Color Marie

Dear Palm Springs, I Have a Crush on You!

2012-05-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

My recent and first trip to Palm Springs was exciting, too brief and left me with the following sights I am still thinking about and loving:

Architecture, architecture architecture!

Mid-century of course!

Use of color and high contrast:

Parker Palm Springs Hotel

Saguaro Palm Springs

Unexpected color:

Petal pink doors on church near Joshua Tree

Swimming at night

Night time color:

Drinks at the famous Riviera Hotel where Elvis, Sinatra and others entertained

Street Color

The haunting beauty of Joshua Tree

The fireplace in our vacation rental:

The wonderful Deco bar in my friends rental home:

Looking at all the mid-century furniture for sale-at outlandish prices. This recovered sofa I fell in love with ran over $3000!

Unexpected encounters with unusual wildlife; This large bird came over to my car to say hello!

Following the movie star maps and oogling the homes of past Hollywood greats:

Elvis's Home

Sinatra's Home ( for a few thousand a night you can rent this-it even still has the chipped bathroom sink where Sinatra threw a champagne bottle at then wife, Ava Gardner!)

Elrod's home used in the James Bond film, "Diamonds are Forever"

was the only disappointment. It's secluded up in the hills behind a gate. It is for sale, however, if you've got 13 or 14 million dollars to spare!

Although we missed a few "must do's" and the thrift stores were a disappointment, I look forward to my next trip back to the dessert.

My New "Big Girl" Office!

2012-03-27T21:33:00.002-07:00

Photo Source

Confession time; I have very busy with a new adventure these last 6 weeks! The fun started when I began looking at fresh ideas for different ways I can offer my color services as well as the baby steps towards another little side business. With commercial rentals being at an all time low, it occurred to me that I could take my business in a whole new direction.

My home office (which shares space with my guest room and the family computer) was getting cramped with color samples, books and project stuff. My fledgling side business with clothing was also starting up so our little home had reached overflow capacity! I started to dig around one of my favorite little cities, Alameda, and found a couple of waterfront offices at shockingly cheap prices.

Although I've had an out of town client pick up items at my home office once before, I usually see people at their site. Color is best viewed, when possible, on site. But I've been rethinking the possibilities of this lately and decided to try an approach where I do have a public office that people can meet me at, if needed. Having open office hours at my home didn't seem practical or safe.

I guess one of the few bright spots in a bad economy is the opportunity for small business owners to get into an office. I canceled one off my list when they asked for a one year rental lease. The other one immediately caught my eye not only for the price (and month to month rent) but it's amazing location! One side of the office building is bordered by a pretty little marina full of boats while on the other side is on the San Francisco Bay with breathtaking views of San Francisco.

I was so excited to find this, my mind raced at the possibilities for moving some of my careers goals and passions forward. I didn't mind that the building is older and in a time warp of 70's/80's design in the common areas. What is the real estate saying? Location, location, location!

My first order of business was furnishing the space.....on a tight budget! As usual, I turn to the holy trinity of my sources; Etsy, Craigslist and HomeGoods. My landlord is so cool and is allowing me to paint the office....music to any colorist's ears...or perhaps, eyes.

But as tempting as it is to paint a vacant room and then furnish, I know better.

Here is the back part of my office with by bamboo desk found at a local antique store. The big question is to paint or not to paint?

Example:

Source: 1st Dibs

Next came an upholstered chair from my mothership, HomeGoods:

I also picked up the Drexel Heritage lamp there for a steal as it was missing a couple of crystals. I started to see this space was taking on a Hollywood Regency feel. I've always liked that style but never had room for too much of it in a house full of boys/men!

I didn't like the idea of file cabinets for my color chips so I found this very long dresser on good 'ol Craigslist. Two antique dealers I purchased it from routinely buy good quality, but outdated furniture, and paint it white. They even redid the handles in silver.

This piece is from Bassett Furniture, probably early 70's, and I can tell you from moving it, it weighs a ton!! There is no way I could have purchased a new one of this quality. I think I spent $125 on this and it has lovely lines as well as solid drawers.

I wanted something quirky and cool for drinks, cups and my coffeemaker. The idea of a cocktail cart

has always been interesting. For this, I turned to Etsy. I quickly found a few sweet carts at great prices. As I tried to decide, I also found out that they sell quickly! So I pounced on this little green and chrome number.

I still had some substantial wall space to deal with. Visions of velvet loveseats or chaises started dancing in my head! This was tempered with the reality of the prices I was seeing online. $800 for a mass produced, poorly built one? Na, I'll pass. Back to Craigslist again! Two weeks of searching lead me to this one:

This antique, coral velvet one was being offered by a dealer of abandoned storage space contents for $300! My poor husband was not happy about the drive out to a sketchy warehouse area near Candlestick Park in San Francisco to pick it up in the pouring rain to save the delivery charge... nor the effort it took to get it up to my second floor office. After 21 years of marriage, he says he knows better than to get in between me and a furniture find!

Lastly, considering some artwork. Already bought this on Etsy but it's small. Love it:

Source : Kathy Panton/Etsy

Considering this in a very large format:

Source: Bomobob/Esty

I also need a large mirror, but I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm going to keep the walls neutral as much for balancing out all this color as for viewing color chips within my office without a lot of competing wall color getting in the way. Perhaps Benjamin Moore's Shaker Gray, Night Train or Gibraltar Cliffs? Maybe darker? We'll see as things progress. Sometimes progress seems painstakingly slow but it's actually come quite far this two weeks.

I'm so excited to have a little office to call my own. My husband and I call it my Big Girl Office! The fact that I can have a little 165 square foot slice of the waterfront is just icing on the cake. I'll be sure to post an update when it's finished.

The Latest Rankings on Paint Brands

2012-02-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

Source: Aircanada

The discussion of paint brands is always a hot topic and often a hotly debated subject in this industry. Whether you are asking designers, painting contractors or homeowners, there's a variety of opinions. Not everyone is aware that there are a few different official rankings available that are based on testing and criteria.

The three I frequently look at are JD Powers, Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping. While JD Powers ranks consumer satisfaction, Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping rank paint brands based on testing. Unless you're a color nerd, it can be a bit daunting to sift through the data to filter out the overall results.

For example, my latest issue of Consumer Reports (March 2012) tested various paint lines from 13 different major brands, ranking by 3 sheen's and challenging:

Hiding

Stains

Gloss change

Scrubbing

Smoothness

Mildew Resistance

Resisting Sticking (tackiness when dry)

Fading

VOC levels

In 2012, Benjamin Moore edged out Behr which held all three top ranks in 2011. Benjamin Moore came in first for Satin/Eggshell as well as in the Semi-gloss category. Consumer Reports states they've seen a steady improvement over the years in Benjamin Moore's quality but Behr remains the best value for what you get money-wise. Blue checks were also given for overall good values for the quality in different paint brands.

