- So dreamy…
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color. The first recorded use of grey as a color name in the English language was in AD 700. Grey is the British, Canadian, Australian, Irish, New Zealand and South African spelling, although gray remained in common usage in the UK until the second half of the 20th century. Gray is the preferred American spelling, although grey is an accepted variant. Gray became the preferred spelling in American English around 1825.
These days I am seeing gray everywhere in home decor. I love it mixed with almost every color. Gray is the new brown, black and taupe! It’s not as warm as brown or taupe but it complements other colors really well. It is not a spotlight color it lets the other colors shine. It can make a room feel really modern, country, shabby chic, romantic or traditional depending on what you pair it with. Plus there are so many shades of gray, from blue grays to warm grays. You can’t go wrong. Not feeling brave enough to try it out yet? Then start collecting your favorite looks on Houzz.com or Pinterest and start off with a small space. How about the bathroom or laundry room?
- So many great color combinations!
Even though we are having off and on rain the sun does come out every once in a while to prove that it is Spring around here. I think we were spoiled by having such a mild and warm winter that even the smallest bit of rain makes us cranky! All of my flowers in the backyard are blooming and beautiful and they probably really needed the rain. Our new fabric In the Meadow, reminds me of a bright sunny day. Below are some close ups of the quilt detail. You can get the quilt pattern from Quilting Treasures. We also have a line of checks, through Checks in the Mail, using In the Meadow, super cute. Don’t forget to send us any of your favorite projects using our fabric, we’d love to see them.
When my son was designing a Valentine’s card for his girlfriend, he used puppy and kitten pictures because as he said “Everyone loves puppies and kittens.” So true. Put a picture of a sad faced puppy on something and it will sell like hot cakes, the same goes for a sweet fuzzy kitten. My kids love looking up YouTube videos of cute or funny animals. So it was a no brainer for Simon+Kabuki to do a Puppies and Kittens collection. And since birds are still hot we threw a tree full of birds into the mix. If you want to see the rest of the coordinating swatches just get in touch with our agent Jewel Branding. My daughters would love school supplies with these cuties!
We are working on some new florals here at S+K. We are doing them in a wide range of colors. I am imagining them on fabric especially bedding. I just got my Johnnie Boden catalog in the mail yesterday and our floral patterns really remind me of the fun patterns and colors they use. If you are unfamiliar with Boden check out their website. They are an English company that started in 1991. They are always ahead of the curve with color and pattern and they also have a somewhat retro/vintage vibe. I’ve ordered from them in the past, bathing suits and tops. I love that the bathing suits are cute but not slutty! You can also put outfits together on their website and they have great accessories as well. Here’s a sneak peek of our new floral collection, Fleur Moderne.
I love the fit and patterns that Boden uses on their swimsuits. I need some boyfriend jeans I can roll up with flats and a cute top. I might even wear a dress, I know my hubby would like that!
I know you were expecting a picture of David Beckham! Hah! I wish. The eye candy I am referring to are the wonderful ways to use color. There are some great color trends this year and you can easily adapt them to your home decor, clothes and jewelry. I’ve already talked about Pantone’s new color Tangerine Tango but there are plenty of other trends that are sure to be a hit.
Blue Skies – The color blue is not going away. Chocolate and blue was a hit for a really long time in home decor. The latest combos have blues mixed with taupe, green, and greys. Giving the overall feel a softer more mature vibe. Great for master bedrooms. Blue is very soothing and these new pairings are super sophisticated.
Sunshine – When you need some energy and excitement what better color than yellow to brighten your day. Yellow can be used as a subtle wall color to brighten up a room or use it sparingly but boldly. I love yellow mixed with other strong colors like black or grey. Yellow is warm and nurturing and is bound to bring you good cheer.
Grass – The color green is a happy color. I love it when it is used as a pop of vibrant color in an otherwise monochromatic scheme. Green also has a very earthy feeling to it. Reminds us that nature is nearby. Even just adding green plants brings a room to life.
Sand – I think there is a theme here! I love all white or off-white. It is so crisp and comfy. It may be unpractical for a lot of areas in your house especially if you have kids or pets but a a beautiful overstuffed, slip-covered chair or all white master bedroom is to die for.
If you’ve come this far you deserve a prize. This was the hardest picture to choose, too many good ones! You can also check out these very funny clips that my daughters found for me from Ellen’s show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4yDNWlvK6s and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In9XbjyCbnY
I know it is winter and in some places there is snow on the ground but here in Northern California old man winter has taken a break. I am totally okay with having 75 degree winter days, no complaints here. It’s fun to hit the parks and beaches and not worry about mud. The dogs can go in and out without tracking mud into the house or car and the kids can play soccer to their hearts delight! In honor of our sunny winter I thought I would show off some of our design collections that are directly inspired but sunny California. And I don’t want to give away our ages but you can tell we grew up in the 80′s!
In honor of our new color of the year, Tangerine Tango, I decided to take one of our popular patterns and adapt it using Tangerine Tango. I started with Mediterranean Dreams (click to see the original blue and green pattern) and adjusted the colors. It is amazing what a difference using new colors makes. The original definitely has a Mediterranean feel to it, soft and soothing, but with orange and pink I felt like I was transported to India with the colorful saris and fabric you see there. There are so many options with using this color and how the different color combinations evoke different feelings. It will be fun to experiment with Tangerine Tango this year.
The Pantone Color Institute just announced their color of the year and it is Tangerine Tango. Pantone is the global authority on color and the originator of the color matching system that established standards for the use of color in manufacturing and print. That means every time you pick a color it will match in fabric or paint. Pretty cool. Orange has never been a super popular color until lately when people have noticed that it pairs great with most other colors. Add it to gray to give your outfit, design or room a pop of color and a modern feel. It also goes great with colors like navy and even red. Add pinks and you get a tropical vibe. It has a friendly happy tone, an instant pick me up. As designers we have always loved orange and try to add it whenever possible. Now we have the proof that we were right all along! Here are some great ideas from home to fashion. I love an all white kitchen and adding just a pop of color or adding throw pillows with orange accents to brighten a room. Have fun adding some Tangerine Tango to your life this year!
For more ideas on adding color check out our Pinterest Boards.
