Friday, August 31st, 2012
This summer, I visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit at the Seattle Center. Dale Chihuly is one of America’s premier glass artists and hails from Tacoma, WA.
I went to the exhibit on the urging of my mom – a former florist and jewelry designer – from whom I got my passion for all things COLORFUL! I have only seen Chihuly’s work in Las Vegas hotels where the scale and saturated color of his sculptures make sense, but I was unsure of how they would translate outdoors in a garden setting.
WOW! Viewing Chihuly’s glass pieces in nature was like seeing the brightest flower blossoms you can imagine, or swimming in the most fantastic underwater coral garden, or immersing yourself in a forest’s flaming fall foliage.
Ablaze with natural light, the intensity of color is captured in the medium of glass – it simply glows like no other application of color I have seen. Color Nerds – you don’t want to miss this! Next time you are in Seattle, get there! www.chihulygardenandglass.com
Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
Instagram photos are everywhere! What exactly IS it about taking a new photo and making it look like it’s from a different time that is so appealing? For me, it’s the feeling of nostalgia that comes from looking at an old photo, a longing for a simpler time.
I grew up in a small Texas town in the 1970s where Sunday afternoons seemed to last forever. With the sun so hot, there was little to do except hang out inside and listen to the radio. Laying on gold shag carpeting, I would tap out the beats to every Fleetwood Mac song that came through those transistor speakers.
Part of what makes an Instagram photo look aged is the overall yellowish glow that that affects all of the hues in the photo. The blues take on a greenish tint while the oranges and browns are pumped up in saturation and intensity.
I used this harmonious color combination — blue/green, intense orange, rich brown, and warm golden hues — as the inspiration for the YOLO Colorhouse Fall Color trend palette. Surround yourself with the comfort colors NOURISH .05, CREATE .03, WATER .01, GRAIN .05. Nostalagic and at the same time so current.
Posted in Art, Color, Home Decor, Music
|
Tagged color trends, fall color, fleetwood mac, instragram, nostalgia, radio, retro, retro colors, vintage
|
Monday, August 13th, 2012
Recently, on a farm outside of Portland, OR, there was a weekend full of music, camping, and color … lots of it!
An annual event for the last 14 years, Pickathon is a continuous three-day music festival with 50 bands playing on 6 stages in barns, forests and fields throughout 80 acres of Pendarvis Farm. While our bodies fought triple digit heat during the day, our senses were on overload from the amazing sounds that came from each stage. Seeking shelter from the rays, we swayed to the music under beautiful shade sails whose colors came alive against the brilliant blue sky.
Jammed packed with bands from London to Portland, this year’s lineup was unbelievable! These musicians were at the top of my list:
Neko Case
Heartless Bastards
Blitzen Trapper
Y La Bamba
Lake Street Dive
Kitty, Daisy and Lewis
Neko Case on the Woods Stage
Heartless Bastards on the Galaxy Barn Stage
In addition to the beauty of the farm and the incredible band lineup, Pickathon is becoming a leader in sustainability for music festivals through a host of green initiatives. They have eliminated single use dishware and utensils, and with the help of Klean Kanteen removed all plastic water bottles and cups for sale from vendors during the festival. They have put an alternative transportation plan in place that includes local mass transit and shuttle system from EcoShuttle, bike routes and secure bike parking, and carpool matching. Other initiatives include renewable energy uses like solar-charging stations for cell phones and extensive composting and recycling.
Click for more information on Pickathon… See you next year!
Posted in Art, Color, Green Living, Music, Portland, OR, Travel
|
Tagged blitzen trapper, eco, ecoshuttle, green, heartless bastards, kitty daisy and lewis, klean kanteen, lake street dive, music, music festival, neko case, pickathon, sustainable, y la bamba
|
Friday, July 27th, 2012
Recently we did a blog post on Monochromatic White and gave some pointers about how to design an all-white room that is visually interesting and doesn’t fall flat. As a refresher, a monochromatic color palette is comprised of colors from the same hue, with variation in shade, tint, and value.