Here are the rankings for the top 4 in 2012:

Satin/Eggshell

Benjamin Moore Aura (Up from #6 last year)

Behr Premium Plus Ultra Satin Enamel ( 1^st Place last year)

Kilz Brand (Stayed in #3 spot from 2011)

Glidden Premium Satin (Down from #3 last year)

Flat and Matte

Behr (Premium Plus Ultra ) Same rank as 2011

Benjamin Moore's Aura Matte ( up from 7^th place last year)

Behr's Premium Plus Flat Enamel (#2 last year for Behr)

Benjamin Moore's Natura Flat (3^rdPlace in 2011)

Semigloss

Benjamin Moore's Regal Select (jump from #7 last year)

Behr's Premium Plus (Held at #2 spot)

Benjamin Moore's Aura (Huge jump from #13 last year)

Royal Interiors by ACE ( Up one spot from #5 in 2011)

Bottom rankings in all three categories goes to Color Place by Walmart.

Good Housekeeping ranks paints differently ….......This data is harder to sift through compared to Consumer Reports and it's fuzzy regarding how many paints were tested overall. Less precise rankings were given besides letter grades and a conclusion of pro versus cons in the resulting 25 that they listed.

Good Housekeeping 2011

The test process was explained for achieving the following tests:

Splatter Resistance

Scratch Resistance

Drying Time

Coverage Area

Coverage Quality

UV Resistance

Stain Removal

Color Consistency

Overall Quality and Texture

A grades went to:

Freshaire

PPG Pure Performance (Eggshell)

Dutch Boy Interior Semi-Gloss

Ace Royal Interior Flat

JD Powers and Associates 2011 Consumer Rankings

These rankings were based on 6 criteria from consumers/homeowners only for 19 major paint brands:

Application

Production Offerings

Durability

Price

Design Guidelines

Warranty

Benjamin Moore came out as the stand alone winner while Porter Paints and Sherwin Williams came in second and third reflectivity. At the bottom of the heap were Color Place (Walmart), Martha Stewart (Surprise!) Glidden, Olympic, True Value and Ace paints.

When I analyze the plethora of data and the fact that:

1. Not all paint brands were included in all rankings.

2. Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping listed different criteria and ultimately conducted testing in different ways.

Ace: All over the place with higher rankings through Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping but below average points with JD Powers.

Behr: Middle rankings with Good Housekeeping and JD Powers but high marks with Consumer Reports.

Benjamin Moore: ranked top in both JD Powers as well as Consumer Reports although the Aura, Regal and Ben paint lines only scored in the B grade ranges for Good Housekeeping. You're not going to find too many colorists who don't use this line as one of the back bones of their paint and color preferences.

Glidden: This was all over the place! While placing well in most of Consumer Reports 2012 rankings, they placed a B grade in Good Housekeeping and below average with JD Power.

Kelly Moore: The darling of painting contractors in my area, Kelly Moore only appeared in the JD Powers reviews and ranked average in all criteria but above average in durability.

Olympic: Wide ranging reviews again from middling to low reviews in latest Consumer Reports, B grades from Good Housekeeping to poor reviews from consumers for JD Powers.

Sherwin Williams: While receiving lower reviews from Consumer Reports, they received high marks from consumers in the JD Powers rankings. No published reviews from the latest Good Housekeeping latest list.

Valspar: Middle of the road reviews from all three rankings.

Photo Source

Bottom of the heap: True Value received middle lower to downright bad scores over all three ranking systems while Walmart's ColorPlace came in last place with Consumer Reports and JD Powers but are not in Good Housekeeping's latest rankings.

Hey I'm only the messenger on this but I do love asking my clients and painter for their experiences with paint brands. Many of the other paints reviewed only appeared in one of the rankings so I didn't delve into them. Where do YOU stand on paint brands? What are your experiences?

Modern Colors and Inspiration for a Bayside Kitchen Remodel

2012-01-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

As promised, I'm starting the year off with a post about kitchen colors. Much of what I seemed to work on this past year involved helping clients select colors and materials for kitchen remodels. We're not just talking about repainting and adding a few new appliances. All of the kitchens I've worked on this last year were ripped down to the studs and redesigned to fit the homeowners tastes and provide better space utilization. Exciting stuff!

One of my favorite projects involved a bay side condo. The owner was fortunate enough to own two lovely condos in this condo community and was able to live in one with his family while working on remodeling the other unit.

This is what we started with!

Although I always prefer to work with colors in a completed kitchen, this is almost never the case. Many decisions are being made and most homeowners prefer to start thinking about colors as well. Luckily, the cabinets and counters were already installed and I was able to see the hardware and flooring that had been purchased for the rest of the remodel.

The lovely Caesarstone counter tops were a high contrast from the deep, rich cabinets. The floorplan is open to the living room so the entire great room has to be considered in this situation so colors flow.

My client had some wonderful inspiration pieces we initially worked with. The first one was a wine label on a favorite bottle of wine from Napa Valley. After much consideration, my client agreed that working around the purple/silver combination was not going to easily allow for the other colors he wanted to bring in.

Another inspiration piece he brought out was a colorful leather purse he had purchased for his wife in Italy. The lovely deep burnt orange was the direction I was hoping we would go in. He also had a business card from a taco bar in San Diego which had a similar deep orange/red he liked as well as a deep grey. A small sample of tile he had picked up recently contained more colors he liked. Although we considered the tile for the column on the left side of the kitchen, it was ruled out budget wise.

Colors used were Concord Ivory, Amherst Gray, Cornsilk and Fireball Orange.

Inspiration pieces:

Fast forward and I returned to see the result. My favorite part! Although my clients are still working on the rest of the condo and have not moved in yet, they are thrilled with the outcome. They love to cook and entertain so this modern kitchen compliments this perfectly!

A huge thanks to them for letting me help them realize their vision!

How Flowers Can Be the Perfect Addition of Color for Your Home

2011-12-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

The busy rush of the holiday season makes blogging a challenge to fit into the hectic days. As a treat, I'm happy to have London based florist, Patricia Hall, take over for me this month to discuss the importance of flowers in adding color to your home. I'll be back in January to show you one of the many kitchens I worked on in 2011. I'm excited to show you the inspiration that my client and I worked with on the path towards the color palette for his family's dream kitchen. Until then, happy holidays and enjoy this lovely post from Patricia!

No matter what the decorating style of a home is, adding the touch of flowers brings a new feeling of freshness, cheerfulness and peace.

Each variety of flower and way of arranging fresh cut blossoms has its own touch of flair and way of setting the atmosphere. They bring a splash of color and brighten the appearance of any room in a simple, natural and unpretentious way. Instead of worrying about redecorating or repainting a room, focus on bringing flowers into your home to add the desired pop of color.

Flower Personality - Use the Common Impressions of Color to Create Atmosphere

For centuries, flowers have been prized for their beauty and color. Whether from the formal Language of the Flower, which attributed certain emotions to each variety, or simply from hours spent in a grandmother's flower garden, flowers have come to have special meanings. Much of this has to do with the unconscious part of the mind that attributes feelings to colors and shapes. Sunflowers give people an impression of cheerfulness because of the big size and bright yellow petals. A bouquet of baby's breath and white roses is romantic and subtle. These associations with certain flowers makes choosing the flowers to display easier, by turning the focus on the desired feel for the room.

Keep these common impressions of flowers in mind when you order flowers for your home. What atmosphere do you want the room to have? Do you want to keep in style with the decor of the room or would you rather spice things up a bit? If you aren't sure, try lots of things.

