This morning as I was sorting my red laundry before the weekly ritual of ablution in the washing machine, the ranges of red were striking; pink undies, a maroon turtleneck and an orange sweater all made it into the “red” pile. What a beautiful mélange!

At Colormix 2012, Sherwin Williams’s Jackie Jordan was all over red in this year’s presentation, showing examples of its ubiquitous presence. Photo after photo were displayed pairing varying shades of reds, all working harmoniously.

During yesterday’s color consultation, taking inspiration from a beautiful painting on the wall, we combined Benjamin Moore’s AF- 280, “Salsa Dancing”, with AF-225, “Firenze”. The color combo sizzled in the painting and it will on the walls.

Try Sherwin William’s SW2802 “Rookwood Red” on your front door or reinvent your staid study with the rudimentary ruddiness of “Audubon Russet”, Benjamin Moore’s HC-51 . Or, if you choose to exercise restraint, use it sparingly in a small niche with SW 0057 “Chinese Red”.

Whether one wants to go big with red or prefers a diminutive application, it never disappoints. And hey… summoning a bit of good luck just can’t hurt either. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

dragonsappetite.etsy.com

eb-color.com 206-353-0454 ebrown@eb-color.com

I just spent a wondrous week in New York with my time divided between NYC and a bucolic setting upstate on beautiful Seneca Lake. In Manhattan, I window shopped, soaking up color palette inspiration. Fur coats were on display everywhere, reminding us of a winter that will soon be overtaking us.

But it was THIS fur coat that really sent me… the one belonging to the Wooly Bear caterpillar, another harbinger of winter. As he crept along the road, I did my best to measure the width of brown versus black in his fuzzy corpulence. According to folklore, the wider the brown, the milder the winter. If you believe this legend, this little guy says it’s going to be mild. Are you convinced of this? I’m not, but the notion certainly bestows the warm fuzzies.

photo by Elizabeth Brown

I’m not a meteorologist, I’m a color consultant. I can’t accurately predict the weather in Seattle, but I do foresee the perfect palette tailored just for you.

ebrown@eb-color.com 206-353-0454 eb-color.com

Elisabeth Louise Vigee-le Brun. Sigh. My mentor, my idol, my goddess, Marie Antoinette’s favorite portraitist. And although she lived in the 18^th century, she still whispers in my ear.

Upon making my first acquaintance with Elisabeth at the Louvre eleven years ago, we’ve been fast friends ever since. There I was, meandering the rooms of the second floor of the Sully Wing, in total rapture drinking in such an embarrassment of riches only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the painting below, one of her many self portraits. Look at the sheer perfection of the composition, the exquisite color palette with its subtle passages, all the while expressing such expressive warmth.

And then, I saw this beautiful gem.

After that, I was hooked, happily undertaking pilgrimages to view her masterpieces whenever I was so fortunate -to the Kimball Art Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas,

The National Gallery in London,

The Uffizi,

Her life was as full and colorful as her paintings and her biography is a fascinating read.

A great site to view all of her work and learn everything Vigee -Lebrun is Batguano.com. (Why a site devoted to this amazing woman is referenced to bat droppings is beyond me, but what’s in a name, right?)

I appreciate beautiful colors wherever I may find them and as a color consultant, would love to help you with yours.

Elizabeth Brown 206-353-0454 eb-color.com

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I think I love words as much as I love color-and when you combine the two. YOWZA!

A few years back when I was a guest on Rachel’s wonderful blog, Hue, I briefly touched on the subject with a post entitled “What’s In a Name?”. Go ahead, read it. It’s fun.

On just about every color consultation, my customer chuckles at the names of the colors and says who comes up with these names? Well, here’s your chance to get in on the fun. Come to “Cupcakes and Color” tomorrow, October 1st, when C2 owner, Robin Daly and interior designer Christian Ursino are giving a talk on color trends at Modele’s Furniture. As part of the presentation, participants get to take a stab at naming some of the 50 new colors C2 will be delivering in the spring.

At our next consultation, lets’s have some fun with the names, as we choose the perfect colors for your home.

eb-color.com 206-353-0454 ebrown@eb-color.com

Volatile Organic Compounds. Big words here. In fact they are so big they could knock you over the head! And they often do. Simply stated, volatile organic compounds or VOC’s are chemical liquids that evaporate at room temperature. And most paint has them. They are the stink in your newly painted room and create the fumes in your headache. The paint literally “gasses off”.

Now I am not a chemist (but I play one on TV). As an architectural color consultant, my primary job is to specify color, usually in the form of applied paint. But I also care about your personal well being as well as the environment. And I am not alone – paint companies have responded to the “greening” of American consumers with products that are both friendly to humans and Mother Earth.

Be aware that there are paints with low VOC’s and paints with NO VOC’s. A no VOC paint is considered to have <5g/L of VOC, whereas a low VOC paint ranges from 50 g/L to as much as 250 g/L. One paint company that offers no VOC paints is Yolocolorhouse. They have a great website that informs and educates about VOC’s. Another is Stark Paint, a designer line with colors by British designer, David Oliver. Benjamin Moore’s environmentally friendly paint is “Natura” while Sherwin Williams’ touts their GreenSure label.

Then there are of course paints with low VOC’s. All the beautiful colors of C2 Paint can be had with their low VOC line “C2Lovo”. I have personally used this and have had great results. The paint dried quickly and was free of lingering odor.

So the next time you go to buy a can of paint, know that you have the option to spare the environment just a little bit. Think Green! After all…it is my favorite color.

ebrown@eb-color.com

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As a member of the Etsy community, when I was creating a treasury today entitled “Gifts from the Sea”, incorporating some of my favorite colors, teal and turquoise, I stumbled on this site for vinyl decals. http://www.etsy.com/shop/ghettovinyl?page=2 My first thought was vinyl? Extremely objectionable! Okay… yuck. But as I scrolled down through the diverse offerings, I was amazed at how good they looked, how they transformed a wall and how utterly special they were. So the gal who writes about wabi sabi in one post and vinyl in the next keeps an open mind.

There was something for everyone. Something to spark a child’s imagination,

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the star struck,

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the sailor,

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the skateboarding teen,

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or perhaps to serve as a spiritual reminder.

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By the end, I was completely sold.

I think these are great. Not that I believe one should forsake the decorative arts. Beautiful stencil work by artisans such SF based Debra Disman of Artifactory Studio is always an option and should be considered first and foremost for integrity and lasting beauty. But for apartment dwellers, coeds in dorms, the non-committed, the budget conscious or the artistically challenged, I think these are a quick and easy decorating option and a heck of a lot of fun.

If you want to have fun decorating your space, I would be more than happy to oblige.

eb-color.com

ebrown@eb-color.com 206-353-0454

Last fall I took myself out on an artist’s date to Scenic Beach State Park in Seabeck, WA to cleanse my spirit and fill the visual well. Well, you know what they say, “be careful what you wish for because you will get it”. Situated on Hood Canal, the Olympic Mountains seemingly plunge right into the Sound and at low tide, a plethora of oysters is revealed. Unfortunately, I didn’t check the tide tables before I headed out and only a sliver of beach was available for my solitary trek. Nevertheless, an embarrassment of riches lay on the shore and as my eyes feasted, my camera captured and claimed some of the gold.

As you view these snaps be thinking about beautiful color palettes that could be derived from this gift of nature’s perfection and please get back to me with your findings. Enjoy!

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

Photo by Elizabeth Brown

If you need color inspiration for your home or work place, call me. I’ve got it.

ebrown@eb-color.com 206-353-0454