COLOUR
Color Theory and Interiors
Col•or
/kələr/
Color encompasses every aspect of our lives. It can affect our emotions and senses, holds cultural symbols and meanings, and can be a powerful communication tool.
Color is on every thing!
From the clothes we wear to the food we eat to the spaces we inhabit. It is already known that the easiest way to give any space or item a face-lift is with paint (ie: color) no matter the hue. The color choices we make “reflect a deeper meaning about our personality traits” and “every color carries a vibration”.
The way we use it can affect our lives.
WARM COLORS
Yellow, Orange, and Red are seen as energizing, passionate, and positive hues. They make people happy and enthusiastic.
Yellow fosters optimism thanks to sunshine and sunflowers. Used in entryways for a nice surprise upon entering or as accents throughout a space for an eye-catching pop of color.
Orange is a color that helps with creativity and energy; great for office spaces and kid playrooms.
In some cultures, red is the color for success and good fortune. Caliente, a fiery red, was Benjamin Moore’s 2018 Color of the Year.
COOL COLORS
Green, Blue, and Purple are seen as calming, relaxing, and reserved colors.
Green symbolizes wealth, growth, and nature. Farrow and Ball’s resident color creator is showcasing green hues in 2020 to help create spaces that are warm, comforting, and grounding with their Duck Green and Sap Green paint colors.
Blue has been culturally used to represent peace, holiness, and royalty. Both Pantone and Sherwin Williams have chosen a blue for their 2020 Color of the Year. Pantone’s Classic Blue, “a familiar, calming shade of azure” and Sherwin Williams’ Naval being a deep, classic navy. I’d say both seemingly appropriate colors for our current times.
Purple inspires spiritualism, is magical, and gives a sense of luxury.
NEUTRALS
We cannot forget about our neutral hues ranging from White to Black.
White and Cream give a sense of purity and cleanliness. Its versatility in sleek and modern design to cozy Danish and Scandinavian interiors make it a goes to color for creating a sense of calm and order.
Beige and Brown are conservative and wholesome. Beige was the go-to color for interiors in the ’90s to early 2000s. Providing a great backdrop for every design aesthetic.
Black and Grey are considered moody, mysterious, and/or elegant. These hues have really made a statement for the past 10 years. Grey especially has made a splash onto every surface of our homes ranging from walls to cabinetry, furniture, stone, and tile, fabrics, etc. Last year’s Benjamin Moore Color of the Year, Metropolitan AF-690, is a soft grey said to provide effortless beauty and sophistication.
Color is an integral part of our environment and color consultations are a great way to identify potential hues to try out in your home. Choosing the color that matches your personality and style will not only enhance your interiors but your life as well.
Let me help you select new colors for your space with a one-on-one Color Consultation!
- Cynthia
“The best rooms have something to say about the people who live in them”
Women in Design
Women in design
This past month was full of events to inspire and ignite my love of design. From touring the Artistic Tile Slab Gallery to visiting the Phillip Jeffries facility, and a networking dinner with Mason Lane Art. Mid way through the month, a thought hit me like a bolt of lightning – Women Are Killing It In The Design World. So, what better way to honor Women in Design during Women’s History month then with a blog :)
We have many trailblazers to thank for how women have made an impact on design and design as a business.
Beginning with Dorothy Draper which arguably ran the first interior design company. Eileen Gray being the first woman to be admitted into the Slade School of Fine Arts and helping to shape the modern movement. The late Zaha Hadid was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize for her infamous, gravity-defying designs. We have great women in architecture and interior design who have and continue to inspire us every day.
Artistic Tile is a leading authority in the tile and stone business. As they gathered a group of local designers for a tour of their slab gallery and manufacturing facility, we received great insight to their selection and design process, as well as the fabrication of their magnificent tile and mosaic patterns. There is so much beauty in everything that Artistic Tile produces! But what struck me the most were a group of women, and women only, who have the task of laying out by hand the mosaic sheet patterns which then create the intricate motifs we install into our new spaces.