The wonderful thing about the short lifespan of flowers is that it gives you lots of room for change and different arrangements. To add excitement or cheerfulness, order flowers that are red, orange, bright yellow or hot pink. For a more peaceful atmosphere, choose soft pink, pale yellow, purple and blue arrangements that have lots of white and green in them.

For a room that feels bland and boring and that needs a touch of cheery color, choose arrangements of bright, big flowers. Simple, symmetrical bouquets of daisies in bright pinks and oranges are stunning in the minimalist, modern room. If your decor isn't quite as simple, pick arrangements of flowers that are big combined with a few other varieties of complimenting blossoms.

Placing Flowers - How to Use Bright Color to the Best Advantage

Once you've chosen your flower arrangement, it is key that you put it in a place in your home where they can shine. Pick a central location to display the flowers. The middle of the dining room table or a coffee table is a great choice. To let the flowers bring their perfect splash of color, clear clutter away so the eyes are naturally drawn to the arrangement. Think about pulling a few buds from the arrangement, cutting the stems and putting them in a tiny vase in the bathroom or on a windowsill. Having flowers in more than one place around the room spreads the color and warmth.

If you don't want the flowers to be the centerpiece, pick a dull corner. Balance the color in the room by putting the flowers where there isn't much brightness. Keep in mind that they'll flourish more near a window and the light will shine through the petals, but don't be afraid to brighten a darker part of the room with colorful flowers.

Instead of stressing the need for a change in decor, enjoy the effortless beauty of flowers. Flowers bring bright spots of color to rooms that need change. The freshness and natural beauty adds life and interest. Taking note of the atmosphere desired and flowers' natural personality will simplify the process of choosing flowers and changing the feeling of a room. Knowing where to place the arrangement will make the flowers change the room completely. Whether you want to brighten your own home or send flowers to a friend to share some color, don't settle for the first choice, but think about what feelings you want the fresh picked decor to bring and how you can make them a beautiful focal point in your home.

About the Author

Patricia Hall of Serenata Flowers works part-time for a London based florist but loves to surround herself with flowers at any given point of time. Even in her free time she loves to involve herself with everything flora and fauna. 'To me there is nothing more beautiful and global as the language of flowers - it is the easiest to understand all around the world in the same way. That is one reason why I truly admire flowers for what they represent in some ways - unity of all mankind!

New Color for Unoccupied Commercial Buildings

2011-11-10T14:19:00.001-08:00

The economic downturn has obviously had far reaching effects in local communities. One of the noticeable signs of the recession is the number of unoccupied retail/commercial spaces I am seeing in towns all over the Bay Area.

Even upscale shopping areas are having trouble keeping and leasing out store fronts. In my home city of Oakland, there are shocking numbers of unoccupied businesses and buildings all the way from the Montclair District down to Alameda. A side effect is that long term vacancies tends to produce deferred maintenance and vandalism issues on buildings that bring the entire area down.

Rather than feel helpless when I encounter some of these buildings month after month or even year after year, I decided to see how they can be recolored to be a little less depressing.

This unusual building has been unoccupied for the pretty much the entire decade I have lived in Oakland. Right down the street from the prestigious College of Arts and Crafts, it has an interesting facade of navy and burgundy tile. This picture doesn't reflect that it's also currently tagged with graffiti.

I chose this building, first of all, because I've seen it nearly every week for 10 years! Also, it presents an interesting challenge with the navy blue and burgundy fixed elements of tile that need to be worked around.

My main feeling about this building was wanting to keep with a more neutral palette of grays and a few details to support the tile colors. I played around the the architectural details for bring in different types of contrast.

I also had fun doing one outside the box by adding a more unexpected color into the mix:

This next building is another unusual building. A building wanting to be Deco but again with tile that needs to be considered. Here is how it presently looks:

Another great challenge working around the turquoise tile and also the fact that Miami Deco type colors can look pretty strange in the Bay Area light! With that in mind, I did a more subdued palette a little more in context with the area:

Again, I wanted to fit in one a little more colorful:

A fun exercise in what can be done with run down, unoccupied buildings. I often wonder if more attention to these exteriors could play a role in getting spaces leased and occupied faster. In that case, a little paint can really go a long way as well as ease the eyesores for those of us who encounter these buildings.

Orinda Mid-Century Modern Jewel

2011-10-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

I know Mid-Century Modern is The Bombthese days, but I've been a fan long before it was the current flavor of the design world. Through the tunnel, as we locals say, lies the small town on the other side of the Oakland Hills known as Orinda. I usually think of cute 60's and 70's ranch houses and newer "executive" homes when I think of Orinda.

Driving way up to the top of the hill, to an area of Orinda I'd not been in, to discover this jewel of a client and her mid-century home was a true wonder. "Lucky me, Lucky me!", I said pulling into the round driveway

Back View

It reminded me of something you'd see high in the LA hills. Look at this view!

As if the views weren't enough, you can enjoy them from the pool:

This home was built in 1950 and has only had a small handful of owners. Many of the original features were intact including lighting and built in bookshelves.

My client had certainly done her homework. She had amassed a folder of furniture/home pictures of similar homes and was ready for change. The strong, teal blue had been there since she and her husband had purchased the home many years prior. While this bright blue may work for more of what I think of as a Palm Springs type of mid-century home, this was overwhelming all of the home's natural brick and wood.

Before

The homeowner didn't want to lose the teal completely. So while we batted around the idea of adding in a grey into the mix, she really liked Deep Creek from Benjamin Moore, she decided to back off from that. The yellow is Waterbury Creme HC-31.

After

The entryway was another fun project. We ditched the teal again and highlighted the door framework with Sangria and Quincy Tan from Benjamin Moore.

Before

After

After painting was complete, she purchased new furniture and arranged it around this spectacular Roman brick fireplace.

Before

After

Next on the list for this jewel is a guesthouse and an update for the early 90's kitchen. A huge thank you to these homeowners for letting me come along on the journey!

The Colorful Interior Design Inspriations of Artist Susan Seegert

2011-09-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

In a sea of beige/neutral interiors, it's exciting to see bright, Technicolor exceptions. You can always count on the artists of the world to color their own worlds unique and bold.

My mother-in-law, Susan, is one such lady. She's an artist and expert in many different mediums, a lover of all things San Francisco (her hometown) and grandma extraordinaire to my kids. Down to her red hair and fun loving personality, she is anything but boring!

Susan, her husband, Bob and my kids, hanging out at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)

My family had a chance to visit her recently at her townhome in Vancouver, Washington. We hadn't visited for a couple of years and I was eager to see if she had added more colors and details. Sure enough, there were even more bold touches and color. I think one of the reasons that we have clicked for the 25 years I've been in the family is our unique, "color outside the lines" approach to life.

The living room was a cheerful mix of oranges, reds, greens and yellows. All kept within relatively the same values with touches of white for visual relief are what make these colors sing for me. The artwork on the back wall were both painted by Susan:

Each day we came back, I noticed new, fun details I had not noticed before. The curio cabinet had been around for years, but she switched it up by painting it a bold, glossy red.

