the color lab blog

It's a new year and I have 10 fresh and colorful discoveries for you! Read on for this week's links!

• During a time when we could all use a little sweetness comes a dessert for a worthy, worldly cause. (DesignTaxi)
• It's refresh season! Ready to re-energize your home without breaking the bank? These floor coverings in vibrant colors that pop may do the trick! (The Color Lab Blog)
• Scarves as neck accessories are still a thing but tying them in fashionable ways is tricky. I found these tutorials and the beautiful, color-rich scarves quite fascinating. (MaiTai Collection) 
• This eyeshadow palette in a collectible, limited edition case is almost too gorgeous to use. (The Met Store)
• I adore this photographer's expansive vision and his cunning way of capturing color. (Artspace) His Instagram page is a captivating moodboard.
• Customization comes to t-shirts and I, for one am glad I no longer have to deal with the dreaded "too tight across the bust" issue. (Amazon)
• Once travel is safer, this magical, color-filled bucket list city will be one of the first places I visit. (Conde Nast Traveler)
• Attention all amateur gemologists: These delightful gemstone oracle cards are not only picture-perfect, they're inspirational and uplifting. (Amazon)
• It's funny how comedy defies logic sometimes. (Bored Panda)
• Pantone, the global color authorities, gifted us with a Color of the Year 2021 duo - Illuminating, a brilliant, happy hormone-inducing yellow and Ultimate Gray, a mellow, grounded tone.

I hope you love the products I recommend! This post 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!

It's refresh season! Each new year always spurns the urge to cleanse our lives of all the yuckiness that pervaded our daily existence from the previous year. And I don't know about you but I'd like to wipe away as much of the 'ugh' of 2020 as I possibly can.

I hope you love the products I recommend! This blog post contains 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!

Besides burning sage to start the year with positive vibes, I'm looking to give a few rooms in my home some small, impactful shots of energy and life-affirming vibrations.

RUG RULES

Since your floors are a literal foundation and below your natural eye level when you enter any room, they aren't often considered as significant when it comes to decorating. But I believe a stunning, strategically placed floor covering can change the dynamic of a room faster than any other design element. Flat or fluffy pile? Synthetic or natural fibers? It depends on how your rug will be used. For high traffic areas like a foyer or family room, you might want to consider a low pile wool rug. Low traffic areas such as bedrooms do well with silk blends and mohair.

{image credit} Macy's 

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

The key to using a statement rug is making some key decisions before making a purchase. Do you want your floor covering to be the focal point of the room or do you prefer that it play a complimentary accessory role? Your decision will impact how bold or subtle you may want your rug to be. No matter what you decide, for a true energy shift, make it all about as much dynamic color as you can!

SIZE MATTERS

Larger rugs help to create a balanced room and placing the all of the furniture at least partially on the rug unifies all of your decor elements. But smaller rugs can be used to divide a larger room into distinct sections. For instance, a round rug can highlight a corner near bookcases and comfortable club chair to create a library/sitting area while a coordinating slim runner can be used in front of a couch to help define a family room section.

{image credit} Macy's 

COLOR PLAY

If you're just not sure about how much color your room can accomodate, a no-commitment way to explore is by playing the totally addicting game Design Home: House Renovation (available on iOS and Android) that allows you to express your inner interior decorator using real, high-end furniture and decor. You can design a room and experiment with color before you make an investment plus get exclusive savings on many of the home furnishings available!

Or you can contact me for more information on my Interior Color Styling services. I would be delighted to provide you with a virtual consultation on your home refresh project.

SHOPPING MADE EASY

So as it is my constant quest to find economical ways to make the biggest impact in your home, I visited (virtually) a few of my favorite home decor stores and brands for a look at what was new and exciting. Admittedly, most of the  rugs I curated in the collection below reflect a bolder aesthetic, but I believe that the power of a room refresh is only as good as our willingness to experiment. 

If you're into vibrant colors that pop or intensity in design, you can begin your quest for floor covering dominance with my Radiant Rugs board below:

1. Nourison Le Reve LER05 Area Rug | 2. Surya Forum FM-7203 Area Rug | 3. Bridgeport Home Aldrose Ald4 Light Green Area Rug | 4. Dalyn Rug Company Rubio RU1 Area Rug | 5. Rosedale Area Rug | 6. Mia Vibrance Area Rug (SOLD OUT) | 7. Yesenia Area Rug | 8. Bridgeport Home Pari Par1 Black Area Rug | 9. Bridgeport Home Lorem Lor1 Gold Area Rug | 10. Bridgeport Home Crisanta Crs4 Green Runner Area Rug | 11. Bridgeport Home Linport Lin6 Lilac Area Rug | 12. Rhoads Area Rug | 13. Safavieh x Martha Stewart Lily Pad Area Rug | 14. Global Rug Designs Jano JAN02 Ivory Round Area Rug | 15. Bridgeport Home Adah Ada1 Multi Area Rug | 16. Global Rug Designs Yorba YOR05 Black Area Rug

Until next time, may your life be filled with color!

