Teamwork...

"Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success. " ~ Henry Ford

It may be the barrage of product presented each season to design firms that kept me shy of using color in my own personal spaces. But in the last few years, I have become obsessed with designing with not one or two, but every color at once.

Intense at first, they appear to cancel each other out and the overall effect reads as a neutral to the eye. An addition of black, brown or grey grounds the blazing mix.

My inspiration was founded by a bottle of Paul Smith Cologne with his signature multi-color stripes on the side. A sourcing trip to the D&D Building is not complete without a stop at Dylan's Candy Bar for a colorful striped bag of rock candy in a slew of translucent colors.

Sources: Paul Smith for The Rug Company

Paul Smith

Add an unexpected spark to a traditional library, living or dining room with one of Paul Smith's wool rug designs for The Rug Company...

Sources: Paul Smith for The Rug Company

Paul Smith

A Lelievre stripe was used vertically and horizontally on a pair of wood arm chairs. For a instant gratification, try some sumptuous bath linens from Missoni Home...

Source: Homer and Jazz Bath Towels Nieman Marcus

Fuel...

Espresso has been a big influence on my sense of style. It was part of my life at an early age, when I observed the somewhat sacred ritual of it's preparation. All that work and it was enjoyed in no more than two quick gulps. It's strong taste is often misleading. Ounce for ounce, it has the same caffeine content as regular coffee, but not the typical italian serving known as "ristretto."

When allowed to choose my own room color, I had my parent's painter match the deep tan color of a perfect "crema" that was formed from the pressure of a fine espresso maker. Inspired by this rich neutral palette, I established my design portfolio with creating sumptuous living spaces devoid of color. I relied on shape, light, texture and proportion to play the leads. My beige rooms were never boring!

This lead me to deeper tones from chocolate to coffee bean. One of my favorites is Benjamin Moore's Brown Horse, # 2108-30. It's a deep, dark brown, slightly on the grey side. I think everyone should have one dark, cozy room in their home, especially if they don't have the luxury of a paneled library or study. In past years, brown was made popular when paired with ice blues and pinks, but it's more exciting now when used with turquoise, emerald greens, sunflower or persimmon.

My fuel... is it the flavor or the color that attracts me to it several times a day?