White Paint and Other White Necessities

I have to admit a secret of mine...I am a white SNOB - okay now you know my innermost secret. I use only white candles, white dishes, white towels, white flowers (although I have been known to buy colored tulips), and white sheets. Nothing is more classic than white. White dishes set off the food on them perfectly. I cannot have a good sleep on anything other than white sheets, and white candles and white towels are absolute.

In interiors I love how white highlights good architecture, and any object in the room that has "good bones." White walls are a good backdrop for objects d' art and paintings that are placed in the room - white walls give focus to the lines of the items that are juxtaposed in front of them. 

Painting a room white can make it have surprising depth. When I design an all-white room I use several different shades of white to bring out the architectural details, or I layer the space with strong forms in different tones and textures of white and then use some strong color contrasts to outline and bring the white into focus. My all time favorite white color is - Benjamin Moore paint Cloud White. It is a very soft white and easy to live with. It has a chameleon effect - taking on the colors of what is set next to it and changing in tone at various times of the day. Not every white is snow white. Try using whites tinted with: ivory, cream, antique white, and palest beige, blue and yellow. An interesting fact on the popularity of white is that Benjamin Moore has over 140 whites to choose from. 

To maximize the light in a room I chose a paint with a semigloss finish rather than the latex matte finish more usual on walls. The "chalkier" matte finish absorbs light; the semi-gloss is more reflective.

Some of my favorite whites I use are are from Benjamin Moore: Cloud White, Simply White, Ballet White, White Dove, White Linen and Designer White.

 
 
   
  
  
Photo Credits

1, 2 MLK Studio via All the Best 3 JK Hotel Milan 4 David Schefer 5 Helen Hennie 6 Trevor Tondro 7 ,8,9 Jennifer Post 10 Ptithabibi Morocco, Towels

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

The Colors of San Jose del Cabo

The Colors of San Jose del Cabo 

   
   
    
 

 
   
 
     
  
 

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm  in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Color Splash

Interior Designer Jamie Drake has exibited extreme talent in this colorful New York home in the current issue of Traditional Home. This is certainly an issue that you don't want to miss. It is a keeper, filled with so much more than I am able to share with you here.

No doubt upon entry into this beautiful home that this artsy couple loves color and mix.

This painting by Andy Warhol blends beautifully among tradtional furnishings and accessories.

The eye is simultaneously drawn to an array of pieces in this colorful room.  I think that the use of a mirror to reflect the Warhol painting is brilliant.

This sitting area is traditional and peaceful.

Such a coolness and elegance in design is exibited in this dining room.

A lavender grasscloth covers the wall in this bright purple sitting area ...

and lavender bedroom.

This area has a mix of several influences.

I really like how Drake combined a mirrored piece, the gold legs on the bathroom sink, the black and white tile, and the traditional wallpaper.

I can't find a thing I would change in this light, airy kitchen.

I hope that you enjoyed this post. I now have a decorating bug.  See you tomorrow for a treat from Southern Living Magazine!

Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition (Thumb Indexed)

Embracing Etiquette with Teresa continued... see introduction post (1-29-10.)

THE CAR ~ Good Manners = Safety

There are two important subjects to mention before. You are to always buckle your seatbelt and make certain that your guest have their belt fastened. Refrain from drinking while driving. This is prohibited in all states.

Handling an automobile is a great responsibility, and you should never put on makeup, eat, or talk on your cell phone. DO NOT TEXT WHILE DRIVING! Always pay attention to the road. It is your responsibility. Pull over to the side of the road if you need to take care of anything else.

Go the speed limit, use your blinker, and do not tailgate. These considerations are mannerly.

Tomorrow we cover Road Rage.

See you soon,
Teresa
xoxo

Reinventing Blue

And I mean a deep, dark, luscious Blue. It is showing up in walls, fabrics, carpets and accessories. It is a blue that doesn't have green or red in it. It is almost black and is warmer than lighter blues and has more life and depth than Black. It is the deepest shade of Indigo as seen in Ikat Textiles. It is the color of the sky on a moonlit night. It is mysterious, moody, classic, timeless, calming, and refreshing. It can have a glossy finish or be totally matt. It is beautiful when contrasted with pure white. My favorite Benjamin Moore paint colors are Polo Blue, Blackberry Punch, Kensington Blue, Blue Gaspe, Hale Navy, and Old Navy. Some deep blue colors are: sapphire, azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal, midnight blue, slate, steel blue, Prussian blue. 

The high gloss finish on this wall has a subtle reflectivity to it that changes at different times of the day and literally sparkles at night.

Alberto Pinto has used a deep blue in the bold geometric carpet as his only color in this wonderful Master Bedroom.

A deep and refreshing Mediterranean blue has been used on the walls at JK Capri Hotel in Italy.

A deep "French Blue" velvet for this classic chair.

 
I am in the process of designing a guest bedroom and I have chosen a deep blue silk for the curtains called Moonlight. I am putting a natural woven raffia roman shade on the window behind the curtains for some textural interest. The walls will be painted the same shade as the silk curtains: Benjamin Moore "Blue Gaspe". The Headboard is a heavy white Belgium linen. The bedding is white Egyptian cotton with an Hermes cashmere blanket in a deep charcoal color on the end of the bed. The carpet is wool and is the color of white coral. I will hang black and white "ocean" photographs that I have taken on my travels on the blue walls to finish it off.

Let me know if these deep luscious shades of blue are slated to become one of your new favorite colors?

Photo Credits from top: Dominio, Alberto Pinto, JK Capri Hotel, Jayson Home.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

2010 Color Reform Trends

 

ABC Carpet & Home Vintage 'over-dyed' carpets

ABC CARPET NEW YORK INTRODUCES COLOR REFORM TRENDS COLLECTION TO SALVAGE OLD RUGS

I got an interesting email from ABC Carpet & Home New York this week, that captured my interest - they (ABC Carpet & Home) is encouraging us to look on the bright side for 2010 with a their new rug collection that promises to: "escape predictability, embrace the unconventional, and help preserve our planet." This new assortment of hybrid carpets called Color Reform, transforms imperfect, vintage rugs into modern works of art. ABC Carpets are literally  “...rescuing carpets from the “rug graveyard” and giving them a new lease on life.”

ABC Carpet & Home has utilized this notion to develop the concept of Color Reform, which refers to evolutionary change through color. Each one of a kind rug was individually handcrafted by Turkish artisans in the Toros Mountains. The vintage rugs are neutralized to remove their original color and then over-dyed to create their remarkable chromatic state. The variations in the tonality of pigments result from the carpet’s original concentration of color combined with the dye application process conceived from each artist’s distinct vision.

Exotic rainbow hues range from neon pink and electric green to opulent reds and saturated yellows. The striking compositions evoke an almost translucent appearance as irregular, partially faded motifs emerge through the color, adding complexity and interest to each piece. Below is one of my favourites in the series, in a more neutral color palette, that I think you would be able to live with for many years to come and pass on to future generations.

 
ABC Carpet & Home Color Reform
Vintage 'over-dyed' carpet

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™