the color lab blog — blue

Images (top left, clockwise): Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 2020 by David Benjamin Sherry, Orange Handbags, Spooky Blooms from Bia Blooms, Healthy, Colorful Smoothies

• The renowned US edition of the annual art exhibition, Art Basel Miami Beach, concluded last Sunday. In the age of Covid, the online viewing rooms were a welcome sign that creativity will never be thwarted.

• 'Orange' you excited about the holidays? This color in a handbag is the perfect accessory gift with a built in uplift! (Amazon)

• Recipe of the Week: My Energy Blast Smoothie will give the boost you need to not only stay healthy but to level up your daily vitality. 

• Throwing it back to tie-dye with these comfy crew neck sweatshirts. (Champion)

• DIY Color: The Art of Gift Wrap - Recyclable Edition (nytimes.com)

• Florists are the world's greatest purveyors of color, IMHO. One of my favorites is the LA-based, uber talented @biablooms. When you're in need of some 'happy', stop by her Instagram page.

• And speaking of all things floral, the botanical design competition, Full Bloom on HBO Max is fabulous and totally binge-worthy.

• Can I just say that this color mixing game is so soothing that it's the one rabbit hole you won't mind going down? (Apple)

• This gorgeous book was created to help children explore color and its relationship to art from ancient times to present. (The MET Store)

• We're about to say 'so long' to Pantone's Color of the Year 2020 but I would be remiss if I didn't give a fitting farewell to deep, rich Classic Blue this Holiday season.

We have a tendency to limit ourselves to colors that so-called "authorities" have deemed appropriate for a specific season. And when we do, we deprive ourselves of the joy of having all of the beautiful hues that we can visualize available to us all year round. That's not living a truly color-filled life and seems rather boring. While it's true that we are on the cusp of Fall and Orange is well known for being a traditional color for the season, few people wear it as freely as they may in warmer months when it is a bright, cheery, citrus-y symbol of the carefree life. Well, don't you want to be carefree in November too? I know that wearing Orange head-to-toe may be, uh...aggressive for some but when you add a rich blue in a light to dark shade to the mix, you get a wearable combination that can be mixed and matched regardless of the time of year.

For this week's Color Craze, I chose Persimmon because it is on the subtler side of the Orange spectrum and avoids smacking you in the face with it's vibrancy. I've coupled it with the deep, smooth Majolica Blue for a little softening of the slight edge that Persimmon may evoke. I feel it's a special pairing for everyday looks. Ask the New York Mets or the Syracuse University Orange!

COLORFUL ENLIGHTENMENT: Persimmons are a fruit that is often compared to apples nutritionally. Majolica is tin-glazed pottery made in England and decorated in colors, like this blue, on a white background. 

COLORFUL SIDEBAR: Kindly indulge my ongoing obsession with Smoothies and allow me to share my first Fall recipe find with you. The Spiced Persimmon Smoothie is at the top of my list for Fall breakfasts. This fruit wasn't on my Top 10 list of ingredients until I discovered the recipe below from one of my favorite food bloggers, Lisa of Downshiftology. It meets all of my smoothie standards: easy to make, filled with flavor and of course, stacked with healthy goodness. Click here for the tasty recipe!

BLOG DISCLAIMER: This blog post was not sponsored but may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to bring you color commentary like this. You can find more about our site, privacy, and disclosure policies here. Thank you for your continued support!

I've put together a Persimmon Orange and Majolica Blue style board with 14 of my fave fab fashion and beauty finds to give you a few options for consideration as you shop for the upcoming season. But if you just want to add a small touch of this color combo to your existing daily look options, the Thea Earrings from my new Handmade Luxe Collection are the perfect way to do it. Shop fashion and accessories in these great colors below!

1.  EQUIPMENT Harmon Shirtdress

2.  Christian Wisnants Karwat V-Neck Sweater 

3.  JulRe Designs Jewelry Thea Earrings

4.  Space.NK.apothecary Lipstick Queen Reign Shine Lip Gloss

5.  Briane Bracelet from our exclusive Bangle Bar for JulRe Designs INsiders only. For access, click here to join us!

6.  Sammitop Stiletto Heel Pumps 

7.  JAGGAR Solace Slingback Pump

8.  Tods Gommini Driving Moccasin  *STAFF FAVORITE*

9.  Hugo Hatine Zip Detail Slim Trousers

10.  Tory Burch Perry Bombe Crossbody Bag

11.  Botkier Trigger Pebbled Leather Hobo

12.  Naturalizer Tiana Platform Boot

13.  Cole Haan Lesli Block Heel Pump

14.  Sam Edelman Lior Loafer

IT'S A PINTEREST PARTY! You can also shop my curated board dedicated to Persimmon Orange and Majolica Blue on Pinterest!

Until next time, live a color-filled life!

Blue hues represent openness, serenity and restoration, and what better way to celebrate spring than by giving a refreshing look to your home decor?

Our newest Color Craze duo, Hawaii Ocean and Dazzling Blue mesh the bright blue of the with the deeper, complimentary shade of Dazzling Blue to make a beautiful pairing that is sure to reinvigorate, bring inner peace and stability as we transition from the renewing energy of spring into the slower (and hotter!) summer months.

Blue palettes like this combo transport my mind to the restfulness and tranquility of our beautiful oceans. Our oceans need help now more than ever. In honor of World Oceans Day, coming up on June 8, 2019, join me in supporting this wonderful cause that strives to promote a healthy future for our bountiful bodies of water.

World Oceans Day is celebrated each year in collaboration with the Ocean Project and connects events, volunteers and donors from around the world that support the health of our worldwide waters. Find more information, including how to donate to World Oceans Day, here. For more information about the Ocean Project, click here.

