Interview with Colour Expert; Joanne Day

10 years ago when I started my design business I placed an ad in the Yellow Pages that included the words “Expert Colour Consultation”.  Then as I looked at those words I thought, ‘I better become an expert’, and that is when I found Joanne Day at The Daystudio in San Francisco.

Joanne Day has trained many colour consultants, designers and faux finishers all over the world and it was her colour course that inspired the years of colour training that followed, in addition to discovering that it was going to be my niche in Interior Design.  I am honoured and delighted that she agreed to be interviewed on my blog!

Sidenote: I took the liberty of adding photos to make this post more colourful!

[MK]  What’s your favourite colour? What colour would you like to see banished from all paint decks?

[JD]  Before I was so involved in color I used to think color choice was infinite – it was too many choices. Which blue was the right blue? Now I visualize color as only 6 choices, ROY G BP. Each parent color with all its derivative color children being enclosed inside a back yard fence and on the other side of the fence is another parent color backyard and all their children. It makes choosing combinations of colors much easier. I always like to add blue as an accent. It is interesting to follow trends and favorite colors and the psychology behind them. Trends are often unconscious reflections of what is coming into everyone’s consciousness. 10 years ago when green came in like gangbusters we were starting to individually perceive Nature, ecology and the food chain, how trees take in our CO2 and we take in their oxygen. Now we perceive that behind green (which is considered a neutral now) is blue, water, and how important it is. These show up as color trends and changing favorites.

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Banish the white strips between colors on a chip deck, they keep you from seeing the difference between adjacent colors. Place your finger over it and the brain thinks they are connected and can see the subtle differences between them. And banish the distracting black lettering too (put it on the back as they do in Europe). Letters and lines put us in the analytical left brain and overpowers the intuitive/visual/feeling right brain where color is decided.

[MK] What was your biggest colour/design mistake?

[JD]  A warm/cool mistake. Today we often use multiple fabrics, carpet, old and new furnishings in one room, and several paint colors. When we choose a room color we need to bridge those many existing colors. The more objects and colors in a room the more difficult it can be to make sure everyone is sharing something in common and when a color doesn’t, it shifts cooler or warmer than the rest and sticks out like a sore thumb. A good colorist chooses colors that won’t make the client have to change everything in the room.

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

[JD]  The quickest way to change your life is a coat of paint. We all go through transitions and color helps us get there faster.

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And there is no wrong color, only wrong color combinations.

[MK] When it comes to colour, what’s hot? Which one do you think is timeless and which colour trend would you love to see disappear?

[JD] Chameleon colors are hot. Chosen because they take advantage of natural and artificial light-shift and morph a color into different hues at different times. Without light there is no color, they go hand in hand. Colors that take advantage of changing light are timeless, they enchant us. It’s kind of like getting three colors for the price of one, a bargain. Google Luis Barragán, an architect who decades ago started adding color pigments on a large scale to exterior stucco taking advantage of and playing with light in locations all over the world.

  Luis Barragán Morfin - Guadalajara, Mexico

I still see that awful dusty blue and pink on kitchenware and wall art, someone must still be buying it, but I would love to see it disappear for at least the rest of my lifetime.

[MK] What do you think is one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make with colour?

[JD] Following a trend that doesn’t agree with a clients genetically hardwired color bias. When a perfect color outfit makes you feel beautiful, it empowers you. It follows that the colors in your home should be chosen in a similar way.

[MK]How do you get clients to take a confident leap into color?

[JD] I’ve learned that patches on a wall don’t help the client. They are still just as confused and unsure. So I paint a cardboard file box the color I recommend and put it somewhere in the room. Let them move it around for a few days. A 3D object will test the color in all light situations unlike a 2D patch on a wall. It will get a definitive yes or no. I also hold the box top under the clients chin, if she or he can’t wear it with their coloring, the environment will not empower them. It’s a no.

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[MK] What are the 5 things in life you cannot live without?

1.   [JD]  Beauty, because it inspires us and sometimes brings us to our knees.

2.  Nature, because it is our mother, it rejuvenates us, it soothes us, it supports us.

3.  Friends, because they make the uncertainties of this world less scary. Friends are members of a tribe that share common interests. Like color combinations that share a common pigment ingredient are harmonious and embrace each other. Colors that don’t, push away from each other.

4. Doing Art, because it calms and balances my life, and of course, art is about color.

It’s kind of like yoga, you do art and art does you. Some people garden, some play music or dance to get into the “zone”. It’s a right brain (visual-emotional) activity that balances out a very left brain (analytical) world. So is color. That is why recessions bring out brighter colors, to balance our uncertainty.