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.

It's that time of year when we realize the giving season has once again snuck up on us. This year, our holidays will be unlike any we've probably ever experienced. My family is now spread all across the world so our traditional family gatherings will certainly be technology driven (Zoom calls, FaceTime parties) but we will nonetheless come together to celebrate our love for each other, albeit in very unique ways.

I hope you love the products I recommend! This post 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!

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Check out the Bloomingdale’s Gift Guide with unique gifts for everyone on your list!

One tradition that won't change for us is the exchange of gifts and tokens of caring. I made sure that I got an early start this year since almost every present will be sent via some form of delivery service and this year will prove to be quite a challenge. So while I was in the midst of my shopping frenzy, I thought I'd try to make your gifting adventure a bit easier. 

SHOP MY COLORFUL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

I've gathered some pretty cool gifts that are sure to accommodate most budgets, from wallet-friendly to luxury. I hope there's something for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Since I live and breathe by beautiful, vibrant colors, I curated these Gift Guides using the colors I was inspired by from the Pantone Autumn/Winter 20/21 Trend Report! It's a palette that harkens back to a time when the classic colors were in vogue, when abundance did not mean necessarily mean excessive. These shades won't lessen your sense of creativity but will enhance your desire to create unique self statements. Some of the items you'll find in these Gift Guides are from Amazon and with a Prime Membership you get special benefits including FREE 2 DAY SHIPPING - always important but especially at this time of year.

START YOUR 30 DAY AMAZON PRIME FREE TRIAL TODAY!

So, get out your list and head over to The Color Lab Shop and shop-by-color now!

SHOP MY COLORFUL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES

FROM OUR PARTNERS 

You can call me "old school" when it comes to my sneaker collection. Though I prefer the term "classic". I love lace up low tops with minimal soles in luscious suedes or textured walkabouts in brilliant prints and palettes.

And yes, I may be on the borderline of having an intense obsession (these images show about 40% of my entire sneaker cache) but the reason I'm in so deep is because this comfy shoe trend and I go way back and I'm nothing if I'm not loyal.

In the 80's, I wore sneakers as my commuter shoes for work. Thick soles and huge white laces were part of the corporate uniform for getting to the office comfortably. Then in the 90's I moved away from the somewhat orthopedic styling many sneakers had to what the cool kids were wearing - athletic shoe styling with brand identifying features like trademark swishes or a large felines.

Today, the comfort of the 80's shoes meshed with the sleek styling of the 90's sneakers is where I'm happiest. But as with everything else in my life, there must be color involved!

I hope you love the products I recommend! While this blog post was not sponsored, it 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!

PUMA Womens Suede Embroidered Floral Sneaker

There's nothing like a cute pair of sneakers to contrast with a pretty sundress or flowy, wide leg pants. My favorite way to wear sneakers is with t-shirt dresses for working in my studio and I'll slide them on with cropped pants and a tube top for cocktails on my porch (the new  "dinner club").  But more important than their trendiness, they must be COMFORTABLE. 

The brands I've worn for years have eliminated the need for me to make the choice between style and fit. I am particularly fond of Keds, adidas and Puma sneakers for their vast array of styles and colors. The adidas Originals Women's Campus and the Puma Suede Classic sneakers are fashionable throwbacks that come in major colorways. They're your go to shoes when you want to keep it casual. 

My best-in-sneakers award in the category of prints and colorful palettes that will put a smile on your face goes to the Keds x Rifle Paper Co. collaboration - it's a color and sneaker lover's dream come true. There's so much detail and artisanship with each collection, you won't be sure if you should actually wear them or display them. 

Keds x Rifle Paper Co. Anchor Happy Stripe Sneakers

Sneakers aren't typically thought of when looking to make a statement but I'd like to change that. If you haven't connected with these versatile accessories other than the pair you wear to the gym, give them a fashionable chance! I've rounded up a few more of my faves in cool colorways for you to shop below:

 This style is SOLD OUT. These are as equally as cute.

 Color combo is SOLD OUT but lots of colors here.

SOLD OUT - similar style here.

Until next time, may your life be filled with joy and color!