Blue hues are always in style, and they can really add a sophisticated look to your home.  This combination storage and dining area featured on Domino’s style blog is a perfect example.

Image:  Cody Guilfoyle for Domino

The bright and bold look of this New York City kitchen-dining room hybrid makes a statement that is sure to be remembered by all who visit it.

For a subtler take, these bathroom tiles featured on Designtra are perfect for when a bath needs to be an escape to more placid waters than those that come from the faucet.

Image:  Designtra

While creating an entire room in this duo may not be in your interest or budget, there’s always room for accents. I will be decorating with some bold accent pieces inspired by Hawaii Ocean and Dazzling Blue this late Spring season.  Here are my 8 favorite home decor finds:

1. Le Creuset Mini Round Cocotte

2. Easeland Microplush Blanket

3. Michael Aram Dip Dye Ombre Resort Towel

4. HomCom High Back Accent Ottoman Chair

5. Le Creuset Stoneware Storage Cannister  

6. KitchenAid 5 QT Stand Mixer in Crystal Blue

7. MoonRest Decorative Throw Pillow Case  

8. Sunkey Small Glass Flower Vase

Transitioning from the bustling energy of spring into the slow-down of summer makes this time a great one to focus on renewing the energy of your home.  If you incorporate Hawaii Ocean and Dazzling Blue into your home decor this season, be sure to tag @JulReDesigns on Instagram and use the hashtag #colorfilledlife to be featured on our Instagram page!

For even more Hawaii Ocean and Dazzling Blue inspiration, find this week's Color Craze combo on our board of curated images on Pinterest.

Until next time, keep living a color-filled life,

With a gracious nod to Pantone, the Gods of Color and keepers of all things sacred to hues and palettes, I'm striking out on my own and presenting my first commentary on the colors I'm loving for the rest of this Spring and into the Summer season. I must admit, the colors I have selected are already on heavy rotation in my own life but I'm now seeing them on other colorful women too, in their wardrobe, makeup as well as in their home decor. This collection of colors makes a striking fashion statement and ranges from the energetic orange, Bird of Paradise, to the soft-spoken pink, Rose Shadow. Squarely in the middle is the sophisticated Moroccan Blue with the pristine lilac, Orchid and my absolute favorite minty fresh, Opal completing the group. I'm drawn to them, well, because they are all exciting and fresh and yet distinctly independent enough to hold their own without a complementary partner to give them a boost. 

I couldn't believe my luck when I discovered the nail polish brand, Cirque Colors a few months back. I started using their vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic (no formaldehyde!) colors (I live for their pinkish-brown "Fast Fashion" shade) after doing some personal research on cosmetics and first highlighted the brand in my Spectra Yellow and Flame post. The color range for this line is so extensive, that I found a coordinating polish for each of the hues in this palette. Your nails will be so on trend!

Cirque Colors Creme Nail Polish on Amazon: (top left, clockwise): Fire Island, Sartorial, Midnight Cowboy, Key to Gramercy, Uptown Girl

I'm a huge proponent of tone-on-tone dressing. I make it a regular practice to put some of my daily outfits together based on one color family not only because it gives a sleek, rich, pulled together look but because it's easy! I'm not proposing that you carry that fashion theory all the way through to matching eyeshadow and lipstick but pairing a great dress like the ones from Nordstrom that I'm featuring in my style board below, with a contrasting pair of shoes and handbag and completing the look with nail polish in the same color family is so, so chic!

Shop these versatile, right-for-many-occasion dresses in my Spring/Summer Color Trends palette from Nordstrom (the MaxMara is in my closet!):

1.  Leith Chic Midi Dress

2.  Lewit Kimono Sleeve Stretch Silk Dress

3.  BB Dakota Cara Lace Cocktail Dress

4.  MaxMara Cordoba Sheath Dress

5.  NSR Grace One-Shoulder Lace Sheath Dress

Until next time, live a color-filled life,

Cheery, springy, pastels-a-poppin'!

Placid Blue and Yellow Pear together make me smile. The pleasant print you see above in these happy colors makes me almost love the idea of wallpaper. (gasp!) But alas, the thought has now been pushed from my decorative consciousness. It says a lot about this color duo if its prettiness invited me to have a brief visit to the mystical land of wall coverings. No offense to those who can appreciate the wonders of latex, vinyl and adhesive. I personally have more of an aesthetic connection to paint, brushes and rollers. Nevertheless, these hues are a perfectly refreshing pairing for any room in your home, no matter how the colors are applied.

images: top: Blue and Yellow Bedroom on bhg.com, bottom: Yellow and Blue Dining Room on decoist.com

For more inspiration take a look at our COLOR CRAZE: Placid Blue and Yellow Pear on Pinterest!

If your passion is fashion then you'll love how these pretty pastel colors work into your already existing wardrobe or how you can create great Spring and Summer looks for that daytime wedding and reception without looking too precious by adding few new pieces that I've recently uncovered on Amazon Fashion, all at incredible prices. Check out my Style Board picks in Placid Yellow and Yellow Pear color palette below for shopping details!

1.  Dress (Dresspic)

2.  Labradorite and Lapis Earrings (Custom by JulRe Designs)

3.  Dress (Bbonlinedress)

4.  Pumps (J. Renee)

5.  Clutch (Hobo Glory)

6.  Wallet (Michael Kors)

7.  Topaz, Citrine and Agate Necklace (Custom by JulRe Designs)

8.  Sandals (Allegra K)

Until next time, live a color-filled life!