Hello Friends, it’s me Leslie again for Color Me Pretty! This time around I decided to play with turquoise, persimmon, lots of neutrals, a little grey and a touch of black. I wanted to use this palette to explore some David Hick’s inspired patterns. It seems Hick’s has influenced many American designers these days, like Kelly Wearstler, Tory Burch and Jonathan Adler. It is easy to see why as his work was bold, graphic and loaded with colors and textures. I tried to tone it down a little to see how we could incorporate some of these bold graphics into our existing décor with a little DIY project, I hope you like this little study.
DIY I wanted to create a super easy piece of wall art with some of the patterns I painted for you. Thus, I scanned in the painted patterns and printed them out onto matte ink jet paper. (The colors do not always come out exact as scanners vary – like mine -which is not very good!) I then took my lovely little Marvy square punch and quickly punched out squares from my patterned paper. I then created a grid on a piece of 12 x 18″ paper – I used this size because I had an old unused frame in my garage that was just waiting to be dusted off. I used spraymount adhesive (a type of toxic spray glue that works beautifully as it does not warp the paper like regular glue) to lightly spray each square and then placed it in the grid I had penciled on the white paper and voila! Now, if you do not have a square punch it is easy to cut up paper with an x-acto blade and a ruler. As for the patterned paper you could use anything with a design on it that matches with your home…it would be really nice to use old photographs too- because if you are like me there are lots of photos in boxes that could be used and would look great. (Like all those ocean or flower shots!)
When you use a primarily neutral color scheme in your home you must rely on texture and pattern to create some interest so that the space does not look to bland. It is fun to then use dabs of bold color to really show off the colors you enjoy like persimmon (which is basically just a darker orange but sounds more “designy” – right?). I use this color in little doses in my dining area with some vintage plates hanging on the wall along with some art that features the dark orange-red along with grays, whites and wood. Turquoise looks great in the mix too as it really makes the dark orange pop especially when you have the neutral tones in there creating negative space around the colors. If bold colors kind of scare you start with some flowers or a small accessory like a vase and see if in fact the color may just brighten your day!
I hope you enjoyed this study and I will see you back here November 9TH, enjoy the rest of the month! – xo, Leslie Shewring
To see more of Leslie’s posts, click here.
(image copyright: Leslie Shewring)
To wrap up the “calendar round up of all calendar round ups” and the “motherload”, as I’ve been told (thanks you guys!), I’m concluding with this post: All Others. These are calendars that don’t fall into the printable download, wall, desk or poster category. They are the planners, wallet cards and mini houses (yes, really) of the world and offer alternate ways to track the days ahead…
I love these, both my husband and I have one. They’re the size of a credit card but don’t do nearly as much damange :). Made by Sandra Juto, wallet card, $4.
Linea Carta, agenda, $24 – I love the hand drawn boxes and lines inside and the pretty cover, don’t you?
Dorobot, agenda, in German, 20€. Another hand drawn style agenda, which I’m loving… And it’s in German in case you’ve always wanted to learn. :)
“Within this paper mansion, six smaller abodes reside, each with a piece of the calendar year set against their clapboard and cedar siding.” Cuteness, I’m dying here. Available at Anthropologie, $24.
Cath Kidston agenda, $14 in all it’s red, blue and pink country sweetness.
Galoshes pocket calendar by Jen Hewett Studio, $11 — again, these hand drawn calendars are what I’m loving at the moment. I use to draw calendars with each new month and got out of the habit of doing it but these are encouraging me to do it again.
Elle’s Studio, calendar circle tags, $3.25 — good for adding to a gift. If it’s for an anniversary present, you can give a gift with the corresponding month and circle the date perhaps?
Kate Spade desk calendar, $22. We all love Kate. Period.
Perpetual calendars from Orange Beautiful, $28 for those who love type.
Campbell Raw Press: handbound, accordion-fold book with a letterpress-printed interior, and cover choices include 10 different decorative papers, $29.50.
Floral leaves datebook from Jill Bliss, $16.50 – this agenda is well, pure bliss. :)
Others:
The Paper Thieves, shopping tag, $6, My Lavender Garden planners $20, weekly planners from P.S. Paper Goods $15.
