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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.

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.

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.

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Connect and coordinate a simple color palette with collaboration, colors, and textures.
Sometimes it’s easier than others, and sometimes it just Looks easy! Carefully considered wall finishes and coordinated custom rugs can help. Collaboration gets it done.

In this Boston high-rise condo, to create a backdrop for stronger colors we used a neutral-based color palette in custom finish of textured walls, with custom Tibetan rugs.

I’ve worked in tandem with Boston-area designer Cynthia Brumm, of SpaceDesign, on a number of projects. Here, Cynthia was the lead and she asked me to create wall finishes and rug designs. In addition to designing custom pieces for this client, Cynthia selected beautifully vibrant furnishings to complement the owner’s existing pieces.

Existing dining room furniture is beautifully complemented by GEO-Borders in wool and silk, from Silk Road Weaves

Cynthia also designed this dramatic console cabinet in a beautiful dark wood finish.

Cabinet design by Cynthia Brumm. Artisan wall finishes by Barbara Jacobs Color and Design

Custom wall finishes in an architectural, low-profile texture provide a beautiful backdrop for the custom rugs from Silk Road Weaves.

The adaptable nature of GEO from Silk Road Weaves becomes a runner in 100% wool, and complements the living room and dining room rugs, also from the GEO group.

The wall finishes are the same throughout the main open areas: Entry, Hallway, Living room, Dining room.
Kitchen and powder room are different.

Powder room features walls having a soft bronze layered glaze. Wall finishes by Barbara Jacobs.

The overall effect is comfortable, yet stunning, with a dramatic view overlooking the city.

Yes, there is a view of Boston!

All images by Barbara Jacobs.

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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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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.

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.

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

Pots of Indigo in Nigerian traditional dyeing

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!

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Everyone does it!
That is, everyone looks at color, and feels the effects of color—one way or another. Even those with impaired vision experience and feel color internally.

So, when it comes to actually deciding what colors to use for our homes or even for our businesses, some confusion usually ensues. Typically, the ways color is decided when we need help is one of these:

Paint store defined palettes: Makes it easy, requires little imagination (ie: it’s already done for you). At the very least, this can be a good place to start, to explore testing some colors in your own home.

Ask-a-friend or family member: sometimes works, but the friend or family member is then responsible for their advice (and the relationship!)

Painter recommendations: Painters have more experience with applied color than anyone else in the field.
While some painters are happy to work with you closely to arrive at your specifically personal colors, I’ve noticed that they will typically want you to tell them what colors to use, so they can keep rolling.

However, on the side of patience and imagination,  there might be more that’s needed to achieve something really personal and interesting.

Copy the house down the street: this can be good for inspiration but might not suit your house, Or You, even if it’s the same style building.

What’s different?

• You are different! There are no two people alike, even though they might like the same kinds of colors.
• your House is different – even if it’s only the specific physical location
• Landscaping is likely to be different.
• lighting is probably not the same

Whether it’s for interior or exterior colors, in the process of determining a unique, harmonious and balanced personal color palette for your home, the four qualities in the title of this post are essential to really get it right.

They are all part of eliminating the frustration of being confronted by thousands of colors, and turning the experience into one that’s enjoyable and informative. At some point you may want to consult with a professional about any of these aspects of selecting colors:

1. Imagining – artistic
   
2. Knowing – educated, trained specially in the field
   
3. Envisioning – experience
   
4. Creating – putting it together
   

And finally: Enjoying
Something you can do without any help at all!

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Creating a cohesive feeling throughout an entire home is what I and other color consultants are often called upon to do. Typically, the goal is to create what’s referred to as “flow.”  It’s an overused expression that is not really specific, and often results in “boring.”  But in my view, even with subtle colors it’s far from monochromatic, and certainly not monotonous. In fact, creating “flow,” means to introduce harmonious colors—often in adjacent rooms and sometimes even in the same room—that are not in the same color family at all.

An Example
The beautiful home that’s the subject of this post is a Victorian house in the Boston area. The owners, an energetic young couple, had done most of the groundwork for renovating by themselves, and it was time to select the interior paint colors. The emphasized their desire for a warm and restful palette that would emphasize and complement the lovely architecture of their historic home, without dominating the spaces.

