Shadow, Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year 2017

Dear friends of mine:

this year has been one of thinking about my life and I haven't been here at all, which I regret. The absence has been good for me to clarify some aspects in my life, and today here I am again. 

"SHADOW", Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year 2017, is to blame for my return. It grabbed my attention today, though it was announced nearly two weeks ago. And I just can say I LOVE this rich, dark, saturated, grayed blue violet.

Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year 2016!!!!

My best wishes to you all for the most Happy Holidays and an amazingly wonderful New Year 2016!

Best regards!

Isabel de Yzaguirre,

La Colorista®

Evidences In Home Design and Products announcing Pantone's Colours of the Year 2016, Rose Quartz and Serenity, as seen in 2015's Fairs.

As I announced in my previous post, I'm going to analize my Trends Boards and see what products seen in 2015's Fairs support Pantone's election for their Colours of the Year, Rose Quartz and Serenity. I will proceed by Fairs and link to the owners of every image when possible.

Salone del Mobile 2015:

Image by @graziacasa_it in Wbsta.mee

Image by @cryskel in Websta.me

Pantone's Colours of the Year 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity.

For the first time in recent years and in an interesting and clever turn -at least in my eyes- Pantone has chosen a combination of two hues as the Color of the Year 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity. Rose being warm and compassionate and Serenity blue, cooler and calm, together they promote the sense of balance and wellness that is currently felt as so necessary in our stressful days.

Pantone

About a month ago, my friend Marta Aymerich Mallorca and I were guessing about which colour of Pantone's SS Fashion 2016 Report would be the One for 2016. After analizing past Colours of the Year and a quick sight at Colour Trends and the World's current events, my votes were divided between ... Rose Quartz and Serenity! (Honestly, I also though of Silver Gray).

News and Projects with Marta Aymerich and some changes in La Colorista®

This year I haven't written much in this blog, and this isn't good at all, at least for marketing oneself... But summer vacation is a good time for keeping in touch and here I go!

Today I'm presenting my good friend  Marta Aymerich, from Marta Aymerich Emotional Comunication. She is a great designer, from head to toe: her designs are fresh, clean and contemporary and so is she!  

Kate Smith  put us in touch in 2011, and from that day a good friendship has been growing between the two of us. Currently we are collaborating in very encouraging projects  and I want to present her to you:

Marta&Isabel

Image by Humberto Pérez Padilla, ARTIST.

Happy Year 2015!

May it be a Colourful one for you!

Best wishes!!!

isabel de Yzaguirre

La Colorista®

AkzoNobel's Color Trends for 2015

Since I'm blogging about AkzoNobel's 2015 Color Trends in my Spanish blog, I invite you to read about them there. Of course you have a Google Translator Gadget that will let you understand. I'm writing about this in 10Decoración as well, where I'm their Color Expert, of which I'm very happy.

But in case you want to have a quick view, watch this video and you'll get a close idea:

ColorFutures 2015

They are:

COPPER ORANGE, AkzoNobel's 2015 Color of the Year!

As every year these days, AkzoNobel published their 2015 Colour of the Year, Copper Orange, which is defined as: 

¡SURPRISING – WARM – BEAUTIFUL!

A deep colour in an emerging spectrum of reds, pinks and oranges, it showcases a globally more optimistic trend.

According to the current protagonism of metallic hues in design, this colour reflects and summarizes the Trends identified for 2015 in this field. These are:

• A warmer attitude and a desire for sharing.

• Natural earthy colour palettes, from clay tones to sunlit yellow strokes.

• And last but not least, skin tones that reflect human interaction and sepia hues from the past. 
  

Christian Dior Spring/Sumer 2015

Dear readers of mine:

I have found this fabulous  video of the presentation that Christian Dior made of his Spring/Summer Fashion proposals, and just had to share it with you!
Pay atention to colour and style, there is something for everybody, even me, who am 57. I would wear some of these outfits undoubtedly!
Enjoy them!

Isabel de Yzaguirre, 

La Colorista.

My comment on Color Trends World's Forecast 2016 to be revealed at CMG International Summit.

A few days ago, CMG announced the reveal of their World's Color Forecast for 2016, which will be presented in depth at their International Summit next November. If you're interested, gather information here. But if you want a sneak a peek of it, here it goes, and my comparison with what I have been observing about Colour Trends in the net recently. This is the announced World's 2016 Color Palette:

Source, CMG.

Color and Materials Trends 2015-16 by Heimtextil.

Today I present you this interesting video published by Heimtextil. Here you have a very good and visual summary, which explains itself very well. Take notes and enjoy! 

Isabel de Yzaguirre, 

La Colorista.

Trends 2014-16: Spring and Jungle Greens.

It seems we are going to see many greens in next Colour Seasons. They are presented either as Spring Greens either as Jungle Greens. No wonders about this choice, which seems to express our desire for green shades with a natural feel. We will see many of them in 2015 and 2016.

This trend celebrates Spring, specially with grass green.

TWO TONE CHAIR by Ichiro Iwasaki.