5.  Teaching/Consulting, because it’s a way of sharing what I love most, it gives people a tool and a skill that changes lives.

Related posts:

Interview with Colour Expert; Kate Smith

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

An Orange Tablescape Thursday – Inside and Out!

Okay, I have been reluctant to show you anything inside my house because I rent (and for starters the walls are a very pale pinky beige—yuk—anyone who reads this blog knows how much I dislike that colour) but to paint it, I would have to include a very large textured ceiling in the living room so I haven’t done it yet.  It is the most adorable 50’s style house with huge, bay windows in the living room and all around to show off the view of the city and the beautiful gardens surrounding the house!  I would love to buy it and completely renovate (on my list for next year’s goals) but until that happens, I have to live with some things. . .

It was my good friend Tami Rode’s birthday last week so she was over for brunch on the weekend, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for my first Tablescape Thursday Post, hosted by Between Naps on the Porch! My dining table has 2 different alternating styles of Queen Anne chairs (4 in total), the one on the left is from William Switzer, and the one on the right is from a garage sale years ago (the pair) for $14 dollars  I repainted in cream and re-covered them in the textured leaf fabric.  What I really want now is a Saarinen table and I’m still debating if I should keep the chairs, paint them all the same colour (something fun) and re-cover them. The placemats  from HomeSense were $3 dollars, they only had 3 which is why they were such a good price but I loved the colours so I thought  I’d use them when it’s dinner for 3!    I’ve had these little frog place card holders forever and I just love how playful they are, I use them a lot in the summer. This is Tami’s up close.  I also have a million colour chips lying around my home office so I thought I’d pick a colour that was somewhere close to the placemats!

You can see the rounded bay windows of the house  through the 2 front bushes, I decided to pick some orchids (I think that’s what they are) for the centerpiece (below).  I’ll show you what the house looks like soon.

Then I thought it needed some green in the arrangement (okay don’t judge me too harshly it’s not an Eddie Ross arrangement :) so I went around to the back garden to clip some.

Here you can see the dining room through the back window and also see that this house is full of windows. When it snows it feels like I live in a snow globe!  Really it does, here is the view from the side of the house (above). 

Test question for anyone that’s been paying attention?  Ideally what colour trim should a white house have (not the gray shown above)? 

To the left is a view that includes downtown Vancouver, but I don’t have a picture of it here!  This is what I get to look at every day from my living room, I get happy just walking into it every day! This is the herb garden on the steps leading  to the upper garden in the back, really private and beautiful with more hedges.  Old though – would need a new retaining wall in a reno, that’s for sure!

Vancouver had a huge thunderstorm last Saturday night, the entire living room was orange from the lights of the storm, it was quite fun to watch!  (See the textured ceiling? *sigh*) Here’s an official photo of the storm:

Before I started decorating for a living, I would spend the entire day decorating a table for a dinner party, now my guests are lucky if they get a napkin!!  I’m sure there are others that can relate to this phenomenon!

There are so many beautiful tablescapes waiting at Between Naps on the Porch – go take a look!

Related posts:

What Everyone should know about Beige

Three ways to describe Colour

Being-on-Being-on-Beige

The only time to use a Personal Colour Viewer

Last week I was in Victoria and had dinner with my friend Kim (who I have not seen for 7 years, she was in Miami but she’s back) at the Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa.  So stunning!  The whole hotel was varying shades of natural cedar accented with black.

Photos by Maria Killam Colour & Design

Now until this point; anytime I have seen an exterior with stained cedar siding or shingles and people have used black on the fascia, windows, on the stucco, etc.  I look at it and think—that is so wrong. Just to be clear I'm talking about an all cedar house with black trim.

A natural ‘whistler cabin’ look like that with a modern accent black, in my world the combination does not work!  Until I saw it so tastefully done in this hotel and I figured out why it works so well. . .

The entrance to the marina, (photo taken from the patio):

Pots filled with grass – so organic and fresh looking!

A side view of the patio:

Here’s my mojito; I really took this picture to show you the patio chairs, so comfortable!

And here’s Kimberly and I about to order dinner!

Notice how the fascia is not black, and the balcony looks like it was left the cement colour.  If the balcony and fascia were black, it would be too heavy and (in my opinion) would kill the natural, organic feeling of this setting.  Using black strictly as an accent instead of in a heavy handed way, keeps the look sophisticated, exclusive and serene!  On any other exterior, it would be weird not to repeat the black on the fascia, but with an all cedar exterior, it's very well done just the way it is.

