Interview with Colour Expert; Kate Smith

Have you ever had the experience of seeing a company name and thinking, “I wish that was the name of mine!”. That is exactly what I thought the first time I came across Kate’s website called Sensational Color which is one of the best sites on colour in the industry! Kate was also my mentor at The Color Marketing Group Conference I attended in April and I’m thrilled to feature her in my blog:



[MK] What is your favourite colour?
[KS ] “I love the colours of water especially the blue-greens. From the darkest, most mysterious teal to vivid turquoise to soothing, subtle aqua. Maybe being born on the cusp of Aquarius (the water-bearer) and Pisces (the fish) predisposed me to being a lover of the oceanic hues.

 
When Ellen Kennon invited me to be one of 16 designers to have a colour included in her Full Spectrum paint line I chose a complex neutral toned blue-green as my signature hue and gave it the name 'H2 Ahh!' I thought the colour and the name captured how the water-inspired hue soothes my soul and quiets my mind.

[MK] What colour would you like to see banished from all paint decks?
[KS] In the hands of a professional I don't think any colours need to be banished plus hundreds of colours look just beautiful on the rack in the store. However, it could be helpful for the average DIYer if about half of the colours were eliminated, leaving just those that are most likely to work well in the typical home. As counter-intuitive as it might seem for many people when choosing colours more choices = less confidence. Of course people who feel overwhelmed or confused by the process can always call a professional colour consultant to help them find the perfect colours.

[MK]- What was your biggest colour/design mistake?
[KS] When you have taken as many chances with colour as I have you are bound to have a few mishaps. I think my biggest mistake happened about 15 years ago when on the night before I started in my new role as VP, I thought I needed to be a bit more sophisticated and decided to deepen the colour of my hair just a smidge to give me the new look I was after. Well, I'm sure you can guess where this is going. I ended up walking into my new office the next day with a dark purplish red rather than the deep rich auburn I had expected…yikes! Definitely a case of colour-gone-wrong in the hands of an amateur.

[MK] What is the most important colour lesson you’ve learned?

[KS] I've often been quoted as saying, "There are no bad colours just some unfortunate combinations". I think this sums up what I consider to me the most important lesson I ever learned. Understanding colour is not about learning to work with a single hue but rather how to work with colours in combination with one another.

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[MK] When it comes to colour, what’s hot? Which one do you think it timeless and which colour trend would you love to see disappear?
[KS ] There are many exciting trends in colour right now but here are a couple of my favorites.
Bright, Clear colours like fuschia, coral, grassy green, mustard yellow, violet and electric blue. Right know we can all use a few intense, attention getting hues around to remind us that life is active, vibrant and filled will optimism. 

 
Blue! I'm not the only one that loves this hue. Blue is a colour with universal appeal that connects us to the natural elements of our planet and can have a positive effect on our mind, body and spirit. Look for classic blue and white combinations. They're everywhere and teal, turquoise and cobalt continue to be on trend
Gone are the days when neutral means simply boring beige or brown. Today's neutrals are taking their cues straight from nature, come in every colour and can be described as anything but boring.

As for timeless trends. Definitely neutrals but not for the reason you might think. The new neutrals are layered, complex and multi-faceted. From the deepest shades to the lightest tints, they have depth and character. It is the complexity of these hues that intrigues us and holds our attention. These are colours that are difficult to pin down or describe with one word. A single colour may beg the question, “Is it green or gray or tan?” Most likely it’s a combination of all three.

Our love of these complex neutrals signals a shift in our collective aesthetic. We are being drawn to these colours because our taste has matured and we have a more sophisticated appreciation of colour. Now that we have reached this new level we will never go back. Think of it like this. After having tasted Cakebread who wants to go back to drinking Boones Farm?

[MK] What do you think is one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make with colour?
[KS ] When picking colours homeowners have basically three options. They can take a wild guess, make an informed guess, or do some homework and make an educated decision.
Taking a wild guess speeds up the process and requires very little effort so if the results aren't critical why not go for it? The chance for success however is much greater with the educated decision approach but then again so is the time and effort that goes into the process.

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Most DIYers fall somewhere between wild guess and informed guess yet expect the designer results. I think that might be one of the biggest mistakes but it is also why I find it so satisfying to not only educate professional colour consultants but also show homeowners how to pick colours, and create successful colour combinations.
 
[MK] What are the 5 things in life you cannot live without?
[KS ] Recently I've had to ask myself a similar question since just a couple of weeks ago I put my home on the market and had a contract on it within just a matter of days. I was absolutely thrilled but since I haven't found a new home and frankly haven't even decided on exactly where I want to live. I'll soon be putting most of my belongings in storage and keeping only the "have to haves" with me.

This has given me an opportunity to evaluate what I can't live without both personally and in business since I have my office in my home. What I have concluded is that while there are lots of things I like having around me I think that there are really very few things I need. The interesting thing is that I'll actually have the chance to find out if I'm right during the month of August since I'm going to be happily "homeless" as I set off on a quest for colour and figure out where I'll be living next. 

Here are five things I know I don't want to live without--
1. My "holy trinity of technology": my MacBook Air, iPhone and Portable Hard Drive. I love great design and tools that simplify rather than complicate life plus I love being totally mobile so that I can work from anywhere.



2. A journal. While I love technology when it comes to focusing my attention on an object or idea nothing replaces putting pen to paper. My favorite journals are medium sized moleskines and I have one or two for writing and sketching and one with watercolour paper for capturing colour combinations and schemes.

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3. Fresh fruits and vegetables. I can't imagine life without leafy greens or juicy berries. Although I do occasionally eat fish and meat I just prefer fresh fruits and veggies. My son often pokes fun at me by saying that all it takes to make me happy is a bowl of brussel sprouts but teasing aside in a way he's right and besides they are a great source of colour inspiration. I can't tell you how many yummy schemes I have come up with while shopping for produce or whipping up a meal. Their textures and variations in colour are endlessly fascinating to me and fruits and veggies are often the main subjects of my still life paintings.

 
4. Water. I crave being near the water and often early in the morning I take my coffee and drive over to the Potomac River to watch the sunrise. While being around any body of water gives me pleasure nothing rejuvenates me like the salt sea air and rolling motion of the ocean. It seems many people enjoy being near the ocean basking in the sun on a tropical beach and I love that too but I like being at the beach year round regardless of the weather. I have spend more than a few winter days happily savoring the solitude of sitting at the water's edge under a cold, gray sky.

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5. Yoga. I've gotten totally hooked on Bikram yoga. If you aren't familiar it is a 90 minute yoga practice done in a room heated to at least 100 degrees. Sounds crazy doesn't it and I'm not quite sure what possessed me to even give it a try in the first place considering I don't really like to exercise or to be too hot but I did and now I regularly show up for class at least 3 to 4 times a week. This has benefited me in so many ways both physically and mentally and for the first time I can honestly say that I miss it when I can't make it to class.

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Thanks Kate for the great interview!

Related post:
Interview with Colour Expert; Janice Lindsay (Washington Post Blog Watch, July 9)