Color of the Year

This week I went to a color forecasting lecture by Leatrice Eiseman. Who's Leatrice Eiseman? She may very well be the reason you liked the color yellow last year or why you are suddenly thinking about adding more turquoise into your home or wardrobe this year. Eiseman is described as an international color guru, she is the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. Eiseman helped Pantone name turquoise as the color of the year for 2010. Turquoise!! It doesn't mean you need to run to the paint store and cover your walls in turquoise. The color choice has more to do with a feeling that turquoise evokes and helps set the tone for the new year. According to Pantone turquoise has universally positive connotations -- it's inviting, soothing and yet slightly invigorating. Because it evokes tropical lagoons, turquoise represents an escape from the troubles of everyday reality. Who doesn't need that?


BTW, the color of the year for 2009? Mimosa, picked at a time of economic uncertainty and political change "no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow" said Eiseman. This week’s color lecture was very inspiring, more on that coming next week!

Touch of Street Style

When designing a new room I like to add something unexpected, an item that provides a little shock value and counterpoint without overwhelming the room’s theme. This graffiti covered pendant fits that bill – a conversation piece that brings modernity to a breakfast nook or office. Done right, and in the right place, “tasteful” graffiti can add a touch of street style to your home.

Getting Organized

Blame it on the New Year, but I’ve been on an organizing kick lately. Design magazines have piled up over the past few months (actually, closer to a year) so I finally took the time to comb through them and tear out pictures and articles that truly inspire me. I sorted them in inexpensive plastic bins, a quick fix that will make looking for inspiration that much easier.

I’ve also organized the kitchen gadget drawer, desk drawers in our office, at least some of the toys in the playroom and the digital pictures on my camera. It feels so good to clear away the clutter, and it never takes as long to do as I think will.

New Year Inspirations

I love January. Though a bit of a cliché, the start of a new year offers a fresh start just when it feels like we need it the most. The air is cool and crisp air (thankfully not too cold in Seattle right now), and nothing beats the clean feeling in the house after Christmas decorations are put away for another year. One of the things I enjoy most about the new start is the fresh look ahead offered by design magazines and catalogs. Elle Décor is my favorite this month with this is a room that I could hang out all month in and read.




Although Martha Stewart Living isn’t an interior design cover, this month I love the crisp cool colors. I also made her soup and popovers…very tasty.



Lots of yellow pops up on covers this month, including catalogs like CB2 and West Elm. They may not be high-brow design, but how can you not beat the promise of "Clean + Simple" and a "Bright New Decade?"

Happy New Year!