Above photo obviously not taken by me

This brings me to my point; the ONLY time it works to use a tool like a Personal Colour Viewer with Benjamin Moore is if you are trying out dramatic combinations using black trim (for example) otherwise, there is no way that a computer generated paint sample on an exterior photo of your home, will give you an accurate impression of what the colour will look like, when the light hits it during varying times of the day.

If you need exterior colour advice for ANY other reason, hire a professional. 

Related posts:

5 Steps to choosing the Right Exterior Colours

Exterior Undertones

The Best Exterior Trim Colours—NOT Cloud White

Advice to Do it Yourself Homeowners on Choosing Exterior Colour

Glamorous Hotels in London

The Colour of Wood vs. Wall Colour? How Important is it really?

When people ask me for colour advice (at a dinner party or somewhere other than their home), they are always quick to describe the colour of their wood furniture or flooring. Usually this is because they don’t have anything else they can use for colour inspiration, and they are probably quite sure that the colour of their wood should be considered. The other day I even received an email asking about the undertones of hardwood flooring and if they are important in picking wall colours.  So here’s the skinny on wood colours:

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The undertones of wood are generally, 1) orange [above], so the only time you need to be concerned is if you are also going to paint the walls orange [below].  In my opinion, this space works well but make sure you do consider which orange is the right one!

2) Red (below)

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3) yellow [below]

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or 4) Brown [below]

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So unless you are planning to install walnut flooring with your brown walls, or red if your floors are cherry, orange if you have fir or oak flooring; consider your wood stained furniture or flooring to be like denim.  Generally, they go with everything!

Don’t do what I did in the beginning; I would be standing there (in an empty space) with the client, looking at me expectantly, (waiting for me to pull magic out of my fan deck) and what I did in those days?  I matched the wall colours to the flooring.  Before the brown trend was so big, everything was maple, fir, or oak;  yellow or orange.  So I specified a lot of Boardwalk in those days because it worked well with orangy undertoned floors.

A few months ago, one of my clients (from the very beginning of my colour consulting days) hired me to pick new colours and drapery, for her living room.  I cringed when I walked in and saw this colour because I remembered picking it because the only inspiration in the living room at the time was black, leather furniture!

Have I mentioned, the one really good thing that has come out of the brown trend?  Men have switched from buying black, Michelin man leather furniture to brown, read the whole post here.

Related posts:

Happiness is. . . A Happy Wife (every man should read this one)

10 Ways to Save money Now by Creating a Focal Point

Where you’ll find me on Friday Mornings; Innovative Fitness

Three years ago in July 2006-- I had just turned 39-- and decided I could no longer get away with just being slim, I also needed to be fit. And here was the problem, I have never in my life managed to continue going to the gym for longer than about 2 months before I would give up. So this time I decided if this was going to work, I needed the help of a professional.

I arrived at Innovative Fitness [above] where I signed up to have my very own personal trainer for 3 months, twice a week. I figured I needed a jump start and by the end of 3 months I would know what I was doing at the gym on my own so that I would stay motivated enough to keep going.

When you arrive at Innovative Fitness all the trainers call out your name and it makes you feel like you are part of a special club, (we all pretend to be embarrassed, but really we like it :). And to answer your question about whether that kept me going on my own, yes it did! Then about a year ago, I started pairing up with a former client of mine (now a good friend) Virginia. My one big luxury is my Friday mornings with Virginia and I look forward to it all week!

This is our trainer Kris Schjelderup (also the general manager), here to begin our workout (we are both on the treadmill). Apparently it’s to be a beach work-out today! This beach (below) is a 2 minute jog from the facility and last Friday was a beautiful day to be outside!

Here is another photo towards the Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park!

Here Kris demonstrated a box jump to show us what he wanted us to do next.

Here we are, doing a couple laps down the beach and back.

Here doing the Karate Kid move (I wasn’t trying to jump onto my other leg like Virginia managed to do so skillfully!). The only thing you can't say at Innovative Fitness is "I can't do this!"

This is the closest you are ever going to see me without make-up on :)And this is me (not shown :) being stretched at the end of my work-out!

This is where we go for lattes:

Delaney’s always features a local artist, and this time it’s Krista Eaton.

And of course the lesson of the day here is, the wall colour (being a greeny gold) is too dirty with all these bright fresh, clean colours (in the artwork) but certainly works as a temporary spot to showcase them!

