Pantone Color of 2012

I love when Pantone announces the "Color of the Year", it's so much fun! The Color of 2012 is Tangerine Tango and I really love it. It's a really fun color and is a little bit pink, a little bit orange, and a little bit red.

The tangerine is super intense and vibrant.

This orange linen fabric on this chair is...a tangerine dream. Yup, I said it. It's a traditional setting with a fun pop of color. Sara Bengur.

I should have included this in my last blog about vertical striped walls. The orange stripe mixed in with white, blue and taupe really makes it pop. I love the way it looks with blue, too. Sheila Bridges.

Muriel Brandolini designed this adorable fabric with a faded carrot background with bright orange flowers. Fabric.

Amanda Nisbet mixes a lot of bright colors together in this playful sitting room but grounds it with some dark blue and beige.

Yeah, I have some orange pants. These are very cute too from J. Crew.

I think I must really love the navy blue and tangie combination. The nautical blue stripes paired with the bright orange is very appealing to me. Massucco Warner Miller.

Do you like the tangerine color? Turns out I like all the new colors of the year. I guess I just really love color...surprised? According to these jokers, orange means enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, success, and stimulation. True that. When you use these in a room they are fun, dynamic, and creates action in the room.

Alicia B.

Precious Nurseries

TOO MUCH PINK. But there are still some cute elements. From Restoration Hardware Baby and Child.

Designing a room for a baby can be tough, but I imagine it's equally as fun. My friend and fellow designer is having a baby in a few months so we've been talking about how to design the room for her little girl! We both agree to stay away from the cliche pink everything with giant flowers and pink curtains theme etc. So then how do you design a room for a baby without crossing the line into a cliche pink (or blue) mess or just a room for an adult with mini furniture? Here are some of my favorite ones:

This baby's nursery has tons of room for toys and playing. I often wonder if it's okay to have hard wood floors in a room with a baby. Bruises? No? I love the ark though--so cute! Lucky baby to have such high ceilings. By the Art of Everyday Living.

Celerie Kemble actually designed this room. To be honest if I were a baby, I'd be scared out of my wits lying there looking at those butterflies. I do love the white bobbin crib though and love a floppy stuffed animal!

Massucco Warner Miller. This is a perfect preppy nursery for a preppy little baby girl. You can get letters like that at Anthropolgie or Ballard Designs. This is so precious I can barely breathe.

Houzz. No need to wallpaper! You can keep it simple with white or cream colored walls so that it's easier to adapt to as the little munchkin grows up.

David Netto went all out with plush furniture and a soft rug. The drapery is even soft and fluffy. I appreciate that he didn't use one of his cribs from his own line of furniture too because they are rather...prison like (maybe just too modern for my taste).

In the nursery (which later became my father's office) that we (my two sisters and I) all had as babies, we had cute pastel wallpaper and a blue carpet...or was it green? It was a mini room but so cute with stuffed animals and eyelet white curtains on the windows. I think stuffed animals are really the key ingredient...


Alicia B.

Cool off Blues

Robert Stilin put a beautiful abstract painting over this table with different blues. Clearly a focal point.

Summer can get pretty steamy, especially here in NYC. In August the heat can be almost unbearable! Coming home and sitting directly in front of the air conditioner is one way to solve the overheating that comes with summer, but another way is to visually cool off your home! Adding cool colors to your home in the summer can be a way to take the heat down a notch and add some freshness too.

A blue geometric rug sets the tone subtly for this room by Thad Hayes. Also different blues are all around the room in throw pillows, a blanket and the drapery.

Simply adding blue accessories is also a fun and less expensive option. Massucco Warner Miller used different blue glass vessels in these cabinets.

Blue and white cachepots for the plants around your room also catch your attention. Wouldn't this be a nice place to sip lemonade after being outside for a bit? By Joann Barwick from Traditional Home.

My favorite idea, which is temporary for the change in season, is to switch up the throw pillows and lampshades. It's an easy way to freshen up the room and you can change the pillows back to orange in fall or tartan in the winter! By Frank Roop.

Pastels and different blues are nearly everywhere throughout this large living room by Diamond Baratta. Blue lampshades and lanterns are molto fun!



Don't want to repaint your walls or buy new lampshades? Want a project? A fun idea is to paint your bookcase blue, or even just the back wall of it for a pop of blue when you're admiring your books/bookcase display. From Remodelista via HERE.

Painting the walls blue is also a fun and inexpensive option. I love how this dining room is painted above the very high chair rail. Draws your eye up to the amazing ceiling too. By Marshall Watson.

When I started this and was thinking of cool fresh blues, I immediately thought of Bunny Williams summery room for the Kips Bay 2009 Showhouse. It's more of a turquoise blue but bright and lively. From Habitually Chic.

Do y'all ever change a room based on the season? Slip covers are also a good idea for an inexpensive seasonal change if they are done in a very tailored way though. My living room has yellow walls and a brown plaid love seat so I'd probably change (sew my own!) the throw pillows before I did anything else.


Alicia B.

The Modern Pleat

This room in the Kips Bay Showhouse is full of uber traditional pleated details by Mario Buatta.

Usually when you think of pleats you conjure up images of fussy chintz sofas (see above and please don't hurt me Mr. Buatta), doilies, and lots and lots of passmenterie. Lately however, the idea of a pleat is modern, clean, and...trendy. I'm seeing them in upholstery as well as in the fashion world. While I've always been a fan of a cute pleated skirt, pleats are BACK in pants, too.

Massucco Warner Miller uses a pleated pillow in this cheery orange, blue and neutrals room. Modern but not cold--I like it.

Eileen Fisher has a line of dupioni silk home accents including these loosely pleated pillows.

I just know I'd have to run my fingers manically up and down this pillow. By Dransfield and Ross.

A pleated bed skirt is also another way to go! I love the way this looks here. By Marshall Watson.

This is the happiest little pleated pillow and doesn't have a super structured look but isn't fussy. From etsy shop TootieEstelle.

This pleat all the way up the arm ads a fussy/fresh detail to the chair. Henredon via Point Click Home.

Gap is pulling in outside designers (thank God) again and these pants in the window caught my eye on my power walk down to work. I know my friends would tear me down if I bought them so I'll stick to my regular khakis but these are quite fun! Alexander Wang designed for the Gap for $69.50.

I like the detailing, personally, but what do you guys think? I'm into the fresh modern take on something traditional--surprised?


Alicia B.