The same rules apply when creating a monochromatic room decked out in one bright and BOLD hue – like red, orange, or purple! By varying the lightness and darkness of the primary color and bringing in analogous colors, your space will appear connected and intentional, but not boring! For example – let’s say your favorite color is green. By incorporating lime greens, kelly greens, and even blue-greens, you can create depth and dimension all under the one hue!
Despite the challenges, it is possible to create harmonious, beautiful rooms built around a monochromatic color scheme — in all colors of the rainbow. Check out the collection of monochromatic spaces below and see how these designers vary texture, value, and color (ever so slightly) to create rooms designed around one color that work!
Posted in Art, Color, Green Living, Home Decor
|
Tagged blue room, color, designer, green room, monochromatic, orange room, paint, purple room, rainbow, red room, room, wall, yellow room
|
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Join our Color Community!
Summer is in full bloom! Inspiring color combinations are everywhere — bring that beauty inside with a new paint palette!
This weekend, July 20-22, you can buy 3 gallons of YOLO Colorhouse paint and get 1 gallon FREE with mail-in rebate!
Shop for YOLO Colorhouse paints here and simply download this rebate and send it back to us with your receipt and UPC codes.
At YOLO Colorhouse we are proud of what’s NOT in our paint: NO carcinogens, NO mutagens, NO hazardous air pollutants, NO ozone depleting compounds, NO formaldehyde, NO phthalates, NO volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and NO BAD COLORS!
Posted in Art, Color, Green Living, Home Decor
|
Tagged buy 3, free paint, get 1 free, green paint, promo, rebate, sale, yolo
|
Thursday, July 5th, 2012
A monochromatic color palette is comprised of colors from the same hue, with variation in shade, tint, and value.
IMAGINE .01
IMAGINE .02
IMAGINE .03
IMAGINE .04
IMAGINE .05
IMAGINE .06
When you think monochromatic, you may think BORING when it comes to interior design. However, varying shades of the same color covering the walls, ceilings, furniture and decor of a room can create a cohesive, intentional look. Calming hues like white and blue can provide a subtle, peaceful aesthetic, while vivid colors like red and purple can be stunning and dramatic!
When designing a space, it is amazing how much we rely on contrast between colors to create interest and depth. When limited to one color, differences in texture and material are necessary to create visual interest and make up for the lack of color contrast in the space. By paying close attention to the details of a carpet’s texture, a furniture’s style, or a fabric’s pattern, you can design an all white room that sings!
For image sources and more inspiration, visit http://pinterest.com/yolocolorhouse/monochromatic-colors/
Friday, June 29th, 2012
You’ll never believe what’s back…
MINT GREEN!!
This spearminty-fresh color was wildly popular in the 50s, and has not really made a resurgence, except for a brief stint in the 80s when we called it “Sea Foam”.
That’s how color trends roll – they’re hot, then they become ubiquitous, then you can’t stand them. But then you begin to miss them, and you yearn to see them again – and when you do, they look fresh and new and a little different – kind of like an old high school friend.
If you haven’t already met, let me introduce you to our mint green, THRIVE .04, try her out in bedrooms, bathrooms, or even kitchens for a fresh, new and a little bit different look.
Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
When we designed the Summer 2012 palette, it was easy to visualize these colors in kitchens and dining areas. Open and fresh hues are a no-brainer for rooms in which you make food and celebrate around the table. The warmth of ASPIRE .04 exudes sunshine all year long and fresh color pops of PETAL. 01 and THRIVE .02 make your mouth water. AIR .04 can be used on ceilings and trim to complete a clean look. Or put it on the walls for a modern, open feeling.
As perfect as the Summer palette is for kitchen areas, the fun doesn’t have to stop there! Other areas of the home can pack a pretty punch with this citrus combo. When used in living spaces, this color collection can cross architectural styles – from contemporary to traditional. Surrounded by white walls, furniture and décor in the hues of PETAL .01, THRIVE .02, and ASPIRE .04 create a crisp, simple aesthetic in modern dwellings. But, just as easily – when these colors are put on all four walls in older homes like Arts and Crafts bungalows and Victorians – the rooms come alive!