I hope you enjoyed my work-out as much as I did!

Related posts:

Six Things About Me

Six Uninteresting things about Me

A Sensational Winner!

Design Wanna-Be is the winner of my giveaway from Sensational Color, congratulations! Thanks for all your comments everyone!  It was fun to see some new faces commenting for the first time!  Here are some images from her Pretty in Pink post that I loved:

Love the tablescape by the bed with the artwork, flowers and the shell.  Three elements of a tablescape, all that's missing is some books!

images from House Beautiful

I love the banding on the roman shade and the bed-skirt!  Such a great way to keep the look contemporary while bringing in colour!  I just did the same roman shade in white with a fresh green banding for a teenagers room a few months ago.  I remember seeing this photo and trying to find it to show my client and now here it is on Design Wanna-Be's blog! (I'm really posting it so I can easily find it next time :) Thanks!

Congratulations, and thank you to Kate Smith at Sensational Colour for her generous giveaway of one of her on-line courses; Interior Colour Consultant Certification.

Related posts:

Interview with Colour Expert; Kate Smith (see post below)

A Colour Consultation with a Giveaway

Pssst. . . it's a secret, for Colour Lovers only

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.

Potomac River

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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And now for the giveaway! Kate has very generously offered 1 course for the next session of Sensational Colours online professional colour certification program for interior designers. This has a $547.00 value and she has received great testimonials from the designers that have already completed the course.

To qualify:

1. Be (or become) a follower of my blog (on the upper right sidebar)

2. Post a comment below.

3. I will post the winner on Wednesday night! Good Luck!

Look for Kate in the upcoming colour Issue of House Beautiful that will be out next month. She will be sharing what colours and styles of several rooms reveal about the homeowners personality!

Related post:

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

Happiness is. . . Learning how to Ask for what you Want

You don’t always get what you ask for, but you never get what you don’t ask for. . . unless it’s contagious!  Franklyn Broude

I found a blog today that seriously made me think I should start another one just to do what this woman is doing; it’s called  The Daily Asker.  Last July, this blogger embarked on a 365 day experiment in asking for something every day.   Here is a recap of what she learned:  “The 88 things I discovered in 365 days of asking”.   

I thought it would be the best structure in the world to practice asking for what you want, daily!  It reminded me of a book I bought years ago called The Aladdin Factor.  Here’s an excerpt from it:

Shannon Rast and her husband had dreamed of placing huge clay pots filled with flowers at both ends of their new home’s circular driveway. But other needs intervened.

Then Shannon saw four clay pots outside an out-of-business San Antonio motel.  Thinking she might buy them at rock-bottom prices.  She called a phone number on a sign in the motel’s parking lot.  She was told the structure, with three hundred rooms still full of furniture was to be demolished and absolutely nothing could be released.

Image Source

We’ll see about that, she thought.  After many phone calls she reached the California company that had bought the motel.  They assumed the furniture had been removed.  With the company’s permission, Rast took charge.

Rast called Youth Alternatives, a facility for runaway and abused children, whose thrift shop desperately needed donations.  She also contacted the Salvation Army and several other organizations. 

For ten days volunteers loaded trucks and hauled away furniture.  Soon the Youth Alternatives store was filled to capacity and the other organizations received similar boosts.

Although Shannon Rast’s original intention was personal, she fostered a new sense of pride among people who might never have worked together.  And today Rast’s circular driveway has four clay pots, two at each end.

The world is full of genies waiting to grant your wishes –Percy Ross

Related posts:

Happiness is. . . Being Uncomfortable

3 steps to Finding a Mentor in the Design Industry

Colour Consultation; Dining Room and Winner of my Giveaway!

Art by Karena is the winner of my umbrella giveaway (see post below)!  She is a very talented artist in Kansas.  I went through her archives and posted my favourite, this one below, called Awakening.

Here again is my clients living room.  She didn’t want orange as she preferred a cooler palette on the walls in her house (which is why we went from the existing colour; Thousand Islands in the living room to Revere Pewter BM HC-172—new colour not shown),  the obvious place to look (for me) was the second accent colour in the room, which was the blue/green.  .  . She had more of this colour in the room (I am only showing half the room here).  The colour we chose was HC-136 Waterbury Green (see the before photo in my previous post).  And she did double strength on the ceiling (which is not visible below). When I started the giveaway I was asking people to guess what I did but that wasn’t working very well so I changed it to their suggestion instead!

