A Color Story to Inspire Decorating
It is truly magical how color can transform the interior design of a home. A jolt of the right shade can bring a room to life, and sophisticated layering of colors frames the architecture of a home well. Only too often the color scheme of a home becomes the afterthought of the design plan, rather than color setting the tone. I love it when my favorite paint companies introduce their new colors because they usually add onto their existing palettes. These new choices give us designers something new to work with on design projects. The paint companies conduct a great deal of research before launching their new color schemes, and with the ever-changing world of interior design, it is valuable to have cutting-edge products to work with.
Yesterday I shared a fun lunch at East Hampton’s Babette’s restaurant with my friend Christine Klotz, the Tri-State Lead Showroom Manager of Farrow & Ball, after attending the informative art show ArtHamptons in Bridgehampton. I was happy to see such a large turnout of high quality art from both local and international artists and galleries at ArtHamptons. The show took place in a farm field where the infamous Hampton Classic equestrian competition will set up in August. During our lunch, I was awestruck when Christine whipped the company’s newly-launched nine exquisite colors out of her bag, which instantly took me to a crisp fall day, possibly in New England. The nine colors are rich and intense yet somehow mellow at the same time.
Farrow & Ball has piqued my interest because the company has deep roots firmly planted in history, placing a strong emphasis on quality craftsmanship that many in the art and design world appreciate. Made in Dorset, England, the paints have a wide array of colors and finishes. I often head to Riverhead Building Supply to pick up cans of this truly special paint. Because many of the colors seem historical in nature, it is a perfect complement to the homes in the area. [expand]
It does not surprise me to hear that Farrow & Ball has collaborated with artists and art organizations in the Hamptons because the company places a high value on the local artistic community. They were one of the sponsors of ArtHamptons, and this is part of an ongoing plan by the company to collaborate with artists. It seems the feeling is mutual, with many artists placing a premium on the quality of the paint. Last summer, local East Hampton sculptor James DeMartis worked with Farrow & Ball paint to repurpose one of his metal sculptures. Together with Farrow & Ball he unveiled the finished exhibit at events in both Farrow & Ball’s New York City showroom and in James’ working studio in Springs.
All of this color inspiration makes me want to run out, stretch a canvas and dip a brush into one of those rich new colors. Instead I will stick to the occasional furniture painting as my art form, leaving the genius works of art to the amazing and eclectic artists I saw at ArtHamptons last weekend. After studying Farrow & Ball’s new color palette for a bit, I decide to repurpose a vintage dressing table and settled upon the new mossy green color as my color choice. [/expand]