Susan has many fascinating collections which she switches out. A somewhat newer one is vintage, metal dollhouses displayed in her family room on glass shelving salvaged from a local Mervyn's after the company went out of business:

Wall of Mirrors-Using stairway walls are a great way to capture often ignored display space:

Desk area with vintage typewriter and Hummel collection:

Downstairs, her art room is brimming with creative supplies and energy. I was in awe of how organized she is:

I left Vancouver and Susan's townhome with so many different creative ideas for my own home. Maybe this will be the kick-start to get my home office in better shape? What a treat to see bold color embraced and used so well!

Guest Post: Amazing Outdoor Color and Ideas From Susi at DesignShuffle.com

2011-08-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those firm believers that summer is NOT over until I put on my Halloween costume in October.....OK, maybe just a little earlier. Those of us in California are lucky enough to enjoy our outdoor spaces well into late October. In fact, here in the San Francisco area, September and October is when we get our best weather! I am excited to introduce a guest blogger for this post. These photos really capture the kind of outdoor color I LOVE! A big welcome to Susi from DesignShuffle.com! OK Susi, take it away:

Hi all! I’m Susi and I write as a guest blogger for DesignShuffle.com, a fabulous social media site that promotes interior designers from around the world and their work. My writing focuses on things I'm passionate about: interior design, decorating ideas, home furnishings, gardening, travel and art. I get to look at gorgeous things all day and write about them—I'm a very lucky girl.

I was excited when I saw Marie's topic for me to write about. Let's Go Outside and Color sounds like so much fun! We're not talking sidewalk paint or chalk, but colorful outdoor living spaces. Inspired by the riot of colors in a perennial garden or even kitchen garden, these colorful outdoor living spaces are bursting with color and interesting. I hope you are inspired to go outside and add color to your outdoor living areas. Thanks to Marie for letting me guest blog at Color Marie!

House of Turquoise (via)

Outdoor fabrics have come a long way in the past few years. Great patterns and bold colors in upholstery and pillows add color to outdoor living spaces.

Coolest Gadgets (via)

Not only is this outdoor furniture colorful, it glows! So even at night you can have a colorful outdoor living space or personal outdoor movie theater. Very cool.

Plain Air (via)

Fantastic, colorful outdoor furniture from Plain Air that looks more like mid century modern living room furniture than patio furniture. I'm thinking this might inspire some decorating ideas for living rooms inside. I do love the colorful planters too.

Pinterest (via)

Bright, bold colors cover the walls of this porch. Love the blue, green and rose pinks. They feel so tropical.

Pinterest (via)

What a glorious riot of color! This outdoor bed and yellow mosquito netting would liven up any garden or outdoor living space.

Pinterest (via)

Even an urban roof top living space benefits from bursts of color in aquas and greens. Rich green plantings create a living wall and help soften the city view.

Design Sponge (via)

A single bold color, like this apple green, can make a strong design statement outdoors. Break up the bold color with accessories and plants to add more punch.

Maison Marigold (via)

A colorful outdoor living space can be created with textiles, an colorful outdoor rug and even colorful lanterns. It does not have to cost a lot to make an outdoor space colorful and interesting. Think about taking some of your favorite living room design ideas outside.

This post comes courtesy of Design Shuffle, where you can find top tier interior designs from around the world – from New York interior designers, Los Angeles interior designers, and more, check out the latest at Design Shuffle.

Color "Assignment" from Huntington Beach

2011-07-30T23:25:00.000-07:00

My toes getting friendly with the beach

Our trip to Huntington Beach is over and I have colorful results to report back from my “assignment”. My biggest failure is not getting in a surf lesson which feels like blasphemy when you are visiting “Surf City”. Also a word of advice; Make sure when you rent a vacation home that it's not next door to one of these guys!

Yes, it's an oil well. There are many in HB but this was the only one in this particular area of homes. Yes, they smell like oil, and sometimes people show up to loudly work on them at 7am.

We tried to visit a few cities in SoCal that we've never been too. That's getting to be a challenge. Having been to San Diego and LA so often and appreciating the generous use of color, I guess I was expecting the same throughout all of SoCal.

Biggest joy at HB was riding bikes along the Strand during the day and to dinner in the evening.

The immense beaches such as Bolsa Chica were sparsely populated. The water was warmish and the waves were the best ever for boogie boarding. Lovely! Also there are fire pits to use at night which is a rarity in California.

I really appreciated the creative touches of color I saw in unexpected places.

Half wall by parking lot at Bolsa Chica Beach

The disappointment was the lack of architectural color near the beach. Taupes, beiges and pale terra cottas abound with only occasional glimpses of anything else. Granted, the homes near the beach are newer, larger homes.

You are not likely to see wild, colorful palattes on homes of this size but some contrasts would be nice. This IS possible using only neutrals. Yikes, what they must cost!

The homes like we were staying in further away from the beach were older and smaller. Occasionally, you'd see a little pop of color, but not often.

Although neutral, I enjoyed riding by this home everyday because it had some style and flair! (Sorry for the picture quality as these were "drive by" shots from my bike)

We spent a day in Newport Beach. I was amazed at the tiny ferries carrying cars over to Balboa Island!

Waterfront ferris wheel. Too bad I'm too afraid to ride them!

Newport Beach was a pleasant surprise with some nice drive-bys of great architectural color more in line for what I was expecting to see.

My poor family endured another long ride around the area so I could go back and take a pic of this intriguing blue home with a pale lavender door and rocking chair. It fits in perfectly here!

Lovely.......

While this would look strange or tacky in the wrong setting, it's small size and location near the ocean made it appealing to me. In this situation, it looked hip and fun. I think there was a small business located inside:

Interesting garage door:

This colorful clothing store was exactly the sort of retail I was hoping the run across. I'll take this over a chain store any day! The owner is studying to be a stylist.

Bohemia

San Juan Capistrano was also a colorful adventure on another day. Thumbs up from the whole family for great vibe, loads of flowers and a great Round Table Pizza (we seem to seek out Round Table Pizza Parlors in our travels.) The mission had some walls with incredible, rich patina.

Gorgeous fountain and Koi fish.

Nature always provides us with the best palettes!

And finally, there was some of this:

As you can tell from the pained look on my son's face, one was all I was going to get that day. I guess his root beer just wasn't as exciting. .....and let's face it, watching your parents have a beer is taking away from possible other fun kid stuff.

Since we had the dubious luck of heading out of LA on the much televised "Carmegeddon" (the weekend much of Highway 405 was to be shut down) we headed out early, and to the relief of light traffic through LA on Highway 5, to hit one more stop for our kids. Galco Soda Pop Stop was a colorful surprise set in a once old grocery store in LA. Here is a sample of some beautiful colors from our stash:

Now that we've got the beach covered. We're soon heading up into the Sierra's to log in some time in the mountains and lakes. Vacations are always a great opportunity to notice and enjoy colors, palettes and regional outside your area and comfort zone. I know it gives me a playful push in appreciation and application of color.

Southern Califonia Vacation Assignment

2011-07-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Kern Erikson

I'm heading off for a few days of R&R in Southern California, specifically Huntington Beach, aka Surf City. I always appreciate the different palettes seen down south in comparison to Northern California. I'll have my camera at the ready to capture local architecture and color inspirations. I've also given myself the following assignments:

..........visiting the International Surf Museum:

..........doing a little surfing (well, perhaps not looking like this!)

