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Behind the increasing cost of paint

Here we go again, in Paint as many industries and products.
Yes, prices are going up—again. It used to be that paint was, well, “Cheap!” We always would say, hey, it’s the best way to get the most change for the least money spent.  Big change for small change, so to speak. Whether you’re “into paint” or just buying paint again after a long time away from your paint store, now you might be surprised at the current prices and the projected trend in this direction.

What is the story about the paint price increases? It’s not just for a few “premium” companies, but apparently all across the spectrum of brands, quality and price points.
paint fandeck

What’s in that can of paint?
Basically, all paint colors are made up of tinted bases. In sheens from flat to high gloss, the base material is a combination of materials, but this story is about, essentially,  “titanium dioxide.” That’s what makes the the paint color white, in the can, before adding tints to make Your colors. So, when the cost of that material goes up, so goes the price of paint.

If you’re into the economy of science–or the bottom line on why paint products are continuing to get more expensive– you might enjoy this article.

EcoHues Full Spectrum Paint - Pacific Mist

Boston condo – EcoHues Full Spectrum : Blue Grotto.  Making the most of a can of paint with a minimum of 7 tints in Every color—and not a drop of black or gray.

But OK, I will still say it—Paint is the way to go.  All the more reason why we want to really carefully consider what colors we’re using, and paying for.  And, all the more reason to make the most of the paint we are using—and enjoying.


Indigo Textiles-Technique and History, by Gosta Sandberg



Seriously, I had no idea when I wrote the recent post about Mood-Indigo that this color was going to be such a big thing!  In West Elm, Crate and Barrel, and even Home Accents Today, all have some mention of this mysteriously beautiful and infinitely variable color and dye.

Dare I predict…(even without a crystal ball) that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this very old dye color in mainstream decor, and not just in denim.

INdigo Textiles TEchnique and History

Right here, enough to get started, with numerous great pictures.

 

So, to hearken back to my long-time fascination with traditional surface design techniques and materials, I found this on my bookshelf.

Dyeing to Try?
For those of you who might take your interest in Indigo to the next level, I encourage you to check out this little volume. You have the instructions Right Here, to do your own Indigo dye work.

List Price: $22.95 USD
New From: $9.99 In Stock
Used from: $4.00 In Stock


Color of the week? Try, MOOD of the week, INDIGO!

Blues…music, paint, fiber, jewels, feelings.

What’s “Mood Indigo,” anyway?
An audio version of course…this classic!

And another interpretation by Ella Fitzgerald, unsurpassable.

Another way to experience it – Old Levi’s!  In the originals, the dye was Indigo.

Indigo culture is worldwide, a fiber dye and therefore, as with many dye materials, a currency. Whether it’s a paste resist in Africa; Batik  or block-printing in Indonesia; Rice Paste resist or Arashi Shibori in Japan, and any one of the myriad textile design techniques that are part of indigenous cultures worldwide, using Indigo dye is a highly developed craft and art.

Indigo vats in Japan - find out more at Kimono Boy

Vats of Indigo in Japan. Find out more at Kimono Boy

Actually, the inspiration for this post was a recent conversation with a friend who now lives in Santa Fe. She mentioned seeing the premier of the documentary, Blue Alchemy, and hearing about it reminded me of the many ways that I’ve seen Indigo dye used over the years. That conversation brought back many memories of my own personal experiences working with many types of tradition textile decoration techniques and materials. Even now, in fact, I can use Indigo-dyed fibers in my own Tibetan rug designs!

In antique textiles, traditional culture textiles, and modern work, Indigo has a presence all its own.

Hmong Textiles

Textiles made by Hmong people in Vietnam, shown at Kimono Reincarnate blog site.

Indigo pots in Nigeria

Pots of Indigo in Nigerian traditional dyeing

Morris Kennet-Indigo printed textile 1883

Indigo printed textile by Morris Kennet -- 1883!

Indigo is earthy, primal, mysterious, exotic, beautiful, and versatile! What more could we ask of one type of plant?

If this is a subject that interests you, check out this video and other material on the same page. And, Enjoy!


Cross-generational relationships: Connecting the Color-Dots from Antique to Contemporary

How to relate? In this case, it’s about Antiques, Color, Contemporary Life…connecting the colorful dots!

Do you love antiques? Even if you are partial to Contemporary design, you have to check out this web site that is an excellent resource for all types of antiques, from lighting to furniture to architectural elements.

They have a unique—and fun—feature on the DesignerDiggs.com site: you can select a color from a rainbow band of color options and you’ll be able to see how any of those colors will look when used with the antique piece you’re looking at on their site.

How did I find out about this? Even though I’m a designer of contemporary rugs, they asked me to write a section about using antique textiles in a contemporary environment. As a color consultant, I wanted to make the connection using color as the bridge and a trip to San Francisco provided the backdrop.

Together we selected a group of four pieces, to start with: two antique rugs, and two other antique textiles.

Ningxia Runner

Antique Ningxia Runner from DesignerDiggs.com

I really enjoyed creating color palettes especially for these fine antique pieces, all from two noteworthy showrooms in San Francisco. I was fortunate to be able to personally visit the Sandra Whitman Gallery and Kathleen Taylor: The Lotus Collection during a recent trip to the Bay Area. It was a great opportunity to see some of these fine antiques in a real-life setting, and the showroom owners were so generous in sharing photos and information about their collections of exquisite textiles.

When you visit DesignerDiggs.com, you’ll also see posts by other designers featured on the web site.  The palettes I created for this project are all referring to Ellen Kennon Full-Spectrum Paints but you can use any brand, including my own line “EcoHues” which is made through Ellen Kennon but which I had not yet created when I wrote the palette article for Designer Diggs.

Check out DesignerDiggs.com to read all the articles and enjoy discovering some new color combinations. And of course, using “antiques” is just another very beautiful way to implement Green design!


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