The Story: A Whole-House, Full Spectrum Palette
The owners were excited to use colors from EcoHues and Ellen Kennon throughout the house. They loved the idea of “No Black,” and complex color formulas, even in colors that are what we’d typically call “neutral.”

As we selected the colors, I provided them with actual 8″x10″  painted color cards. I particularly enjoyed hearing their exclamations of enjoyment in seeing how the colors complemented each other.

The resulting palette is soft, harmonious, yet interesting. Because full spectrum paint colors by definition are so complex and mutable, it was possible to keep the actual number of colors to a minimum—with maximum benefit—considering the size of the house and number of rooms throughout.

Ceilings throughout were done with Ellen Kennon’s “White Opal.” The walls in the master bedroom are Ellen Kennon’s “Gustavian Gray;” the master bathroom is Ellen Kennon “Pumice,” and the nursery is Ellen’s “Dusk.”

The foyer, kitchen, stairwell, sunroom and 3rd floor walls are EcoHues “Dune.”  Ceiling in the foyer and in the mudroom is EcoHues “Spring Showers.” Living room walls are EcoHues “Fieldstone,” and the dining room is EcoHues “Blue Grotto.”  First floor powder room walls and ceiling–along with 2nd floor bathroom walls–are EcoHues “Pacific Mist.” The 2nd floor office walls are EcoHues “Perfect Taupe.” On the 3rd floor, the walls and ceiling of the small bathroom are EcoHues “Spring Showers.”

Start the Tour!

EcoHues "DUNE" - Foyer, kitchen, up the stairs into 2nd floor sunroom/hall area

EcoHues “Dune” is a versatile color for many areas!
Standing in the entry, you look up the stairs, and also see into the dining room straight ahead. At left is the kitchen, with the living room to the right of the foyer.

View 1 into kitchen. EcoHues "Dune" on walls, Ellen Kennon "White Opal" for ceilings throughout the house. Foyer is at left.

View 2 into kitchen. EcoHues "Dune" on walls, Ellen Kennon "White Opal" for ceilings throughout the house.

Dining room
I suggested using EcoHues “Blue Grotto” for a rich, sophisticated wall color that would create a bit of drama in the dining room while creating a cool focus for the more earth-toned adjacent rooms. Visible from the dining room, through the entry to the pantry, is the same granite counter top material as used in the kitchen–a beautiful, very deep blue-green with iridescent flecks.

View from dining room, EcoHues "Blue Grotto," into foyer, EcoHues "Dune."

“Blue Grotto” wall color is the perfect choice to highlight this unique oil painting.

On the other side of the dining room, this oil painting is framed by EcoHues "BLUE GROTTO."

Living room
“Fieldstone” creates a warm, earthy feeling for the living room. It’s a lovely complement to the white and gray  marble fireplace on the other side of the room (not shown here).

View into living room from foyer. Ecohues "Fieldstone" on walls. Ellen Kennon "White Opal" on ceilings.

Upstairs: 2nd Floor
Going up the stairs we enter the 2nd floor sunroom. Off the sunroom are the master bedroom, the nursery, an office, and a bathroom. The sunroom, painted in EcoHues “Dune ” as are the first floor foyer, kitchen, and stairway walls, is a warm hub for the adjacent spaces.

Sunroom, EcoHues "DUNE," view into bathroom, EcoHues "PACIFIC MIST"

The tiles were an inspiration for using “Pacific Mist” on the walls, a perfect fit.

Closeup view: EcoHues "PACIFIC MIST"

Nursery
Being right above one end of the kitchen, the large, airy nursery has the same wonderful, historic curved windows (see the kitchen closeup view). On the other side, the nursery opens into the sunroom.

Nursery: Ellen Kennon "DUSK" walls, view into sunroom, EcoHues "DUNE"

Office
What could be better than a perfect taupe wall color for this home office? We used EcoHues “Perfect Taupe,” with Ellen Kennon’s “White Opal” on the ceiling.

Office: EcoHues "PERFECT TAUPE"

Turn around, and look into the sunroom…
Through the opposite door is the master bedroom with Ellen’s “Gustavian Gray” on the walls.

View: Office, into Sunroom, where walls are EcoHues "DUNE" abd ceiling is also Ellen Kennon's "White Opal."