.........riding bikes on The Strand........

......watching some of this.......

........drinking a few of these........

........shopping for some color to wear..........

........eating this.........

.......looking at this.........

Forget Me Not Photography

...........but mainly doing this.........

C.Curtiz Photography

I look forward to "working" and reporting on this colorful assignment here soon!!

The Colors of Dad

2011-06-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

Do you ever find that you associate certain colors or palettes with a special person in your life? I identify strongly with certain color combinations in association with my parents. With my late mother, it was always hot pink and gold. She was quite fond of this flashy, yet feminine combination and I'll forever think of those as "her colors".

Sadly, my father passed away last week after many years of poor health. In honor of Father's Day, I put together a palette that reminded me of him. It's always interesting to think of what makes us associate colors with a certain person. Is it their clothing choices, personality or hobbies that make us see certain colors in relation to them?

My dad was part of the small generation sandwiched between the World War II generation (nicknamed the Greatest Generation) and the Baby Boomers. I like to call it the Mad Men generation after the hit show that takes place in the early 1960's.

They were too young to fight in WWII but too old for Vietnam. True to form in alliance with the TV show, my dad remembers that his years working for the Federal Reserve Bank in the early 60's were filled with 3 hour, 5 martini lunches!

My dad had that Mad Men look and I think I associate his colors with some of the business shirts he wore during his working years. He never gave up the formal attire, music and sensibilities of that generation for the more casual styles and tastes later adopted by the Boomer Generation.

Dad in the late 1960's:

Dad's Colors:

So here's to all dad's out there and my dad in particular. Their colors will always live on.

Decorative Storage Ideas Using Vintage Lockers

2011-05-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Whitney Ott Photography

No secret I'm storage obsessed and a fan of vintage mid-century. Those of us with older homes know that closet space is at a premium. I'm always looking for unique ways to add storage to my home (and perhaps allow for more clothing!). An idea for tackling both of these issues and obsessions is vintage lockers! A couple of years ago, I decided to look for a set to add to our bedroom. It took a couple of months, but as usual, Craigslist did not let me down.

The lockers I found were vintage bowling lockers from possibly the coolest, hippest eco salvage place I'd ever been to! Sadly, this salvage store in Napa is now gone but the bowling lockers live on. Now my clothes have a fun place to call home and I have a whimsical addition to my room that I never get tired of looking at!

Original goldish paint with green on the sides:

Cute little Brunswisk guys greet me each morning!

Some other great uses for lockers:

More Bedroom Ideas:

Living Etc. Magazine

Crafts Room or Office:

Sandy Stone

The Guardian Weekend UK

Fringe; Sacramento

Kids Room:

Syd and Harper

Even the kitchen!

Fresh Home

Vintage lockers have become quite popular over the last few years and can be pricey! A bit of looking around, patience and researching is needed. Sources include Etsy.com, Ebay, local salvage companies and, of course, good 'ol Craigslist.

Wishful Re-coloring of a Legendary High School

2011-04-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Oakland is home to so many historical architectural gems. When I first moved here, I had to really watch my driving because of the distracting amount of stunning architecture in every direction. I also love that Oakland doesn't shy away from color!

Fairyland:

photo: QT Luong

One of many colorful murals:

Photo: Marie Brady

One the flip side, it's no secret that Oakland has had it's share of rough times. Much of the industry such as shipbuilding, auto production and other various factories that provided jobs left just as legions of people arrived in search of once plentiful jobs after World War II. Like many urban cities, Oakland has been struggling to reinvent and revitalize itself as the decades have challenged it's past identity.

Downtown Oakland 1946 via archives:

I get a case of the sads when I see so much of the rich architectural heritage of the city shuttered, neglected or poorly redone. One can almost hear the buildings protesting, “ Hey, I was once lovely and something to behold.”

Tile lined WC Morse building across from Tech High:

Photo: Marie Brady

I'll save some of these stunning landmarks for another post as I dive into a sub category of Oakland Architecture, the public schools. Some refurbished landmarks like the Paramount and Fox Theaters having us residents jumping for joy and hopeful at this direction of urban renewal.

One of Oakland's schools that has always fascinated me is the nearly century old Oakland Technical High School. It's alumni include Clint Eastwood, The Pointer Sisters, Frank Oz and baseball great Ricky Henderson among many others. This neoclassical sprawling building is set along the busy street of Broadway which leads into downtown Oakland many blocks away.

Vintage Postcard:

Just up a few blocks up the hill is the stylish, hip Rockridge district

.......while heading into downtown Oakland is the Paramount Theater and many new, exciting restaurants. This part of Broadway, however, is doted by shuttered buildings many of which I've never seen open in a decade alone with many closed car dealerships.

I've never seen this restaurant across from the school in business in the last 10 years:

Photo: Marie Brady

While Oakland Tech has had a reputation in recent decades as a tough inner city school, it's newer engineering and technology program has become the darling of the school system and is attracting many students away from local private high schools by the droves. Admission to this program is hard won but colleges eagerly snap up their graduates.

Photo: Marie Brady

I noticed Tech was painted a few years ago and I am less than excited about the outcome. While the historic pictures show that it has always been pale in color........

Oakland Tech in it's opening year of 1914 via archives:

Oakland Tech in 1940 via archives:

........the institutional looking white with the baby blue details leaves a lot to be desired. To me it looks depressing and cheap. Bad white and playing up details could have really made this building sing again!

The massive, financially strapped school district has a set group of about 6 color palettes which they must feel make maintenance more cost effective and streamlined. (more about this in a future post on dealing with school districts and institutional color). I really believe that when you give an already challenged group of students a handsome, well maintained building to learn in, they will rise to the occasion and feel proud of their school.

Neoclassical architecture is often painted white or in stone types of colors with occasional colorful flourishes. This school has some inlayed blue Greek fretwork near the roof line as well as green leaf tile accents and medallions above the columns. I have to wonder at what's possible for this school so I played around with options for color.

I took a little creative license moving away from the white but I still believe the correct white would also do wonders...... I also have a selfish reason for dreaming of seeing what has been declared a local landmark freshened up. My older son may well be attending their fabulous engineering program in 2 years.

Which is YOUR favorite?

Color Changing Paints and Materials

2011-04-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

Choosing colors for architecture, finishes and materials involves so many variables. Obviously, that is why we colorists are here to help.

Dornob.com

Now add to the mix the option of color changing paints and materials. Feeling too indecisive to pick just one color? Well, there are more and more products coming on the market that let you avoid just one choice. Granted many of these, to me, can easily cross the line into gimmicky. But with a little creativity and careful use, I can see the beauty and interest in some applications.

This company, Moving Color, has a wide range of color changing tiles. They respond to heat or touch and react a variety of ways from simply changing color to having painted landscapes change seasons.

Color changing paints, such as a line from the company, Eclipse, make paint that changes from one color to another.

Italian designer Roberto Cavalli used color changing paint on his yacht.

No small price tag at around $500 per gallon. Yes this is the same designer who has a color changing house in Italy as well!

