 2009

Color Associations - Make One and Pass It On

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today's guest post comes from a woman I greatly admire. Lori Sawaya is the first to stand up and debunk color myths, firm in her resolution that there is more to color design than just recipes and misconceptions. She really knows her stuff. And she's super funny to boot!
Here's a little more about our guest blogger:

Lori is a recognized authority on color specializing in applied color psychology, color symbolism, and the integral relationship of light and color, Her perspective is unique as it has been cultivated over 20 years of hands-on experience working with print, paint, and color. Color Strategies is a color consulting service with a focus on Architectural Color and is a trusted and established resource that provides innovative solutions to industry, homeowners, and design professionals. In addition to consulting, Lori produces and presents educational and engaging color seminars and training programs.

Color Associations - Make One and Pass It On
by Lori Sawaya

I’m going to share something rather personal with you. It’s slightly gross, so read on at your own risk.

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Do you remember jars of school paste? The brush or spatula attached to the lid was the best part. It was my favorite school supply. I loved how it smelled too. And, yeah, the paste-eating jokes are duly noted. Swear I didn't eat mine. I just wanted to use that neat-o spatula to move the paste around in the jar.

Alas, the first day of school would come and go and classroom work would begin. "Take one and pass it on.” You remember that, don’t you? Inevitably, I would have to cut out words from the bottom of the worksheets and crack open my favorite school supply to paste them in the blanks above.

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The worksheets that came off the ditto machine were purple-blue and ditto ink bled. Worksheets out of workbooks were the worst because some of them would smear terribly when the black ink co-mingled with the bright white paste.

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On the days we had to paste up worksheets out of the books that smeared, it was easy to identify the kids in the classroom who picked their noses. Think about it.

I sat at a table with a kid named Melvin and by the end of language arts worksheet time, his face would be smeared black, white, and various shades of gray. I hated the worksheets-from-the-books days because my paste would get all mucked up and Melvin would be a mess from ear to ear (as he was also a sleeve-wiper).

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Melvin would clutch his cuff with his pinky and ring finger so the sleeve stayed sturdy for a solid wipe all the way up to his elbow. Even though it grossed me out, I still watched him do it – and he did it a lot.

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By the time it was warm enough for a short-sleeves reprieve, the school year was almost over.

So what does Melvin and paste have to do with you or color? Simple. Personal color associations. This whole color story leapt from my past and into my now when I saw a color palette on another popular blog.

Has anything similar ever happened to you?

The pictures of this house instantly transported me back to my jar of paste. The colors in these pictures are identical to the grays, browned grays, and charcoal colors that would dry up the sides of the jar and crust over because of the worksheet’s black ink.

Of course, there’s also the memory of Melvin's nose issues which is all over my color association with that palette and that memory is as dense as Melvin’s boogers were all over his sleeve.
After a spin in the time machine courtesy of my instant color association, I decided that this was not a color palette I could personally live with. In a way you could say I've been there and done that color story. It’s a gorgeous home and in that house the colors work.

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The pictures of that lovely home inspired a new Aha! color moment that is this: Color associations can stick with you a long time and they can be mighty powerful and choc-full of vivid memories and meanings.

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What are some of your most vivid color memories and associations?

Welcome guest bloggers!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:30:00 +0000

As I head off for 2 weeks in Italy with my beloved, be reassured that I have arranged for you a stellar line up of guest bloggers to inform and entertain in my absence. From "Boho Folk Retro Chic" to kids eating paste, we've got it all.

I encourage you all to welcome them with comments and pithy discussions!

October prep work

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:36:00 +0000

No, it's not October yet, but since I'll be away and unavailable (possibly lounging in a chaise overlooking the Tuscan countryside, strolling through an Etruscan village, eating pasta so good it will make me cry, gorging on gelato, etc etc) I thought I'd get October's header up before I leave...

Making your commute more fun

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Shocking subway riders out of their daily zombie-commute, a new Sol LeWitt piece has recently been installed in New York City's subway system. For those close enough to go check it out in person, it's at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station.

To match LeWitt's saturated hues, originally created in acrylics, studio assistants and transit authority officials hunted high and low for a tile maker who could replicate his colors. They eventually found someone in Madrid to take on the task.

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“Whirls and Twirls” is made up of 250 porcelain tiles and covers a space 53 feet wide and 11 feet high. Moving in "whirls" and "twirls", like masses of people moving through the subway system, it has a lively energy about it that truly encapsulates a New York subway scene.
Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) has certainly left his mark for all to enjoy.

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This installation is part of an ambitious project by MTA Arts for Transit, encouraging the use of public transit by commissioning permanent works of art as well as presenting visual and performing arts projects in MTA NYC Transit subway, MTA Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North rail stations.