3rd Floor
“Dune” continues up to the 3rd floor, where there is one still-unpainted, very large room and a small bathroom. This small bath has a very luminous feeling, where  EcoHues “Spring Showers” was used on the walls and the ceiling, too. This very pale gray with lavender tones creates an airy space and is a lovely complement to the marble mosaic floor and warm wood cabinet.

Wall and ceiling are EcoHues "SPRING SHOWERS"

The Client’s Story
“My husband and I had spent the last 3 years renovating our Victorian house and were finally nearing the end.

Deciding on what colors to paint the walls felt overwhelming.  Barbara arrived with beautiful paint samples (with incredible names) and together we quickly made selections for most of the house.  From Gustavian Gray in our master bedroom to Dusk for the nursery to Spring Showers for the ceiling in the foyer, it all came together perfectly.

The paint colors are perfect for each room and we couldn’t be happier with the results.  Barbara also helped with selecting the exterior trim color to complement our new shingles as well as the incredible blueish-purple color for the ceiling of the front and back porch.

Working with  you was a great experience. Thank you Barbara!”

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What is a “Bespoke” design for rugs?
I’m often asked about my process of designing and having a “bespoke” rug made; an original design created specifically for an individual client’s space and personal style preferences.  In some cases, the client loves to participate very directly in the design process.

Octagonal version of the design "Falling Leaves"

I selected “Falling Leaves” to share here, as a good example of this experience which is many steps beyond the typical customizing of an existing collection design for size, shape, colors, and even texture.

For me, the process of collaboration with the client is especially enjoyable.  Although these clients are in  the Boston area, and it was easy for me to travel to their home for our meetings, it’s also possible to work with people long-distance. I’ll write about that in another post.

It’s Personal
It’s more than a rug purchase, it’s really about the total experience. My goal is to to invite each client into the process of creating a piece of custom art work that they will enjoy for generations. Of course, people vary in the degree to which they want to be involved. In this case, the clients were excited about in-depth participation on every level.

We had a number of meetings together from start to finish. At the outset, we determined the “subject” of the design. I had a little head start on this because, about 10 years ago, they had engaged me to create a pair of hand painted canvas floorcloths for these same areas. The painted designs were made in 5′x7′, and 8′ diameter—with 12 sides!

What to include?
Their kitchen/dining space included warm cherry wood cabinets, oak floor, and a silvery granite countertop with some grayed blue-green undertones. Fabric of the window treatments included colors and shapes they love. All these elements were very important to them in the look of the new rugs, and it was those considerations that set the tone of the design development process.

Now that they have an adult household, doing actual hand-woven rugs was an exciting and viable option. Exploring the variety of fibers, colors, and weaving techniques that are an intrinsic part of creating a hand knotted rug was a very pleasurable part of the process, in the expectation and anticipation of the final works.

About the designs: the goal
Two custom rugs, “Falling Leaves.”  The pair is a 5′x7′ rectangle, and an 8′x8′ octagon. The rectangle was made for the work area of the client’s kitchen (all wool, 100 knot), and the octagon was made to go under the round table in the adjacent dining area, on the other side of the peninsula.

FLORA: "Falling Leaves," on the kitchen floor

Fibers
We discussed the fibers to use, and the overall color palette that would best represent their ideal rug design. While they had an interest in including some silk in the designs, we explored that possibility but ultimately opted for using 100% Himalayan wool (the only type of wool I use for Silk Road Weaves rugs). In having the samples made up, we included one with some silk in it also, just to be sure of the look. Everyone loved the silk look and feel, but of course that’s not so practical for this setting.

This "Bespoke" design: FLORA/Falling Leaves. Left: 5'x7' Right: 8' Octagon

From our overall color palette, to create additional depth of color I suggested combining multiple colors and dye-techniques within the various color fields. Again, this was something that I specified in our samples, so we could see how it looked in a few different ways.

That’s just one thing I love about the creative process of designing these rugs as an art form, just another medium. There are so many ways to create visual interest and depth of color, even with a more limited palette and basically “graphic” design style.