You might have an opinion about this colour and whether you would have chosen it, however, the point I'm making here is the place to LOOK when you are trying to decide what colour your dining room should be in the first place.

Since dining rooms are usually a more dramatic colour, the first place I look when selecting the  colour is the accent colour in the living room.  Otherwise it could look like the colour is chosen from the sky (and there’s nothing wrong with that either).  However, when people hire me, they are looking for flow in their house, and this is one way to create that.  Sometimes (if it works) I’ll even repeat the dining room colour in the Powder room because it’s another room that likes drama!

Congratulations Karena!  Have a Happy Weekend everyone!

Related Posts:

A Colour Consultation with a Giveaway

The Right way to Create Flow using Colour

A Light Colour will never come to Life in a Dark Room

A Colour Consultation with a Giveaway

Recently I was in a lovely home in West Vancouver for a Colour Consultation.  My client’s home was such a perfect example for a post,  I asked her  to send me a photo when the painting was complete. 

The colour in this room was a bit too pink for her (above) so we picked a new one.  We didn’t change the intensity, just went from a pink undertone to a green undertone with Revere Pewter HC-172.    She also wasn’t sure of the colour she had already selected for the dining room (she was taking the paper down) and wanted my opinion there (below).

The wall (above the chair rail) has a wall to wall mirror.  I now have the ‘after’ picture of the dining room with the colour we chose but I would like your opinion as well, on which colour you would paint the room.  I will post the ‘after picture’ on Friday to show you what I specified with the name of the winner (randomly chosen). 

The winner will receive the umbrella from my Colour Marketing Group Conference (even though it rains a lot in Vancouver I don’t use an umbrella, I just duck my head and run :).

 It’s black with this logo on it and it even has a light at the end of it so you can see where you are going (batteries included).

To qualify please:

1) Click to follow my blog (on my sidebar on the right)

2) Post a comment with your recommendation for her dining room (if you already follow my blog just leave a comment). 

Keep in mind that my client will be installing the same orange drapes in her dining room when it’s complete.

Related posts:

The Right way to Create Flow using Colour

Pssst. . . It’s a Secret [for colour lovers only]

Find the Inspiration to keep Doing what you Love Here!

I subscribe to four amazing blogs (besides design blogs),  Penelope Trunk—my favourite (who I’ve mentioned here and here) :

Seth Godin’s blog who I quoted  in this post:

 Get Rich Slowly:

 

and  Dan Schawbel’s blog on Personal Branding. When I saw this video, I had to share it with you!  It’s a must watch video if you want to gain some insight on how to get ahead of the pack in your niche!!

I loved what he says here; 'Find out what you want to do every day for the rest of your life and do that – you can find a way to monetize it..' or how about this one; 'Stop doing stuff you hate – you can lose just as much money being happy as hell.' 

I include these posts in my blog because it took me over 10 years to finally get up the courage to start pursuing a career that I loved in my early 30’s.  So this is for everyone who may wonder if it’s worth it, if you should even start, or if you should give up (DON'T give up by the way)!! 

He’s very entertaining – watch it, you’ll love it!

Related posts:

Happiness is. . . Having the Career that you Love

Happiness is. . . being Remarkable

The Secret to having the Life that you Want

Do you need Help picking your Logo Colour?

When shopping for my clients, I buy all my silk flowers at Chintz and Company which is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Every time I go there I see this building (which is right next door). I love heritage buildings and especially this one with the happy blue colour. So yesterday I took a picture just for you! It’s Benjamin Moore CC-904 Cascade (and a great boys room colour as well by the way) it’s the colour of the sky and rare to see it on a commercial building (or any exterior in Vancouver for that matter). I looked up their website to see how far this colour goes in their branding and sure enough, it’s the exact colour of their site as well.

Periwinkle blue is the happiest and warmest of the blues. A mid-tone ‘colour of the sky’ blue like this is open and expansive. Blue in general is the #1 choice for use in Corporate branding and identification. As Lee Eiseman says in her book Color: Messages and Meanings, ‘the constant challenge of such pervasive use of the colour is to keep it looking fresh and not hackneyed. If the essential message begs for a true blue image, look to a combination of dominant blue used in innovative combinations’.

The White Fish Group is a brand management company. Choosing this colour works well in a suggestion of “always being there for you”, strong, reliable, loyal and the purple undertone means that working with this company will also be fun. All of this I got from just the colour of their site, which is certainly a strong argument for choosing the correct colour for your company logo!