What would summer be without warm nights and even warmer days spent relaxing on the porch or in your outdoor room? Inspired by the boldness of summer hues found in fruits and flowers, use our Summer palette throughout your outdoor space to celebrate this season of beautiful color!
Posted in Color, Garden, Green Living, Home Decor
|
Tagged bedroom, citrus, color trend, kitchen, living room, outdoor room, painting, summer
|
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
PETAL .06
THRIVE .06
Thailand is all about the food! The streets are filled with food cart vendors who specialize in just a few items – this means what they do offer is REALLY, REALLY good. It seems that Thai people love to snack and the carts are always busy. We ate shrimp, fish, chicken and some things we couldn’t identify with no hesitation because the food is so fresh and the bounty of produce so amazing!
Our first lunch was one of those eating experiences that hit all the senses and is hard to forget, one that I will compare other meals to for a long time to come. A simple fish soup on the streets of Bangkok. It was close to 95 degrees and the humidity was off the charts (especially for a Portlander) but there I was ordering soup. I was struck by this beautiful bowl with it’s fresh cilantro, spring onions and chillies. (and loaded with shrimp) A perfect beginning to the Thai food extravaganza and just the right amount of heat to cool me down.
IMAGINE .04
CLAY.02
THRIVE .05
The design and artful presentation of food, both at the carts and at the market is a visual feast too. We took way too many photos at the markets we kept finding ourselves lost in -
NOURISH .02
STONE .03
STONE .07
The care of design is seen here in the way each basket of fish has two fish in one direction and one in the other creating a pattern amongst the baskets.
The lemongrass, galangala, lime leaves and ginger are sold as carefully tied bundles to add to soups.
These bound banana leaf packages have both sweet and savory surprises surrounded by sticky rice.
The egg presentation was a gorgeous display of color!
There can never be too many condiments.
Sweet, sweet donuts – I liked the way these looked, but I didn’t try them…
In Chiang Mai, we took a cooking class at the Thai Farm School. We made a chicken coconut soup, Tom kaa gai – so good!
Bon Appetite!
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
I had never been to the desert before. I wasn’t expecting to be struck by the beauty of the understated landscape, but coming from the lush and vibrant Pacific Northwest, the barren expanses of Joshua Tree National Park were a welcome change. The desolate stretches of rock and cactus were in stark contrast to the dense forests of Oregon filled with ferns, moss, and evergreens.
NOURISH .02
CLAY.01
LEAF .03
STONE .02
The desert felt like a blank canvas. With the palette of the landscape so dialed back, my eye started to detect subtle differences in color that I would not have normally noticed in Oregon. Granite columns stretched high against the blue sky, with veins of grey, red, black and brown creating a neutral backdrop for the brave plants that can survive the harshness of this land.
CREATE .01
NOURISH .04
STONE .04
STONE .06
Joshua Tree is made up of 2 deserts, and therefore 2 different eco systems. The higher, cooler Mojave Desert is the western half of the park which is home to the unique Joshua tree and the lower, more arid Sonoran Desert is the eastern half of this national park. Creosote bushes, ocotillo and cholla cactus dominate this part of the landscape.
NOURISH .01
NOURISH .05
With my eyes focused on the slightest shifts of color on the rocks and arid ground that seemed to go on forever, you can imagine my delight in seeing true, vivid color in the desert – cactus blooms! Wandering down the hiking trail, I would gasp out loud at the sight red petal clusters or a teeny yellow buds peeking out from a nest of thorns! One blooming ocotillo cactus was too beautiful to drive by and admire from the car, so we pulled over and captured it in all its springtime glory.
CREATE .04
ASPIRE .04
ASPIRE .06
PETAL .05
PETAL .06
DREAM .01
Thank you Joshua Tree for showing me the beauty of the desert…and for your coloristic surprises! For more information on this amazing national park, visit: www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm
THRIVE .05
AIR .07
