Devine Color's Blog

Cool Colors With Warm Fabrics

Don't let a tendency towards matching colors hold you back from hitting the "refresh button" on your walls by contrasting your warm fabrics with cool colors! Try pairing those warm bricks and burnt umbers colors with Devine Beluga, Glass, Date, Almond and see what happens--you never know, blues, like Devine Tide, Swell, or Cool may follow and change the color game in your home!

It's Official: Fall Colors Are Coming Your Way!

Well, they're finally here: the trend colors you will see everywhere this fall! Keep in mind, though, that these are not meant to represent the exact colors themselves...artists, designers and manufacturers will take these colors and create products, in several hue variations, through fabrics, design, paint, accessories, etc. so that you get to play around to see how to make the color your own. And we will indeed play with these colors this fall! I've got my own variations of these colors coming out that will let you rock this trend in your home.

Here are some great examples from decorpad.com

Is There Such A Thing As A "Woman Cave?"

Is there such a thing as a Woman Cave?

 OK, Man Cave (mybadpad.com)…let’s see if we can agree on the definition, here is what I have: a place for men (in their home) where there are no expectations from him other than to: play games, drink, watch sports, and unwind…why, we don’t call it a Boy Cave, is a mystery to me. The idea of a place that lets you express your personality and pleasure: enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one’s liking; gratification; delight, sounds great to me!  I have colorized many terrific Man Caves….but how come I have never gotten a call to do a “Woman Cave”…is there such a thing?

Colorful Rituals

I have never been to Pastabilities, located in New York City, but I definitely plan on going there in the near future. In the meantime, I will have to imagine that I'm there; pretend I smell the garlic; imagine the searing sounds of grilling; and try to think how it would feel to share an amazing thought with my husband, all the while our wine is poured…

Gallery pictures alone tell the behind scenes tale that fantastic food is not their main agenda - you are. In order to tide you over until you're able to eat at Pastabilities, I'll share with you a few things that might make your home feel like a rich and intimate place, full of gourmet rituals for the senses!

I used to hate to cook, but I eventually changed my mind.  Well, actually, I changed my rituals, and THAT helped me change my mind. It’s the ritual of eating that turns me on; not the actual chopping, stirring, or boiling. So in order to compensate, I made up rituals about everything else but the food, and suddenly, the ritual of cooking seems to fit right in. Those who create places dedicated to a passion for food and libations find that these places become a full blown experience, and they know the steps to make it happen:

 

1. EAT & THINK. Find intimate, small spaces in your home, where you can place a bistro table as far away from the kitchen as you can; so you can make eating-for-one or two a perfect moments of reflection. Keep the table set as a reminder that at any moment, you can choose to take a break!

The lady, in Three Men and A Lady (Michelle), shows great creativity and commitment to herself and her family! She created spaces that inspire us to make room for culinary rituals to happen— to me, she embodies a great line from the movie The Holiday: “YOU’RE supposed to be the leading lady in your own life, for God sakes!”

Part of her entry space is used as an informal conversation/bistro area where you can imagine secrets being told, or ideas jotted down. The best part is that it looks so good, you want to do, be, feel good!

2. WRITE & REMEMBER! Using a eraser board to write your weekly menu, a great recipe, or your grocery list makes you think, remember, and do… I did this with my “RECIPE OF THE MONTH”, a cobbler recipe that, ironically (no longer a trend), took me over 2 months to memorize. I made it for every dinner I was invited to. Now friends ask for it…and I can whip it up in a heart beat. The thought of flour, previously, caused me and my family great grief and anxiety. Michelle, looks like you took my small ritual to a fantastic interior design level. This small ritual is a beautiful big mantra in your home!

3. INSERT FOOD IN GIFT BOX…Go for plates and make plates da beautiful thing! If you have awesome plates you love to look at,  pretty food will show up….I swear, it’s magic.

 

Think of plate rims like hat brims and wear your style. Go for style and color. If you love red sauces, go for Blue, purple of white plates. Look for pattern, texture, or contrasting colors in the rim. Mix and match dishes according to the meal. Plan your cuisine outfit, it might just do the trick and make the meal at least look better till it tastes better…trust me! You already know how I feel about coffee cups.

 

Finally, I heard the COOLEST story over the Holidays. A mom made a new year’s eve resolution last year and she kept it to herself. It involved the whole family but they didn’t know it. She wanted them to sit at the dinner table, for dinner, every night. They had dinner most nights together, but they sat separate, distracted, at the counter or on sofas. She aspired to make “food time” actual “sharing time”. So instead of making it about “lets make everyone sit at the table”, her resolution, she decided, would be to change one ritual in her life towards her aspiration—she would light a candle in the middle of the dining table every night. Through out the year, her family began to gather aroung the dinner table, spontaneously setting the table, sitting ahead with anticipation. “Sharing time” somehow “magically” happened. This new year’s eve she was going to tell her family about it. I don’t think you need to change how you think about cooking, try to change some rituals and see what happens…it happens in places like Pastabilities, making us quiver with anticipation, ritually disguising the magic of a meal, full of taste and aroma, right under our noses.

 

Color Commitments

Here's the deal: you don't really have to do it if you don't want to do it. NO ONE is forcing you to do it. But if you think about it, you'll realize that by doing it, you'll feel thinner; better-looking; smarter; lighter on your feet; and you'll be a better dancer (Note: I'm not saying it's guaranteed to make these things happen; I'm saying it will make you feel like it).

I'm talking about swallowing your fear and going for it, once and for all: commitment.  Color commitment (to your walls), that is.

1. (Adj.) Color: Involving, Utilizing, Yielding, or Possessing Color
2. Commitment: Pledge or Promise

Sure, there are many fish in the sea, dreams about the one that got away or the one that might show up later. But time is ticking fast and life is short. You can't always get what you want and getting the color you need takes a certain level of commitment, especially when it comes to your walls.

Spring Color Makeover

Chairs are always in abundance at yard sales; and they are a great way to give your home a seasonal inexpensive makeover. Colors like white, lime, turquoise, black, and now honeysuckle, are back in bathing suit fabrics, dress prints, shoe leathers and pleathers. Think of using different shades of the same color, contrasting colors, or tone on tone variations of colors. Your color is out there.

From Decor 8