Tracy over at Comfort & Luxury wrote a post yesterday about this exact shade of blue as well and she has shown some gorgeous interiors, and included some more definitions of blue click here to read. For even more messages and meanings about blue, check out Julie Hoylen's blue post at Sensational Colour.

It would be interesting to know exactly why the owners chose this colour. If I find out, I’ll update this post!

Have a happy weekend!

Related posts:

White: Messages & Meanings

Can White be a Lonely colour? (Definition of Orange)

Why your Teenager wants a Black Room? (Definition of Black)

Warning: You are the Colours in Your Home (Definition of Green & Purple)

Michelle Obama in Vogue (Definition of Hot Pink)

Do you need a Tree for your Interior?

If you are going to install a tree in your home (fake or not), this is the one (below).  It’s a fig tree and I’ve seen them in interiors reaching two stories high. I found this one (above)  today on one of my favourite blogs; Pure Style Home, click here to see her post with more images from Stephen Knollenberg.  The one in this image might be real, but the fake ones look identical.

I installed one in a master bedroom I decorated for a bachelor last year [below].

Interior by Maria Killam Colour & Design

Related posts:

Must have Custom order for your Bedroom

Dreamy Bedroom

Glamorous Hotels in London (upholstered headboards)

Easy Way to create Drama with Drapery

Vancouver Colour Advice; Eggshell is NOT a Colour; Paint Sheens Defined

Eggshell must be an actual colour in a fan deck somewhere because I have had many clients ask for it and they were not talking about low lustre sheen (which is what eggshell is). The other day I received a request from a reader to write a post explaining paint sheens and I thought, “How can I have a blog about colour and paint and not include a post about which sheen is right?” So here they are;

Flat for ceilings is the usual rule

Flat or Matte; no shine is what you get here. Joanne Day with the Daystudio said “If you paint a dining room a dark colour and you leave it flat, at night it will look black”, better to give it a sheen and then (if you have recessed lighting) the wall will reflect the light back into the room”.

The problem with using flat paint in the past, was that it wasn’t washable, (until paint companies came out with washable flats). And the plus side is that you can touch up flat paint where you cannot with any other sheen. If you do, you get flashing, which is a phenomenon where the additional coat or sheen builds upon the first--which is why you have to re-paint the space when your tenant moves out.

Great for dark colours which are sometimes hard to get perfect with a sheen

Flat paint is also good for walls where you want to cover a lot of imperfections as it doesn’t reflect light.

Bottom line, use flat for ceilings--unless you are designing something very dramatic, like this high gloss ceiling [image] below--because if you are, your ceiling must be absolutely perfect, so that all you notice is your reflection!

Eggshell; the low sheen of the shell of an egg is what this looks like on the walls. It’s the sheen I specify the most. Good for any room in the house (including the powder room) except really high traffic areas where a shinier finish would be even better. This room below, both the ceiling and the walls are painted in an eggshell finish.

Pearl; These days where latex paint is much preferred to the toxicity of oil, at least use a minimum of a pearl finish if you are painting trim, as latex does not take the beating oil will take which is why furniture and trim are usually painted in oil.

This sheen is usually the one I specify for bathrooms and kitchens because it’s more durable and scrubbable.

Image source

Satin; It’s the one I specify the most for trim (in oil, with Benjamin Moore you can't get latex in a satin finish anyway) because it’s self-leveling and has a smooth, velvety look to it. However, with latex paint becoming more and more durable, you can now paint trim in much lower sheens with Benjamin Moore’s new Aura which is great on trim (and you can even do a flat in a bathroom).

Semi-gloss; This finish has a slightly glossy appearance but is not wet looking. Good for high-traffic and high-moisture areas like laundry rooms. Keep in mind that the imperfections in the walls will reflect in the light with this finish.

High-Gloss; The trim in this hallway [below] is definitely high-gloss. The more formal your decor is, the shinier everything gets (and it’s the most durable).

If you pick the same colour for the trim as the walls and you change the sheen, many times it can look like a completely different colour, or at the very least, look like you tried to match it and failed, so make sure you test it before you start painting it all. This happens many times in a contemporary space where the woodwork is painted the same colour as the walls (but in a different finish)!

One more very important point; what one paint company calls eggshell, another may call semi-gloss, so if you don't have a lot of experience specifying a certain brand of paint, make sure you pick up some sheen samples which every paint store will supply.

