Color Texture Pattern: Jewel Tones

rich indian bedroom with boldly painted walls

I gravitate toward warmer colors in my home choices. Even my teals tend to have warmer undertones. But there's nothing like some jewel tones for luxurious intensity that doesn't burn your retinas.

Color Story: Cool Brights

amazing uniforms at an indian spa

Over the years, I've designed a lot of PowerPoint presentations. When I first started doing them at work I gravitated toward blue backgrounds. Teal, navy, turquoise, lavendar. Always blue-based backgrounds. I could literally feel the relief in my retinas or irises or something. The colors not only enhance and offset the images being displayed, they invite the viewer to keep looking. Once, someone showed me one done in reds and oranges that actually hurt my eyes to look at. That's one thing that's so great about bold color. You can have blazing, eye-searing bolds. Or you can have vibrant, eye-soothing bolds. Neutrals are not the opposite of brights. Brights are the opposite of brights. 

Color Story: Natural Harmony

Just a little image that represents my sensibility when it comes to color. This image went into my Style Tray because the harmonious combination of color and objects. The whole scene is simply perfect: blue smoke, deep green trees and pink blossoms above a rich floor of light brown soil and dark fluid wood. Then there's the player dressed in natural dyes of purples and fig, holding her black and red instrument. The pipa should be striking with it's bold colors against all those natural shades, but somehow the red/black draws attention to it subtly. The music is the focus without the pipa being jarring. 

screencap from the movie "the forbidden kingdom"

Retail Odyssey: Target's New Modern Morocco

Looks like Target is ringing in the new year with one of those things it does so well: a mini collection of Moroccan-inspired home decor. The 'Modern Morocco' collection combines traditional patterns with modern color schemes for a very crisp looking line. 

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

The navy pillow seems particularly strong between the colors and the nailhead trim. Very chic and gender-neutral. The bone-colored inlay picture frames are very earthy and subdued. The pattern on that lamp shade is a personal favorite. I need a new lampshade like a I need a hole in the head, but if the embroidery was a nice brown... Poufs are always great and this on seems to be a sturdy canvas with embroidered pattern. Expect it to sell out. And really, that table is fantastic! Light profile, shapely, and a good size at 24"h x 18"w.

I might stroll over to my neighborhood store and check this line out in person.

Exotic Beds: Sumptuous Ikat

When I stumbled on this bedding from N Natori it almost made me scream. Purple, pink and gold, with a hint of indigo. Makes you want to swan dive into luxury. All hail the Chapan comforter collection!

Color Texture Pattern: Soothing Blues

So, apparently it is now mid-August and a lot of us are wondering where the summer went. Consensus is that the various heatwaves drove us all indoors seeking air-conditioned relief. While we were burrowing, June and July slipped away. All I know is that I want my 39th summer back! 

Since it is unlikely summers will get milder in the years to come, here's to homes that are built for this sort of thing. Where you can linger indoors and enjoy the feel of cool tiles, in soothing shades of green and blue, arranged in orderly patterns of squares and rectangles. Calm, soothing relief...

timeless kitchen in brussels: high ceilings, shimmering tile, sconces that fade into the walls, rustic wood floors and the slate blue ceiling and chimney wall
source: maison francaise  photo: francis amiand

Call Me When the Heatwave is Over

There was precious little shade at mid-day but, I used what little there was to do a tiny bit of shopping and make it home Frogger-style.  Inside temperature: 90 degrees of sweet, blissful cool. Didn't turn on the air conditioner for three hours.

This is where I'll be 'til the Big Bake is over...

Git Gustavsson's utterly dreamy bedroom makeover featured in House & Home, April 2011 (Photo: Joanna Helli)