If you missed my round ups on Friday for calendars, here they are:
Download Calendars (that you can print!)
I hope that you enjoyed my annual calendar round up this year as much as I’ve enjoyed pulling them together to highlight all the beautiful work that is being created out there by so many talented people. Did you find anything that you liked? Remember, if you find more than one and they can be framed, why not put several frames on a single wall with all your favorite calendars inside, just swap out the months. That would be pretty cute, huh!?
(images linked to their sources above.)
Habitat’s Swedish owners may be looking for a buyer, but I have high hopes that this lovely store will weather the storm in this economy and perhaps not only find a buyer but expand and grow. I live an hour from both a Habitat retail store (2 floors of gorgeousness) and a Habitat outlet store, and so whenever I need a design fix I take the train up to Hamburg for a visit. Have you even been to Habitat? Do you like it? Are you a customer? What do you find there that you like? I’m a fan of their sofas, lighting and accessories — and I like that they carry some wallpaper in-store for when you want to do a quick accent wall in your home. I also like the look of their website, it recently changed, and is a lot easier to navigate.
I really like their current campaign, This is my Habitat, where they spotlight stylish people, like Danish model Helena Christensen, and show them in their space. I’ve not seen Helene’s apartment anywhere online before so perhaps this will be the start of things to come and we’ll be seeing her apartment someplace soon in the future as I’m intrigued by the photographs shown above. Habitat is even running a contest for their customers – if you want to be the next face of Habitat (enter here). I think the only bit I wonder about with This is my Habitat is that, outside of Helena, I don’t know who any of these other people are and I wish they’d give a bit more detail about them — where they live, what they do for work, and why they’ve chosen the particular room and accessories they’re photographed with.
Do you feel the same? But I think they’re on the right track… And I love the idea of using stylish customers on their website. West Elm started doing that last year in their catalogs… I think there is this growing trend to connect the product with real people more and more, don’t you see this through some advertising? I do. I think we’re living in a time when we want to identify with others more and more and feel a bit of a soul connection. I think the days of being superficial and unapproachable, when it comes to decorating, are over and I’m all for it. That’s why I started blogging in the first place, I was ready for this change back in 2005 and though it has taken some years, I love seeing so many products available to real people that do not require entrance to a design showroom. While I love the showrooms, not everyone can afford 40K sofas. And that’s okay. I love the whole handmade/DIY movement, the craft movement and seeing more companies make their design approachable and interesting. Like these rooms above, they’re not perfect. There is breakfast on the floor, things laying about, but it’s real and feels like, “Hey I live this way too! Now I see how that sofa would work in my home”. And that my friends, is marketing magic.
In the end, I rather like the idea of being sold on something that is both attainable and realistic.
(images: habitat)
I’m signing off for the weekend, I’ll continue the annual calendar round up on Monday morning with a few agendas, a wallet calendar, tags, coasters and such… and then regular posting will resume. Oh and I cannot forget — the lovely Leslie Shewring will join me again for her bi-weekly color me pretty post — I can’t wait to see what she has in store.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend — I’ll be at a home fair this weekend and doing a bit of traveling, but I’ll be back on Monday so I’ll see you all then! :) I hope that you had a wonderful week with me here, I certainly enjoyed being with you and sharing inspiration and ideas. See you in a few days, and make this weekend a great one!
(image: holly becker for decor8)
And here some calendars in the more traditional style for the wall — a new page for each new month. This is the biggest round up of them all, so give yourself plenty of time to review them all. On Monday I’ll post a final calendar round up to include planners, wallet size, and a few others and that will end the round up for 2010! Below, you’ll find some letterpress, then photography and finally the more illustrative and graphic graphic designs. I tried to include lots of styles so that everyone can find at least a few to love. Enjoy!