Suggested Guidelines:

INTERIOR

Living Room ~ Matte or Eggshell

Family Room ~ Matte or Eggshell

Kitchen ~ Pearl

Bathroom ~ Pearl

Powder Room ~ Matte or Eggshell

Bedroom ~ Eggshell or Matte

Kid's Bedroom ~ Eggshell or Pearl

Foyer ~ Eggshell or Washable Flat

Staircase Walls ~ Eggshell or Washable Flat

Hallways ~ Eggshell or Washable Flat

Trim and Doors ~ Satin or Semi-Gloss

EXTERIOR

Stucco - Matte or Eggshell

Siding - Eggshell (to repel dirt)

Trim & Doors - Semi-gloss (for durability)

Related posts:

The best trim Colours – NOT Cloud White

White Floors for Instant Happiness

3 Ways to beat the high cost of buying the wrong paint colour

Interview with Colour Expert; Janice Lindsay

Thank you to the Washington Post for including this post in your blog watch, July 9, 2009!

Some of you know that I recently purchased Janice Lindsay’s new book called “All About Colour” [below] and then wrote a post about the first thing I read when I opened the book here.

Janice Lindsay is one of Canada's leading colour designers. With a column in The Globe and Mail newspaper and her newly published book, Janice is a sought-after colour consultant for residential, commercial, and institutional projects. 

When I received her book and started reading it, I decided I had to interview her for my blog! And given that she is a Canadian, I thought it was even more appropriate that she should be my first interview; so I am pleased to introduce Janice Lindsay:

[MK] What is your favourite colour?

[JL] I am red by nature and mauves are not me but I don’t have a favourite colour. That would be like asking a mom which of her kids she liked best.

[MK] What colour would you like to see banished from all paint decks?

[JL] Pinkish, grey beige.

[MK] What was your biggest colour/design mistake?

[JL] In an insipid office hallway I introduced too much colour. It wasn’t that the colour was wrong but I did not take into account how much people hate change!  (70% of all change is perceived as negative!) Now the people who weren’t happy would probably squawk if it were painted back to its original blandness.

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

[JL] I am still learning so it’s hard to say.  One would be trust your instincts?  Or colour rules are meant to be broken, or at the very least, bent.  That colour is not tiring but to many, too much colour contrast can be. . .

[MK] When it comes to colour, what’s hot? Which one do you think is timeless and which colour trend would you love to see disappear?

[JL] All colours are timeless.  It is combinations that go in and out of style.  When others ask me what colour is hot you can’t just say ‘yellow’ or ‘chartruese’.  A colour trend is not about a colour so much as how and where a colour is used.

A few years ago at a Color Marketing Group conference I said greens would be very big.  The leader in my group took me aside and said greens were always big in interiors so it was not a trend story.  She missed the point.  I was saying green would divorce red and show up alone in the most unexpected places—grass green on an expensive Italian sofa, for example—and in unexpected combinations—primary green with olive with yellow-green.  And that citrus green would replace red as the attention getting colour in everything from advertising to purses and home accessories.  Green as in celadon and sage, is a constant in home decor always, but this greenness was totally new.

[MK] What is the most under utilized colour?

[JL] Black.  Because when it is doing its work you often don’t see it and that is its magic.  Because we associate it with negative things and forget that is is strong and elegant and quiet – the yin to white’s noisier yang.

[MK] What do you think is one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make with colour?

All images above - Pink Colour & Design

[JL] Actually there are a lot of mistakes that people make – like under estimating the power of colour to not just decorate but renovate on a physical and an emotional level.  Like not using enough or using it crudely.  Like being obsessed with white ceilings and trim!!!  Or thinking that colour is always about look-at-me decorative colour when it is the less attractive work horse hues that are just as important to balance up the final result.  They are the ones that you feel but don’t notice.  I could write a book about this----oh, I did?!?!

[MK] What are the 5 things in life you cannot live without?

[JL] Hmmmmm.  If you mean material things rather than family, friends, travel, music and a good game of tennis – then:

1. Really comfortable shoes – Arche or John Fluevog,

John Fluevog

2. Clothing by Annie Thompson because they feel like Me

3.  Fresh Flowers

4. Geoffery Lane candles

5.  And unfortunately perhaps, my blackberry.

Janice has recently partnered with Pittsburgh Paints and developed her own Colour Card which can be ordered by calling 1-877-238-6441 and soon available on-line here.

Janice Lindsay’s company is called:

And if you are lucky enough to live in Toronto, you can call her directly for a consultation!