At the Phillip Jeffries headquarters in Fairfield, NJ the world of wallcovering is endless and enveloping. They are a premier company sourcing papers from around the world that still utilize ancient, traditional techniques and artistry that turn walls into art. Ran by the brother duo (Phillip and Jeffrey) I think the saying “Behind every great man is a great woman” holds true here. The creative team is led by 4 talented ladies who help conceive the papers from inception to creation, navigate market trends, and help launch new items to the market. I am going to say there were about 10-15 people on the design team and I only saw one man. Rock on ladies!
Mason Lane Art is a woman owned and run Art Advisory company based in NYC. Not only is their love of art and their knowledge of art history transparent, but their passion in wanting to help make a difference in the lives of people through art is inspiring. It’s not particularly the artist or cost of a piece, but the emotion that a piece evokes for you and how that helps to amplify your life, that makes the collection of art so valuable.
Women are inspiring and injecting themselves into different sectors of the design world. From designing to fabricating, leading departments and running businesses, women are making their mark into many parts of the industry. Helping to create a wonderful, vibrant, and colorful world!
Happy (late) International Women’s Day and
Women’s History Month!
-Cynthia
“Disclaimer:
All information found on cpbdesigns.studio/blog are based on the opinions of the author. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by Cynthia herself. This blog and/or author has not accepted any forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. For questions about this blog, please email Contact at CPB Designs.”
All you need is Love (and a great Design Team)!
With a little bit of love and a whole lot of elbow grease, this split-level home went from dark and cramped to open, light, and airy – just what this bustling family of four needed.
With a little bit of love and a whole lot of elbow grease, this split-level home went from dark and cramped to open, light, and airy – just what this bustling family of four needed.
After
3 Key Design Strategies:
Removing the walls enclosing the kitchen
Converting double hung windows at the dining room to sliding doors
Adding an island to help designate the kitchen area while still connecting the spaces
Taking down the walls separating the kitchen from the Living and Dining was key in providing the open flow that was direly missing in this home. No longer are the days where the kitchens remained a closed off, secluded space. Modern families want to interact with each other and gather where the action is taking place - whether its prepping a meal, having breakfast before running off to school and work, or cooking dinner. Everyone knows “the kitchen is the heart of the home”.
New semi-custom gray shaker style cabinetry built to the ceiling along with bronze metal hardware for an unexpected punch, new stainless designer appliances, bright countertop and backsplash surfaces, enhance the kitchen while giving a timeless aesthetic that speaks to the character of the home.
AND we couldn’t stop just there. The door you see at the kitchen leads down the garden level. We turned that old wood panel clad dingy room that no one wanted to step foot into and was lost to storage into a bright new Master Suite oasis.
[The before pictures are just too sore for my eyes let alone yours so not shown here.]
The garden level received a complete gut with all new surfaces. Bright plaster walls and ceilings, light wood porcelain plank tile floors, recessed lighting, and an en-suite bathroom with floating cabinetry, new polished fixtures, and stone tile surfaces. Providing a respite to the owners; a perfect place to unwind and relax.
In honor of Valentines Day, remember that:
Home
is where love resides
memories are created
friends always belong
and laughter never ends
- Cynthia
interiors by CPB Design
construction by Custom Home Crafters
Attic turned cozy Sanctuary
Attic turned cozy sanctuary
An attic becomes the usual catchall for unused items we cannot find a home for, old photos and mementos we cannot part with, or storage space for seasonal items. But it can be transformed into an extension of your home and become usable space to benefit your lifestyle. We did just that in this charming side hall colonial in Glen Ridge, NJ. We converted the attic into a complete Master Suite with ample space for sleeping, lounging, relaxing and all the in-betweens.
As you walk up through the spontaneously patterned staircase into the bedroom area with vaulted ceilings, you are completely transported into a personal sanctuary. Hidden within the eaves are two walk-in closets that service the bedroom. A cozy reading nook is nestled on the opposite end, with custom bookcases and bench seat, providing ample storage and a great place to cuddle up with a great book.
The private bath is light-filled and airy. Hand-made reflective tiled walls surrounding the vanity, clawfoot bathtub and custom shower, shimmer with morning’s daylight. Completing the respite provided by making the top floor of the home the master suite level.
photos by Lisa Russman Photography
architecture by Sweebe Architecture
interiors by CPB Designs