Green is for Money and Luck

Recently, a girlfriend and I were in Sarasota, Florida and late one night, we were driving along and happened upon this bank.  I was just floored, and I loved it!!  It was all lit up in GREEN!  The color GREEN was completely saturating this building.  It is so fabulous on so many levels, don't you agree??  Of course, now I can't remember the name of the bank but I dare to bet you it has something to do with that big, oversized neon four leaf clover at the top, huh?

Let's explore all those areas of relevance with the green/bank relationship!  In the United States, GREEN stands for money, wealth, and capitalism because that's what color is on our monetary notes.  GREEN stands for luck as in the four leaf clover at the top of the bank.  GREEN also corresponds to the Old English verb "growan" or "to grow" to explain plants of the ocean.  We all want our money "to grow" in the bank, right?  GREEN is also associated with regeneration, fertility, and rebirth for it's connections to nature.  We all want our money to flourish or be revived after a decline!

Another interesting tidbit of GREEN is its use in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  In the Emerald City, everyone wears tinted glasses which makes everything look green.  Why?  The political interpretations of the story suggest the author, L. Frank Baum, used the color GREEN for the city to depict the financial system of America which was debating the use of paper money vs. gold at the time.

Last but not least, we should all be aware of the GREEN movement of recycle, reuse, and reduce.  Hopefully by following the 3 R's approach, we should all be able to save money and have more GREENBACKS in the bank!

Stay fresh and vibrant with GREEN!!

Susan

Arts & Crafts Homes Magazine Photo Shoot

Hi All!  We recently finished doing a photo shoot at a client’s home for Arts & Crafts Homes and the Revival magazine with the ever fabulous photographer, Karen Melvin!  What a fun filled day it was, and the photos are absolutely incredible!  Karen is a genius in bringing to life the 2D media of photography and giving it as much warmth and depth as the actual 3D environment.  I’ve included just a few prepping photos from our day at my client’s home.  We brought lots of goodies for props, fillers, styling, etc.

Lots of floral, fruits (real and fake) for styling.  We actually decided the fake looked better than the real deal.  Go figure!!

Kristin, my assistant, keeping tabs on all of the lovely props, and perusing for the next item or grouping we need.

Looking out from the kitchen into the living room.  We brought lots of fun yellow and chartreuse colors to add pop to the warm wood tones.  Little glimpse of my wonderful client who let us create chaos in her home for the day!

Kristin and myself primping and rearranging.  Details, angles, and every inch is crucial in getting the right look with decor relationships.

The photography is absolutely gorgeous!  I can't wait to share it all with you; however, you'll have to be patient.  It won't come out in publication until Winter 2012/2013.  Don't worry -- I'll for sure keep you posted!

Cheers, Susan

TCDC "Doing the Tangerine Tango"

Doing the Tangerine Tango

Tangerine Tango (gotta love that name!) is Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2012!!  And you thought last years Honeysuckle was intense…ha!  Just saying the name Tangerine Tango puts me in a good mood.  Here’s what Pantone has to say about the color:

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it. Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

Couldn’t have said it better myself!  How do we transfer that “radiant shading” to a paint color we can actually use?  So glad you asked!  Below I’ve selected similar paint colors from some of the leading, and readily available, paint manufacturers in the Twin Cities.

(Continue reading this post where I guest authored over at the Twin Cities Design Collective.  See examples of this color used in environments as well as color selections from popular paint manufacturers!  Click:  Twin Cities Design Collective )

~~ Happy Hues!!  Susan ~~

An Array of Pillows? Yes? No?

So often throw pillows are thought of as a mix and match way of bringing color and pattern to a room, AND so often, that is exactly what the room needs.  Which is why most people have oodles of extra pillows floating around the house.  Easy to buy, easy to change out, and relatively inexpensive.  However, sometimes a room needs a different direction.  It needs the pillow as an accessory to have a more structured and planned presentation.

For example, take this room from Mia Malcolm, the pillows are displayed in a very structured format, and isn't it perfect?!

Mia Malcolm Design

Would an array of mumbo jumbo pillows work above?  Not as beautifully as the precisely placed gold and white rectangle pillows do.  I love this room.  It is classic yet cozy  -- why is that?  I mean, it is very minimalist and clean.  It's the curves.  Curves have a way of making a room inviting, and this room is a perfect example of that.  There are so many arced angles playing off of each other with the sofa, the cocktail table, the side table, the small glass balls in the table lamp, the soft curves of the glass vases, the round shag rug, and the round marbleized sculpture in the left corner.  Yet with all that, it doesn't feel overwhelmingly "rounded".  Mia did a fabulous job balancing the minimalist style of furnishings with soft, curved lines creating a beautifully, balanced environment.

You ask:  what if my furnishings are more slouchy or traditional and not quite so contemporary?  Use the same principle but make sure the pillows reflect the softness of your furniture.  In the living room below, I used the same concept with four large pillows, but their soft style transitions well to the softness of the sectional style.

Susan E. Brown/Lisa M. Bond Photography

If you like Mia's casual clean California style, check out more of her work by clicking here.

Now that you've got a whole new way to look at pillows and their placement, have fun accessorizing!!

Cheerio!  Susan

Twin Cities Design Collective "GET TO KNOW" Susan Brown!

Hi!

Please check out the Twin Cities Design Collective Blog today in their "GET TO KNOW" series where they are featuring "ME"!  Yea!

Twin Cities Design Collective: GET TO KNOW {Susan Brown}

Click on the link above to read more about what inspires me!!  Have a great day!  Susan

Grouping Photos and Artwork

Hi!  So often we all get in a rut with our daily list of endeavors, tasks, and responsibilities, that when it comes time to creativity, we forget to "think outside the box".  Interior design and decorating is no stranger to this habit, particularly in the realm of accessorizing.  I came across this grid on Pinterest and thought it would be a helpful bit of information for everyone.  Let the new and improved groupings begin!

~~~ Susan ~~~

Thanks Midwest Home magazine/ASID!

Check out my client's kitchen in Midwest Home magazine's "Guide to Good Design" on newsstands now! Thank you Midwest Home and American Society of Interior Designers/ASID!!!

~~~ Best, Susan ~~~