** Letterpress **
Simplesong Designs, Her first ever letterpress calendar. Congrats! $22 (limited edition)
INK + WIT, 7 prints to frame either as 6×6 or 5×7 when you are finished! $40
Linda & Harriett, letterpress with a card on the back for sending after the month is over, $30
Parrott Design Studio, I love the deep impressions Sarah makes when she presses these. Gorgeous soft colors, too. $28
Seesaw, These letterpress calendars are really perky and modern – great modern brights, $28
Albertine Press, letterpress with colors and illustrations that feel very organic and soft, $29
Satsuma Press, soft, natural colors and graphics gives this letterpress calendar such a soft, relaxed look. $44
Delphine Letterpress, More pretty letterpress, lots of animals and flowers here (which I love), $24
** Photography **
Moonflowers Photography, Spend every month at the carnival with these soft, dreamy photos, $25
Susannah Tucker, suntan lotion and sunny beaches await, $20
Flora Douville, I love how this calendar combines two images each month from the great outdoors, $18
D.S. Brennan Photography, Can this lady take a bad photo? I think not. Beautiful! $25
Bomobob, Bob is such a natural talent – if you love birds this calendar will have you at hello. Or shall I say, first tweet? $29
Alicia Bock pretty much rules, doesn’t she? What a gifted lady. This calendar gives you a photo to love with each new month, $X
** All others **
Camilla Engman, this artist has a fan following so if you want a calendar, don’t snooze or else you’ll lose. Limited edition. $28 or 19€ (if you live in the EU).
Wolfie + the sneak, Bold graphics set this artist apart from the flock. She’s not afraid of thick lines and strong colors, $15.
Liz Kalloch, Liz has a whole line of calendars and agendas with inspirational quotes like these shown above, $12
Emmy Lew, Hand drawn doodles transformed into a calendar with child-like flair, $20.
Jen Oaks, I love this girls illustrative style and enjoy the many urban landscapes in her work, $25
Jessica Gonacha, large (8.5×14″, $30) and small (5.5×8.5″, $20).
J Hill Design, Places she’s never been but you’d swear she really has – she gets it right with each destination! $28
Stephanie Fizer, Darling for the kid in you or the kid in your home. Very cute. $20
Little Mo and Friends, This calendar is fun for the gardener you may know or the little girl who loves fairy-tale like scenes, $18
Patricia Zapata, hand cut and delicate, these calendars are worth trimming and framing when the month is through. Add wallpaper or colored paper to the back to give them pattern if you’d like, $26.
Matilou, French illustrations make this calendar so feminine and sweet. $36
My Folk Lover, Catharine nails it every time, her work continues to amaze me. I love the feathery softness of these. $18
English Muffin, You can also frame these when the month is up, they are perfect for the kiddos, don’ t you think? $18
Letter C Design, plenty of room to write notes, $12
Three Square Design, natural elements and graphic patterns on paper with a fabric-like feel, $24
Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar, sign up to be notified by email as soon as it is available.
Every Jot & Tittle, Lots of lines and a handmade touch, these are quirky and fun. $15
Claudia Pearson, the perfect kitchen calendar, don’t you think? $24
SusyJack*, A modern bloom is all it takes to make a bold statement. Susy’s work is bold without being overpowering, it’s the red lipstick on the plain face, the gold strappy heels with the basic black dress. $34
Papaya! – the Birds & Blooms calendar combines nature with the far east for a spiritual feel that transports, $14
Gretchen Mist, Collage work transformed into a calendar so you have art to enjoy with each new month, $28
Kris’s Color Stripes, Love the watercolor illustrations, $25
Flapper Doodle, This tall, slim lady makes me want to travel and dance – shes quite cute, don’t you think? $25
Julie Beck Creative, A pretty amazing artist who creates fantastic modern surreal art, $27
Susan Branch, from the heart of the home is a sweetly illustrated calendar with a country feel, $14
Pennies & Pencils, includes margins for marking important dates, $15.
A lovely selection from Anthropologie, find them all here.
More wall calendars to love: Catherine Breer, Nella Designs, Sugarcube Design, Loveland Misc, Pragyak, Nire Me, Wit & Whistle, Cassie Medema, and One Canoe Two.
On Monday, I’ll round up a few more calendars only for the wallet, a few agendas, and a couple others that you may enjoy checking out. I hope you’re having fun clicking all these links and viewing these gorgeous works from some very talented people.
(images linked to their source above)
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