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Maybe it’s every summer, but in Ohio it’s a great assortment of beautiful colors on beautiful vintage cars that represent some of the colors of summer, and of adventure.

That’s a classic color, for sure (O.K., so I’m from Minnesota!)
Check out the upholstery!  What a beautiful job.

Step inside, take a ride!

Maybe you’d prefer red?

Hot, and Hotter!

Or, is it Cool, and Cooler?  We didn’t see any Yellow cars that day, though…

Going back in time a bit…

Red was probably not the original color.

But isn't it gorgeous?

What’s a car show without an essential, basic, and beautiful green?

There’s something about the quality of the paint job.
All these colors are so deep, you can look into them for miles. Some have embedded metallic within the layers of the finish.Shiny, Bright, and Brilliant.

And last but certainly not least..the original.

Original version, complete with real, very historic, embellishment.

How will you use these colors?  Please share your inspirations!

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OK, let’s say we agree, that we recognize that color is important. So, how do we take it to the next level? There’s the Right Color…and then there’s the “Everything Right About the Color.”  Color experience is so omnipresent that I was inspired to share this example.

The Swedish design firm Happy F&B has really got it Right, in a subtle  yet effective way.

(Screen shot image)

The changes in the green color, the font style, the shape…these are the seemingly little changes that make the difference.

These same principles can also apply to using color in architecture and interiors.  It’s a broader view on what makes color selections important, and why many factors need to be considered.  Lighting is the one that’s most often mentioned as being important. After all, what is “color” if not reflected light!

As with the logo re-design above, it can be the little things that become the most important things. And getting to these can mean asking a lot of questions. Among them might be something like:

• What’s the purpose of the shape of the area considered for a color? Is it intended to be read as a collection of flat surfaces, or as a mass or volume?

• What about the position of the surface in the space? Is it above you, below, at the side, or behind other shapes? These all apply whether it’s indoors or outside.

We humans actually do respond both physically and emotionally to these qualities even if it’s not something we consciously think about. And, while these might seem like extraneous details—not romantic, fashionable, glamorous or “sexy”—they are exactly the kinds of considerations that can determine the success of a color palette and therefore of an interior, a building, or a product.

Find out more about  lighting design here.

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