Artistic Wars

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

For those of you who create, a friendly reminder:

Whether you write a blog or freelance articles here and there, host a website, or own a business, it is vitally important that you protect your identity and work. Rip-off's happen all the time. Sometimes, it's as innocent as someone posting a photo on their blog without crediting the photographer. Other times, it's a blatant plagiarism of someone else's design or work. Luckily, it's often simply a case of misunderstanding blog-etiquette and copyright. But in other cases, all you can do is take precautionary steps.

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Maybe I'm naive, but I always thought that if you created something unique and well-established, that competition wouldn't bother to use your work, as it eventually would get traced back to the originator. Like my blog Hue- pretty solid going on 3 years now; who would be silly enough to use any version of Hue Blog or Hue Consulting for their own business?

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But alas, people are ripping off writers, designers, and artists all the time. So my advice to you? Get your business name trademarked and your work copyrighted. It's all fun and games early on, but trust me, unscrupulous people lurking as "experts" themselves have no troubles taking what isn't theirs.

My question to you is, will a symbol on your logo, name, creation, writing, etc. really deter someone from ripping it off? Any what constitutes a broad enough gap between what you did and what they do, to consider them protected and legit?

Anyone have an experience with this?

Soothing Bedroom Colors- It's Personal

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

This reader dilemma comes from Anna in Arizona, with a question about selecting a color for her bedroom.

"Great blog! I've been here several times and always find your posts informative and interesting, especially for a relatively color-challenged person like me.

Our house is in the northern Arizona desert and it's a very neutral-toned area: lots of creamy pinks and sandstone colors. We like a fairly serene color scheme, but of course color is good.

So here's our color dilemma: We'd like something soothing in the bedroom, keeping with the mood we've got in the rest of the house..but also something stimulating.

I'm not a fan of colors schemes that seem disjointed in living spaces (i.e. "I like this color and this one and this one, so I'll slap 'em all on the walls in different rooms"). I'd like the entire house to flow, color-wise.

We've been really into blues lately; but while that turquoise color you featured is fantastic, it may be a bit much for us. Is it possible to find a soothing, yet stimulating color?

Color swatches are just bewildering me right now! Looking forward to your ideas!"
-Anna

Alrighty then, let's take a look at what Anna's working with here...
In their bedroom, the master windows face the southwest. They can see the sunset while laying in bed- how cool is that? The ceilings are high (10 ft) and there is lots of natural light throughout the house. Anna just wants to paint the large accent wall above her bed and leave the rest of the bedroom in Navajo White, a creamy off-white from Behr paint. Here's the other side of the bedroom, facing an office area.

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This is going to be their new bedspread from Dwell. They'd had an idea of continuing the graphic up the wall, reversed-out to mimic the white leaves against some color background.

To give you an idea of their existing palette, here are some snapshots of other rooms in the house:
In the living room, they've replaced white with Navajo White and painted some accent walls in Behr's Milestone.In the kitchen, they painted it Behr's Blue Agave.

My first reaction actually has nothing to do with the bedroom, but instead, "where did that kitchen color come from?!" As far as flow and cohesive palettes, I'm wondering how the bright blue kitchen walls fit into the picture of serene colors. But that's for another post some other time.

Our dilemma at hand: Anna wants to know if there exists a serene, yet stimulating color. My answer would be "It's personal."

Everyone has a different reaction to colors. What one person considers exciting, dynamic and uplifting might give another person a headache. Conversely, a calm, soothing tone to one might appear dingy and depressing to another. What I'm getting at is that there are no recipes when it comes to the psychology of color. Personal tastes, the desired goals of a design, and the context of a color all come into play.

So, where does Anna go from here? I might suggest a soft blueish gray or lilac, which would set-off the warm blonde wood and golden art above the bed.

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This would be in keeping with the existing Navajo White and Milestone colors elsewhere in the house, while anchoring the bedroom a bit more. I'd also suggest considering painting the office alcove, as this space has an entirely different purpose than the bedroom area.

I love the idea of incorporating a graphic onto the wall above the bed. A sense of organic movement would be quite lovely. Be careful not to continue the pattern exactly as it is on the bedspread, but instead take inspiration from it to create your mural.

Here is a mural my friend and I created for her little girl's room, taking inspiration from her Dwell bedding.

I'd love for you all to weigh in too, as there are always multiple solutions to any color quandary.
What would you suggest Anna do?

The war of paint companies

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Fantastic post on battling paint ads over at Artestyling- you should go check it out!

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Dogs gone wild

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

This is hilarious!

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Need a new outlet for self-expression? Maybe feel like your boss might not be too thrilled if you show up at work with purple hair? Do like the Chinese, and dye your pets! Check out this photo essay for more.