Closeup - texture of Falling Leaves

For our first meeting
I brought yarn poms of wool and silk, and worked out rough sketches to start with. Then, back in the studio I translated the design to the computer where I could adjust the overall design and the placement of colors. This is a very effective way to preview the possibilities and make changes as needed, to develop the design. Once we had the basic idea of the 5×7, I developed the 8′ octagon, taking into consideration the placement of table and chairs.  In our subsequent meetings together we honed the color selections and refined the details, the entire look and texture of the two rugs.

Next
I sent for the samples and…after one month they arrived. Because we had been meticulously attentive to all details along the way, they loved all three versions but the final decision was easy for them to make.

Why this shape?
Yes, we could have made it round, but wanted the octagon as a more interesting shape that was very compatible with the design style and the space it would be used.  As with all our collections, these rugs can be customized to suit any personal space and style with size, color, and fiber preferences.

Dining area, the 8' octagon rug.

CLIENT COMMENTS

“It’s hard to believe that our third project with Barbara is even better than the first two!  The beach scene mural that Barbara painted on our wall, over 10 years ago, continues to be timeless and bring joy. And while we are sad to say goodbye to the canvas floorcloths that she created for us eleven years ago, the replacement rugs she has just designed are magnificent, with Barbara’s impeccable choice of color and textures woven in a stunning yet subtle design. We’re finding it difficult to walk on these works of art!

Perhaps best of all was how easily Barbara brought my husband and me into the design process. She educated us on the process of rug making that would happen half way around the world and kept us informed of progress via email and pictures. In the design mode Barbara welcomed our suggestions and sought our input, making the three of us a team.

Barbara’s versatile talents create one-of-a-kind jewels that transform a room into a very special space.  Bravo, Barbara, you’ve done it again!”

Want more information about the process and materials?
View our 2-part slide show, “The Journey, from Inspiration to You,” to find out more about the materials and processes of making a hand woven Tibetan rug from Silk Road Weaves.

Register to receive Barbara’s e-newsletter and download your pdf of our white paper
“Enjoy the Process: Guidelines for Working with a Design Professional.”

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Ikat Textiles of India (Paperback) By (author) Chelna Desai List Price: $19.95 USD New From: $45.00 In Stock Used from: $7.50 In Stock

No image on Amazon.com, so I offer this image of my own copy of Ikat Textiles of India, by Chelna Desai

A contemporary view of Ikat textiles in India.  Shown are designs in a wide range of colors, from simple everyday styles to complex, rare examples. Includes the history and technique of Ikat with a very useful glossary.

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In my recent blog post in which I showed a few some images of  the “Decor and Fashion” connection, I presented a brief description of the intricate dye-and-weave process knows as “Ikat.”

Shown: my own well-worn copy of this wonderful reference book.

Now, for those of you who have an interest in what’s behind the fashion aspect, I’m happy to introduce two wonderful books on the subject of Ikat, and other traditional dye techniques.

The Dyer’s Art is an exciting compendium of many resist-dye techniques.  The author, Jack Lenor Larsen, is a renowned designer, artist, and authority on weaving.

“Resist” dyeing is most recognizable in it’s most simplistic form as the good-old “tie dye’ of the 60′s and even more recently in it’s rebirth in the funky-trendy mode.
My own definition: What it refers to technically is any process by which yarns, woven textiles, or other materials are bound, coated, or otherwise treated to “resist” application of, or immersion in, a dye or other colorant.

Whether your familiarity with Resist dyeing is from that mode, or in batik (wax), or other, less familiar methods like  “Plangi” and “Arashi Sibori” and others,  Resist techniques are fascinating. For me, it’s been a long time interest, since I first started experimenting with textile design and art-to-wear, in the late 70′s. I’ve been an admirer of Mr. Larsen since I first heard of him!

Pages 224 and 225 illustrate making a traditional “Double Ikat” textile in Bali: creating an intricate tied-and-dyed design on the warped threads, right on the loom, before the weaving is even begun.

Less technical,  Ikat Textiles of India, Chelna Desai presents an entire book of beautiful examples of more contemporary fashion applications in addition to traditional Ikat method. While Larsen explores Ikat with a global view, Desai focuses on Indian Ikat work. This beautiful book is illustrated with images of Ikat textiles from many private collections in India.

Hundreds of traditional and contemporary examples of Indian Ikat

You can check out both of these volumes through our own Design Library.

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