Colour of 2014 - Radiant Orchid

recently it was announced that the colour of the year for 2014 is  Radiant Orchid. to be honest, i wasn't so sure at first (and let's be honest, i am still not sure) if i can get behind this colour. it's bold and it's very, very brave, which i love, but it isn't a tone that i often wear or am drawn too outside of a lipstick choice. after some thought i came to realize that while it isn't perhaps a colour i could paint my walls, it might do well as a small accented pop of colour. from a single patterned pillow, to a textured purse here are a few different ways, and in a few different shades,  how you can incorporate this vibrant and very sassy colour throughout the year ahead.

to view past colours of the year visit The Pantone Website

Upcoming Trends for 2014

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Worldwide colour authority and grandfather of consistency, Pantone, recently release it's Fashion Colour Report for Spring 2014 and these 10 above are the voted winners to watch out for. to those of you who might already follow colour trends you already know that Pantone release the colour of the year for 2013 which was Emerald.  for the spring report there is clearly a strong pairing between bright bold eye catching colours and softer more muted and delicate pastels. my personal favourite is by far the Hemlock choice. it's soft and fresh and just that little dab of retro that is so popular. we actually just painted our living room with this colour, not even knowing about this report, and i'm loving how this tone looks on a wall.  i know spring is still a few seasons away, but i'm already excited to see this colour palette hit the shelves, between home decor stores and fashion finds. which one is your favourite?

For the Love of Colour

Picking out paint colours for your brand spanking new home is hard ... nobody tells you that.

Photo credits: kkerrdesign.blogspot.ca; http://maisonboheme.blogspot.ca; www.heatherpetersondesign.com via Living etc; livingwithlindsay.com; 2.bp.blogspot.com;

Recently, I've been lost in a multitude of ombré colour options, trying to decide between: clean whites, lemon yellows, bright teal, cozy grey, sailor navy, eggplant – the list goes on and on. You ask yourself, do you want to feel cold, or do you want to feel cozy? Calm and tranquil, or revved up and ready to party? Lately my desk has become a hot mess of pencil crayon colours, paint chips and penciled out sketches. As someone who lives for design and design projects, as excited as I am for this fresh space, it can sometimes all get a little overwhelming when it comes to making decisions. But, keeping that in mind you can't fail if you don't try. So why not have fun with colour choices – it is only paint, and your spaces should speak to your personality. Design rooms you will love coming home to see and don't worry about the rest. Select colours and accent pieces you really love and trust in those decisions. Even if you think they might not work well together, more often than not (regardless of what people may say) they do once everything is in place. Worse case scenario, if you really don't like the design, paint over it! In just a few weeks we get access into our new home (the countdown is on and the project lists are growing!). So, it is time to live a little, and by george, be excited about colour. I will share how it all turns out, once the paint cans are purchased and the brushes have smacked against the walls.