Italo Rota and partners

Other applications under consideration are for the use of road paints that change colors to alert drivers of changes in road conditions such as the presence of ice.

As for me, I'm waiting for the car that changes colors with the push of a button. Yes, a way has been developed in which a car can change colors in seconds with the flip of a switch using changes in electrical charges to produce a full spectrum of color choices. Imagine how much fun this will create for the DMV keeping track of all these color changing vehicles!

Gizmodo

The Ignored Master Bathroom

2011-03-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

What is it about master bathrooms that make them the hidden sad spots in a home? This room is one of the first rooms we enter first thing in the morning and one of the last we see at night. We spend a significant amount of time here and it presents a prime chance to capture the mood we wish to start and end the day with. I don't often get the chance to focus on a clients master bathroom. Even when choosing colors for their bedroom, the master bath too often sits neglected.

I am, embarrassingly, guilty of this. My husband and I were thrilled to get a master bath when we purchased this home. Many older homes we looked at did not. Master bathrooms aren't terribly common in this area for a 1949 era home. Having re-painted most of our home when we moved in 10 years ago, this little bathroom retained the original, cold white color.....everywhere! I called it my hospital bathroom.

Before pics snaps just as my painters were setting up. Don't forget to document your own home remodels/repainting!

After an inspiring consultation on a client's two bathrooms in San Francisco, I was starting to feel like the tale of the cobbler who had no shoes! Although I would like nothing more than to rip out the white porcelain tile, it wasn't a budget possibility. I enlisted my fabulous painter, Carlos, to help me fix this sad situation. I really was leaning towards a spa like blue-green sea glass color, however, this bathroom always feels cold to me. One of the great gifts of color is the ability to change and correct temperature perceptions. Since I adore deep yellows and golds, I set to work with my color samples and chose

Benjamin Moore's DaVinci's Canvas for the walls/cabinets and White Dove for the trim.

Repainting a bathroom, or any room for that matter, also presents the perfect time to reorganize and add details. The mess of bathroom products was sorted out. A trip to Anthropologie was in order to replace the original white knobs for cabinets and drawers.

Hello mercury glass knobs, buh bye sad white knobs........

A fun jolt of color for the drawers.......

The lone framed piece of mass produced art was changed out for something a little fresh and colorful:

My love of butterflies was indulged with a small plate at West Elm:

Old, peeling, worn window casings repainted:

New mirror added to wall space behind door made available when unattractive shelving was removed:

For tiny spaces, such as this bathroom, god is really in the details. Switchplates, towels and bathmats can all contribute to the mood of a bathroom.

If your master bathroom, or any room in your house has been neglected, please contact me for expert color guidance so you can wake up to happiness: Marie@ColorMarie.com

Antique store and estate sale finds

2011-02-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

I don't often have the time to go antique shopping on a weekday or estate sale browsing on the weekends, but it's always one of my favorite things to do. This gives me an extra appreciation for smart phones as I can simply take a picture if I see something I like and want to think about purchasing. In the past, I never seemed to remember to bring a camera. I especially love being able to send a pic immediately to a friend if I need feedback or I find something I think they may like. Yes, I realize some of these pics are poor quality, but I wanted to show you what I have spotted lately.

This stop was Alameda Antiques:

This amazing pair of lamps had an block ice glass like quality with an interesting texture. Great for a modern living room. I believe they were $225 for the pair.

Close up of fine cross texture:

So sad this pic was especially poor. I call these Mad Men glasses. Very fun. If I wasn't already inundated with glasses, I would have scooped these up at $22 for set of 6!

I wasn't sure what I'd do with this old desk, but it caught my eye. Very sweet for a kids room.
A bargain at $50 and the base was heavy wrought iron:

Over the weekend I went to the Hudson Warehouse sale in downtown Oakland. I'd gone to a few of their estate sales and always found a few items. This turned out to be a small cramped warehouse. This made me cranky. There was a wait to be allowed inside due to lack of room. As I arrived late after getting lost, I could only stand in line helpless as antique dealers and stylish folks came out with items I coveted. I soon turned to my little IPhone companion so I didn't have to face more torture of seeing all this cool stuff come out of the warehouse in other people's arms! When I finally got in, disappointment.

Much more people to navigate and much less fun stuff for me. I was originally drawn to the sale as they were clearing out the estate of an unnamed long time interior designer from San Francisco and I recognized his items from the preview pics online. Of worthy note:

Leopard print black with gold gilding settee for $200. Gorgeous. I just about killed myself trying to do mental hoops about finding a place for this in my home. Alas, it stayed.

Older Lucite chairs, scratched and overpriced. Thought of the stool for a side table. Again overpriced and I already have a set of Lucite chairs in my home office. Overkill.

Leaving in disappointment, I came across an estate sale by another liquidation company at a home near mine. Scored two gold loopy line mid-century bowls for $5 each. One for me and one for a friend.

However, my biggest recent thrill find has to be this sweet little yellow china cabinet. I'm taking an uneducated guess it's from the early 1960's. Found this deep in the basement of Alameda Antiques and couldn't stop thinking about the color and bamboo detail. Two of my favorite things.

So it ended up coming home, got cleaned up, left original paint intact and but put some initial accessories inside. Never mind I had to move all of the furniture around in my living room to accommodate this baby. It was worth it!

Close up of bamboo details:

By the way, for any of you Northern Californians. The Mac Daddy of all garage sales is happening next weekend. The Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale. While I once again showed up too late last year to score much, I did find a sweater that won me first place in an Ugly Sweater party!

http://www.whiteelephantsale.org/

For the Love of Chrome Chairs and Craigslist

2011-02-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

Vintage Memorex ad with classic Le Corbusier chair

Style cycles are funny animals. What we once loved in fashion and design suddenly goes from looking wrong to completely outdated to hot once again in relatively short order. Some styles manage to transcend time and remain classics. Take chrome chairs. The classic Le Corbusier chair always looks great. The 1970's Milo Baughman style chairs to me, not so much......until recently.

Apartment Therapy

In my daily reading of blogs, I've been wooed by the pictures of chrome chairs used in design. Must fit one of these in somewhere in my own home!

Design Pad

All The Best Blog

For the Chrome Shy, just a touch of Chrome:

Let's Buy It, UK

After many years, I finally got the time and courage up to rearrange my living room. Out went the slipcovered white slipper chairs that were never really that comfortable. My beloved faux mohair sectional got split up into two components.

I fell in love with a yellow bamboo detailed china cabinet from the early 1960's found in an antique store (more on that in another post). But one thing was missing. One of these 70's chrome chairs. On Craigslist I searched and searched, and finally found one such chair.

Though I love the light blue velvet, it doesn't quite mesh in this room. Hopefully the future will see it in Navy, slightly deep teal velvet. For now it's happy in it's place and has many admirers in my friends who have been by to visit.

An Exception to the "All Greens Go Together" Rule

2011-01-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

Just a little giggle and some food for thought to start off the week. I've never been much of a rule follower, more like a rule questioner. When it comes to rules for color, I tend to use some of them more as guidelines.

Like most rules, there are exceptions and gray areas. One of my favorite looks is the layering of different greens.......yellow based greens with bluer based greens can be so lovely together.