Related posts:

Rules are for Breaking by Janice Lindsay

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Happiness is. . . a Styled Bookshelf

I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves. ~E.M. Forster, Two Cheers for Democracy, 1951

The other day, a bookshelf arrived at my clients home (it’s located at the top of the stairs next to the patio doors of her roof top deck--hence the summery flowers). She was skeptical at first, that it would accommodate all her books like I said it would:

Before

Until I came over and styled it for her:

Photos by Maria Killam Colour & Design

It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it. ~Oscar Wilde

What is your favourite book?

Related posts:

Happiness is. . . being Remarkable

Happiness is. . . being Uncomfortable (when you pick the wrong colour)

RIBBA Frames from IKEA – A Transformation

I am working on this fabulous loft in Yaletown (to be unveiled in September) for one of my equally fabulous clients, Kareen Zimmer and I mentioned her in this post  when we talked about the colours we chose and why?

The artwork was just installed last week, (photos from her travels around the world, sample above) as the photo shoot is this Monday, but here’s a sneak peak at the dining room side of the loft.

Most of the walls stayed white as she is renting this loft, but the fixed colour in the space was the yellowy beige carpeting, which I repeated in the fabric we selected for the drapes and the striped parsons chairs. 

Up until last week, I have always hung all the artwork for my clients but I knew hanging 12 pieces, perfectly on this wall would have taken me forever, so I googled ‘Art Installation, Vancouver’ and found Kent Southwell (above).

When he got there I said “Where have you been all my life?” he said “Waiting for you to call me!” Then I mentioned that [on-line] it looked like he was the only guy in town that specialized in hanging artwork and he said “No I’m the only one that does website optimization!”  So smart!

Designers have been using IKEA’s RIBBA frames for years to create maximum drama for less!  You can display the matt and photo at the front or back of the frame which means it also works as a shadow box if you wanted to display a collection of shells, or coins or even plates!

I learned how to hang art symmetrically and perfectly (without a single mistake) that day, but I would still hire Kent to do it for me next time.  Watching a professional do their job reminds me of my favourite quote by a commenter “Hire a professional for everything you can’t do professionally yourself”.  So much easier!!

It was Kareen’s sisters kitchen that got my blog into the Washington Post Blog Watch for the second consecutive week in a row back in March, and now Kareen’s loft is going to be famous as well!

After – All photos by Maria Killam Colour & Design

I was so happy with Kareen’s photos and she is thrilled to finally have her travel photos on display!  Professional photos coming soon!

Related posts:

Warning: You are the Colours in your Home

When should you buy a Book for its Cover?

This is a Guest post from one of my favourite, outrageous bloggers, Awesome Sara!  She is my first guest blogger and I have also mentioned her in a previous post where you probably thought, what the heck is this?  Enjoy;

Let Me introduce myself. I'm Sara from Sara Says Awesome. When the great Maria (that's the name of the person that made this blog idiot) asked me to do a guest post I was so freaking thrilled!!! Like Julie Andrews spinning on a mountain top kind of excited!! Then when that was over. All I thought was holy f**K. This Maria is like a freaking expert and I'm just a really good looking amature. Yea, I'm serious I really am really good looking. I was like what the hell am I suppose to right about???

Then I remembered Maria thinks I'm the kitty's pajamas and everything I do is awesome. So that was it. One day it just came and I wanted to do everything in color. Because Maria=color (and awesome and sexy and way cool) I wanted to keep the same vibe as her blog but add my psychotic-ness to it. That's my preface. Let's get to it, yea! I hope you enjoy it.

So, maybe I'm a little late here has everyone noticed that everyone has been color coding their bookshelves???

By the way, it's called color blocking.

By putting the same color next to one another it makes it easier on the eye to compute what it is looking at.

That means, your over processed eyes will cause you less headaches.

Less chaotic=peace.

The only thing really that I can't stand is I can never find what I am looking for. Ever.

But it sure does look so peaceful. Like staring at a rainbow.

Does this mean I have to start buying books bc of the spine color? Oh no I don't have enough red spines, must buy red spines!!

Go ahead. Take all your books of your shelves and start color coding. You'll thank me later.

I love you MARIA!!!!!

Note from Maria:  Because coffee table books are important elements to include when styling coffee tables, I am always buying them for my clients; but they have to be the right colour to work with the decor!!  Also if you do have a lot of colourful books, the images above are certainly an effective way to style a bookshelf.   So I loved this post, thanks Awesome Sara!!

Related post:

Colour & Condoms