On a gorgeous, sunny February afternoon last Saturday in Chicago, my friend Mary Koopman and I had the pleasure of leisurely art gallery hopping. Take a look at some of the artwork and the artists that “called my name”. From Gallery KH, I loved Amy Cannady, Victoria Ryan, Rick Stevens, Carolyn Cole and of course, Francine Turk. From Ann Nathan’s Gallery, I adored Jim Rose’s steel furniture pieces with colored panels. At the Gruen Galleries, I loved Michael Bentley, Pia Brix-Thomsen, Raymond Eddy, Nathalie Guarracino, and their African Art. All are stunning…

Artist left to right: Rick Stevens, Amy Cannady, Victoria Ryan.

Artist left to right: Carolyn Cole, Pia Brix, Raymond Eddy.

Artist left to right: Michael Bentley, Jim Rose, Nathalie Gurracino.

Artist left to right: Gruen, Francine Turk

Navy blue is an all time classic favorite especially when combined with white or ivory- freshen it up by adding a bit of black instead!

Photo courtesy of Veranda Jan-Feb 2012

In our studio, flush mount lights (think hallways) always remind us of breasts. Why is it that every home has hall lights shaped like this?  Nipples and all? If you haven’t noticed, take a look. We’re not joking. Almost every home has them. Just like the builder’s special brass chandeliers so too are the “boob-like” flush mount fixtures. We see them not only in brass but also in oil rubbed bronze, nickel and even a white finish. Thank goodness we’ve recently been finding many more flush mount fixture shapes to choose from… with the plethora of interesting chandeliers have come more interesting flush mounts. Here are a few that we have had our eye on…

Photos courtesy of HudsonValley, Kichler, Visual Comfort, Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley, Kichler

I’ve decided if I ever give up my day job as an interior designer that I would like to be the person who is in charge of naming nail polish, crayons or paint! What do you think their professional “title” would be? Color Specifier? Color Therapy Inspirationalist? Expert Palette Namer? Executive Chromatic Producer?

I mean really, these folks must have a lot of fun, have you read some of the names on a bottle of nail polish?  Essie has Cocktail Bling, Size Matters, Turquoise and Caicos, Thigh High, Meet Me At Sunset and Tomboy No More to name a few of their 300 plus colors. My new favorite is Merino Cool- an autumn plum gray color!

Photos courtesy of Essie.com

What about Crayola Crayons? Some of their 120 plus current colors include Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, Fuzzy Wuzzy, Inchworm, Mango Tango, Electric Lime and Jazz Berry Jam. I remember just the basic red, blue, yellow, green etc.- none of these really fancy names. Over the years, Crayola has introduced over 400 crayon colors.

Photos courtesy of Crayola.com

And how about paint? A few of my favorite Benjamin Moore paint color names include Milk and Honey, Lingerie, Salsa Dancing, Farm Fresh, Wind Chime, Serendipity, Caliente, Amorous, French Press, Sweet Daphne and Stone House. In my new home the walls are all Temporal Spirit and the trim is Squirrel Tail. Our studio colors are Meditation, Revere Pewter and Deep Creek. Benjamin Moore has over 3400 paint colors. A few of the most searched paint colors on the BM website include Navajo White, Shaker Beige, Linen White and Wyeth Blue. Some of the paint colors we specify because I love the color and not just because of their name are Pashmina, Weineramer, Jute, Sparrow and Hush. These are all from the BM Affinity Collection.

Photos courtesy of benjaminmoore.com

I specify Benjamin Moore and Farrow and Ball almost exclusively. If you have children in your family, our “go to” is BM’s “matte” finish as it washes like an eggshell but looks more like a flat and is easy to wipe without leaving a noticeable streak!

What colors intrigue you? What colors speak to you? Try out a new color either on your walls, a drawing or your nails. Remember, color is easy to change… and can really make a difference to your artwork, outfit or room!

PS I am still working on last Monday’s rooms submissions and will post my ideas later in the week!