Tobi Fairley Interior Design

One of the general sayings is to look to nature for inspiration. The rule: All greens go together. All greens in nature work together in harmony so they do in design as well.

Love the color play of moss, leaves and greenery:

This is lovely:

1912 Bungalow Blog

Yes!!

Rosalie Fienes Design

A Modern Twist

Lyrics Dramatics

As always, I love finding an exception to a rule, even one I use and believe in. It keeps me on my toes. Coming back from a recent long bike ride, I think I found an exception to the green rule.

This building was practically screaming at me when I drove by so I had to document it as my idea of a rule breaker. Maybe it's just me, but perhaps the lower green just doesn't exist in nature?

Have a fantastic week!

The Colorful Music Inspired Art of Tim Bavington

2011-01-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

Image: Mark Monroe Gallery

A little eye candy for your enjoyment. For anyone like me who is a color junkie and rock music lover, Las Vegas artist, Tim Bavington has managed to meld both into astonishing works of art. Bavington uses auto paint spray guns to visually create songs from bands such as the Rolling Stones, Guns and Roses, The Clash and Jimi Hendrix. Matching the 12 tones on a musical scale with the 12 main divisions on the color wheel, he translates the songs into abstract neon colored displays which practically vibrate with the music they are transposing.

Long May You Run-Neil Young

The process is more emotional and suggested rather than rigorous interpretations. While the color patterns appear sharp at a distance, the bands of color blur dramatically as one takes a closer look at each painting. The boundaries of color blurring and layering like the notes in a song.

The End-The Doors

Judy is a Punk-The Ramones

Bavington at one time was involved with drawing for The Simpson's on everything except the animation (comic books, etc.) But he was drawn towards mid-century abstract art as well as music spanning the ranges from jazz to alternative rock. He likens the starting point in each piece to that of a guitar soloist fleshing out a simple song and adding layers to it.

Blue Monday-New Order

He currently has an exhibition at the Mark Moore Gallery in Culver City, California. Many of his pieces are part of collections at many museums including the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Love on the Rocks-Neil Diamond

Bold as Love-Jimi Hendrix

Up in Suze's Room-Paul Weller

Physical S.E.X. by Darkness (collection at MOMA)

An Architectural Color Quandry in Carmel-by-the-Sea

2011-01-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

Handout Photo

I'm sure I'm not the only one who uses the week between Christmas and New Years to totally check out, am I? I simply stop reading e-mail, doing blog posts, exercising, etc. The one thing I've always done since childhood is to visit Carmel by the Sea sometime during the holidays. The last few years it's been after Christmas. We'll rent a house near the ocean and play around on the beach as well as sight see for a few days. (See my post last year on Storybook architecture and Carmel here).

My husband is very patient about going to Carmel each year even though there are no “guy stuff or stores” there. He patiently drives me up and down each street to ogle the homes and see which remodels got finished from last year, what colors we like and don't like, guessing about the price tags of such homes. Even my two sons have gotten into offering an on the spot critique!

Although the rest of me is on vacation, my eye for looking at colors seems entirely unable to rest. Picking up the local paper, The Pinecone, I noticed an interesting story involving architectural color. It was about a color quandary the city planning commission was having with famed Tiffany's Jewelry. Tiffany's is a newer business to Carmel and is anchored at the street end of their outdoor mall called Carmel Plaza.

Riez

Called into question was the desire by Tiffany's to put up awnings on some of their windows in their trademark and iconic blue.

This clashed with the strict color code for Carmel. The code states: Color must be....

"Muted paint colors which blend with the natural surroundings. Bright and primary colors should be avoided. Contrasting colors should be saturated and earthen."

Very specific design/color codes are not unusual for historically unique tourist areas such as Carmel. They also have detailed guidelines for windows, landscape, doors, roofing materials and so on.

Tiffany trademark blue was custom created by Pantone and given the number 1837, which is the year Tiffany was founded.

Not all storefronts possess the decorative awnings as seen here.

Manhattan

Vancouver

Madrid, Spain

Beverley Hills

Notice the beige awnings instead of blue here?

Union Square San Fransisco

Newer designed stores like this one in Seattle, below, are departing from their well known storefront design and doing away with the blue altogether on the exterior. This is said to be in an effort to feel more accessible and less intimidating to shoppers.

Here is a picture of the storefront in Carmel. Sorry for the poor quality. As you can see, they have a decidedly low key profile with just a smallish sign out front. .... All of which are dictated by Carmel design codes. Outside the Plaza, there are very few chain stores with one of the exceptions being Coach. Obviously not all of the windows would have awnings as some of the windows are too tall for them.

Here is some of the feedback from the commission on the matter:

Plaza operations manger Jim Griffith said his company was OK with the departure from the center’s design rules.

“We support the color, even though it’s a bit of an exception,”he said. “It is their marquis color, so it’s hard to consider any other options.”

But Carmel planning and building services manager Sean Conroy disagreed, reminding commissioners that the town often contends with businesses that have signature looks they want to include on their storefronts. “The city has tried to avoid these kinds of notice-attracting features,” he said.

Commissioner Steve Hillyard agreed the teal would be too eye-catching, and commissioner Steve Dallas, who said he appreciated the store’s presence in town, suggested OKing just a couple of the awnings.

Chair Janet Reimers liked the color. “I think the color is fine,” she said. “I like looking at it, especially on little boxes. I don’t see them very often.”

The commission ultimately voted 4-1 in favor of the blue awnings, with Hillyard dissenting.

By the way, did you have any idea there were so many types of awnings?!

I think a great alternative solution would have been a silver or grayish awning with Tiffany's blue just in a stripe around the base. Not quite as noticeable but still in line with Tiffany's corporate branding. Thinking along the lines of the "Bullnose" stripe style above but in Silver/Blue.

If your city council has a color dilemma, if you own a company that requires some color branding or architectural color solutions, I'd like to help! Please contact me: Marie@ColorMarie.com

Gratitude and Welcome 2011!

2011-01-01T17:56:00.000-08:00

The New Year rites of reflection, celebration and resolutions are obvious parts of stepping out of one year and into the next. I also add to that a healthy dose of gratitude. I've had fun watching my small blog grow as well as meeting other bloggers and color enthusiasts.

I learn so much from reading other design blogs and coming up with inspiration for my own posts. I may not blog as often as other bloggers are able to, but I enjoy that you check in and I appreciate your kind words and feedback.

My colleague, designer extraordinaire Kelly Berg, was given the Stylish Blogger Award from The Decorologist.

She went on to name three of her favorite blogs and I was honored and flattered that mine was mentioned in these three! Kelly's blog is always fresh, visual and thought provoking. Hope you will check out Kelly's Arte Styling Blog and see for yourself.

I hope 2011 is a year of amazing creative growth for all of you! I look forward to bringing you more posts on color and it's use in design and architecture. I'm also hoping to revamp the design of my blog and thinking of changing over to Wordpress (any thoughts or insights on that?)

Our family in Maui celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary in November

Happy 2011!!!!!!
Walk into the New Year and be open to the wonderful opportunities that are waiting!