More tending towards olive is Pedrali's polycarbonate Blitz Chair:

Design by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci.

Colour Trends 2014-15: Mid Blue.

From the colours that have been spotted in Design Fairs this year, I'm bringing a very cool one for the Summer Season, Mid Blue. This one reminds of summery skies and, in some shades, Caribbean waters, or the colour of the sea in a rainy day.

www.lapalma.it

Optimistic and summer like, it will help us feel in a better mood after so many gray days in Winter and Spring. Below, the Box Stool adds a fresh and luminous splash to the room's composition:

Color Theory or Color Instinct or better having both to choose Colors for Design?

Now and then I come across this discussion in Color related Internet Forums:

- Are you supposed to be a better Color Expert if you follow Color Theory or is this for newbies? 

And,

- Star Consultants are those who have a special sense for Color which is a kind of gift that makes them special and unique?

I was taught that you can create Color Harmonies either by instinct either by knowledge of how Color Harmonies can be created based on relationships established among Colors according to their position in the Color Wheel. I never was taught "this is better than that" and honestly feel annoyed when I realize there are people in the net discrediting the knowledge of Color Theory as if it even could be dangerous to be taken into account!

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2014!!!!

With the best wishes of love, peace, health and prosperity for everybody from

Isabel de Yzaguirre,

La Colorista.

Colours by Culture, an infographic.

Shared today in Google+ by Lori Sawaya, from The Land of Color, I picked this interesting infographic which showcases prefectly how colours have different meanings according to different cultures. This should be carefully taken in account for designers and corporations when creating new products, specially when dealing with clients that come from a culture other than ours. The image comes from Top Web Design Schools. Enjoy! 

Source: TopWebDesignSchools.org

Isabel de Yzaguirre,

La Colorista

Colour Trends in the first half of the year.

According to what Tamsin Kingswell says in Mix Trends Newsletter, which  I'm subscribed to, the Summer is a good time to make an overview of colour trends as seen in the first half of the year.In Tamsin's words, "So far we’ve noticed metallics broadening out to include all things shiny (much on show at DMY), a romance with clear materials or those with just a hint of a tint and our love affair with green going ever deeper into the forest with a lovely, almost Loden-like shade. And we still don’t seem to have shaken off the collective passion for pastels and neons although at Mix our enthusiasm is waning fast. Instead we are waiting for a move towards darker, more sober colours that counterbalance all that candyfloss knocking about at the moment. "

From what I've seen in the streets here in the small Barcelona's area village where I live, I can confirm the love of pastels and neons among people, together with emerald green and floral colors such as pink, red and sunny yellow.

Cal Gavi, Moià (Barcelona).

Photo credits and colour  palette by

(c)-Isabel de Yzaguirre Maura, 2013.

www.lacolorista.com

Vividly Colored Chairs: guest post by Mari from Arcadian Home

About a year ago, I published a guest post on "Decorating with Floral Art",by Arcadian Home. Today I'm very pleased to host AH again with a post on Vividly Colored Chairs, which suits perfectly my love of Color!

Isabel de Yzaguirre,

La Colorista.

Hello, lovely readers! 

I'm from Arcadian Home blog which is a wonderful place for home decor inspirations. There you will find lots of great creative ideas for everything from decorative trays to big wall art and much more. Today, we're going to talk about one of my favorite pieces of furniture. I love all things related to home interiors, but chairs are at the top of my list of furniture obsessions. I am especially fond of colorful chairs, so that's what this little visual tour is all about. Please enjoy! Thanks for letting me stop by to share. ~ Mari 

A project come true: The Four Seasons Mural for a School's yard.

Whoever has followed me since three years ago maybe remembers a  post on a Mural Project for Josep Orriols i Roca School's yard. The School is located in Moià (Barcelona, SPAIN).

I published the project for the first time when I had been working on it for about nine month, and I had serious doubts about its being  painted because of economical crisis in Spain. But luckily parents were very willing to see it done, and to let their sons and daughters have a more colourful School, no matter what it might cost. They organized events to collect money and provided all the colours that I had specified, whith the sponsoring of our local Paints Store. 

Today I can say the mural has come to life and am offering a view of the whole process until its completion.

The initial goal was to have some of the concrete walls of the yard decorated, and we chose the one in the sight: 

La Colorista, 2010.

My project aimed at representing the colours in the natural landscapes around our village all along the Four Seasons of the Year, in the same order that we experience them since the School Term begins: from Fall to Summer. Colours were picked from photographs shot in Moià's surroundings, and the proposed design was this one:

The Four Seasons' Mural, Isabel de Yzaguirre Maura

(La Colorista),2011.

The meaning of Colour in Marketing. And in Interior Design.

A few days ago I found this interesting Infographic on the meaning of colours applied to marketing. I'ts a good brief that can be perfectly applied to Interior Design. And since color increases readership, recognition and comprehension, I hope it will be helpful for you. Enjoy!

The Meaning Of Colour In Marketing infographic by AttwoodDigital.

Isabel de Yzaguirre, 

La Colorista.