Color and Design in Corporate Party Planning

2010-12-22T20:56:00.000-08:00

Party planning on a big or small level invites a level of creativity that leaves behind the restraints of everyday design and color rules. Nowhere are you more free to pull out all the stops in visuals than with planning a party. The idea of large scale party planning seems intimidating and exciting to me. The more successful and carefree the event seems, you can bet the more planning and organizing it took to pull off.

I remember back in the tech boom hey day of the 1990's while I was living in Silicon Valley, the promise of a lavish company holiday party was assured. Didn't matter whether you worked in high tech or not, big company parties were a perk you could count on. In those days, I was working in the medical field for a small hospital. They never failed to provide a venue for dressing up and partying during the holidays. Music, dinner, dancing, music, drinks and maybe even a photo with your date. Fast forward through the last decade. Holiday parties seem to be a rare bird these days. Talking with my friends, it seems most companies or departments may throw an afternoon party at the office or a boss's home.

The Office

Maybe a lunch out with the co-workers. Today's economy has taken the punch out of the creative dreaming of wannabe party planners like me who envision creating an event where you can check out of the harsh realities of the working world for a few hours.

Luck has it that my husband works for a large company that is still able to throw a holiday bash for it's hardworking employees. This San Francisco company obviously employs or hires an agency to organize their parties. They happen to mirror my idea of what fun you can have with themes, color, design and whimsy. My husband has had no luck with detective work in finding these creative geniuses. Each year, I'm on pins and needles as to whether the tradition will continue and to see what they have dreamed up! It is definitely a guilty pleasure to enjoy such a party during terrible economic times but for one night a year, we all check out and just enjoy.......

Photo: Reklam Yonetmeni

This year's theme was loosely based on Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatters Tea Party. I'm sadly aware that my point and click camera was no match for what I was trying to photograph. I realize the pictures are grainy so I hope you can bear with them and visualize the spaces.

After passing an Elton John impersonator at the door, we entered the enormous convention center through a long, dark hallway lined with servers bearing trays of all varieties of wine.

We emptied out into a black room where artists were busy at work painting body models. Many artists were set up and waiting to paint guests faces/arms with any number of artistic additions.

Me with my artist and work art:

Onto the larger room, we entered into an all white room with mirrors on each wall, banquets, tables and an array of different food options set up at various tents. White rose petals and candles were along all of the tables.

Giant capize shell lights-sorry for the blurriness but you get the general idea!

Some amazing floral/fruit arrangements:

Good food:

About an hour into the event, a bartender let me in on the fact that there was a larger, hidden room to be unveiled. Soon enough, a large curtain at the back of the white room opened and revealed an even bigger “red room”.

A band played at one end, while a stage was set up at the other end for headline act, Cyndy Lauper! This was the desert/dance room.

Tables of candies, chocolates and cupcakes were everywhere. On a split upper level were long tables dressed for an tea party.

Now the rose petals and candles were everywhere again, but red.

Large gold and silver chairs were at the ends of each table. Photographers were there with green screens ready to take your picture with a faux backdrop of San Francisco. I was taken by the flower arrangements and paper lanterns as well as the large red trees that adorned the space.

Even Cyndi Lauper came out, surveyed the room from stage and remarked on how cool it all looked!

I so appreciated all of the thought, hard work and creativity that went into this event. It was really hard to leave and head back into reality and the rainy night.

Happy Holidays!!

Photo: Cal KT

Have Yourself an Untraditional Little Christmas

2010-12-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

Happy weekend! Is your tree up? I thought I'd share a few fun images with you to inspire you over the weekend. During the holidays, I always appreciate some out of the box, push the envelope thinking when it comes to trees and holiday decorating. Why not get out of the red/green rut and do something a little more original?

While I'm not a huge fan of pink, this is gorgeous!

Blueprint magazine

Simple and modern:

Apartment Therapy

Or you could go the other way and turn Christmas completely on it's head:

John Lewis, UK

Goth Christmas anyone?? A black tree:

ChristmasTreeForMe.com

Even the traditional green or red can be reworked:

LivingEtc. Magazine

I'm always on the lookout for exceptionally unusual public trees.....and I found them:

I saw this one the other evening in Emeryville while out at dinner, it's shopping baskets!

Oakland Tribune

My husband is an old school gamer, so this one's for him....Pacman tree in Madrid:

My favorite, a Murano glass tree in Italy:

.........And then there are trees I love for just beauty or nostalgia:

No holiday is complete for us without a trip to see the giant tree in Neiman Marcus, Union Square.

.....or any tree lit in the snow.........sigh...........

......Or trees in tropical locations,

Have a great weekend and don't be afraid to challenge your holiday design ideas.

For bold, soft, traditional, or out of the box architectural color, please contact me: Marie@ColorMarie.com

Repaint vs. Remodel

2010-11-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

One of the last places people have money to spend during economically turbulent times is on a kitchen remodel. The price of new mid-range kitchen cabinets alone can run $10,000 to $20,000, ouch! When my husband and I wanted to refresh our time warp kitchen of many different decades, we learned how to tile and put in new Marmoleum flooring ourselves. The obvious fix for the cabinets was a fresh new coat of paint, but that project will discussed more in a future post.

A client recently recommended me to friends of hers that wanted to refresh their kitchen and entertain in it more. They also decided to go the route of new paint rather than breaking the bank for a kitchen remodel.

As with most couples, there was a little color fear with one half. The other half wanted to downplay or paint the large odd beam running through one area of the kitchen. We discussed the difficulty in painting or "killing" the large knots in the wood that would probably keep showing through the paler paint they wanted. Also, the rustic nature of the wood would probably not end up looking great when painted. The mass whiteness of the kitchen was not helping and, in fact, was making this dark beam more of a noticeable detail due to the contrast. In the before, you can see the dominating wood beam that was the subject of much discussion.

In the end we agreed that adding a bit of color and warmth would help balance out the kitchen and detract from this large beam holding court over the kitchen.

I agreed that their plan to move a wall of books and file cabinets into another room was a wonderful idea and would give them more room to entertain and enjoy their kitchen. I introduced the idea of reclaiming a window bench from storage, and painting a touch of green around the window bench wall to beckon in the lovely backyard.

The owners wanted to warm up the kitchen since it didn't get a great deal of natural light except from a small southern window in the kitchen, morning light from the patio window to the east and indirect evening light from the neighboring room. White is often chosen in the notion that it will lighten up a darker room, but it usually ends up making it appear colder and throws shadows. We decided on Potters Clay from Benjamin Moore for the backsplash, Sandy Brown from Benjamin Moore for the cabinets, and Dried Thyme from Sherwin Williams for the window bench area.

When I returned a few weeks later to see the kitchen after painting, I honestly have to say that even I was shocked to see how different the kitchen looked! It was transformed into a warm, inviting space. The power of paint wins again.

Their painter did a terrific, detailed job. He even sanded and refinished the beam and now it echoes the wood trim in parts of the kitchen without dominating the room. A win-win situation for the couple.

The bookshelves and file cabinets were banished to another room in the home to become the home office. The visual weight was lifted from the room while more space for entertaining was added.

Although one part of the couple expressed worry over the green bench, it ended up being something they both loved. They are looking to have a custom cushion made for the window seat so they can truly enjoy the tranquil view to their backyard.