Emerald or navy?

I guess it depends on who you ask, Pantone or Beth.

Pantone has declared, Emerald, the color of the year 2013.

Beth of Chinoiserie Chic, has declared navy to be a better fit for the year of the Snake. 

I'm with Beth.

Pink Pagoda print

My reasoning has little to do with the fact that green is not my favorite color, in fact green is one step ahead of purple, which I can't even look at without making a face. I think navy is a better choice because it works well with the two previous year's picks, Honeysuckle (pink), and Tangerine Tango.

I love pink and orange so much that I combined them in one of my fabrics. 

Look how great they are with navy.

All three would work too.

I have gray sofa in my family room and I have been fretting about what new pillows to add. I think the navy orange, pink combo is the way to go.

 I will use my Escher Pagoda in Tangerine for the face and a navy linen for the back and piping.

I found this very affordable linen on Fabric.com

So do you agree with Beth or Pantone?

Collage fun

I had fun with Pic Monkey creating this board around my newest painting, "Imperata"

"Imperata" 30 x 40 acrylic on canvas by Kerry Steele HERE

I am horrible about sourcing links. Most of the images on this board can be found on my Pinterest board "Pink"

The painting is named for this ornamental grass.

It is known by several names including Japanese blood grass but that would not have been a good title so I went with the Latin botanical name.

Have you made any fun collage boards lately?

If so, feel free to link to them in the comments section.

Happy Wednesday!

World Market fail

I have been sort of piecing my outdoor space together this year. I bought some orange cushions that actually fit my vintage furniture, at Home Goods. Hooray! This vintage wrought iron furniture was previously on a screened porch and was protected. It now needs to be painted and I have been slowly tackling that. We also needed an umbrella for the table since the deck is on the west side of our house. Without some cover our deck is un-useable.

 Retailers take note: try making outdoor umbrellas in fashionable colors. I do NOT want a beige umbrella!

I found an orange one at World Market for $79 and took my time putting it out since it took me even longer to paint the table and buy an umbrella stand.

When we finally got all of those things together and took out the umbrella there was disappointment. The places where the vent attached to the larger part of the umbrella were ripping and the seams unraveling. This is right out of the package!

It goes back today.

 I am leaning towards an umbrella from Ballard. 

Anyone have any experience with those?

Friday Finds

I ran out out for some gesso yesterday (who says that?) and saw three of these chairs sitting outside of Home Goods.

They combined two of my favorite things, orange and circles.  I had no idea that I liked orange or circles so much until I started blogging and noticed how I gravitate towards both. 

Plus, they were only $80 but I did not buy them. I don't really have a spot for them.

 My little girl said that they are "too big and too hole-y". Hilarious.

Have you run across anything lately that you just couldn't stop thinking about but won't buy?

Stress= Nostalgia

Coffee tables and sheepskin- think Ikea

After a particularly stressful day, I often long for the good old days.

Really old days if you're me!

I find memories of my family and the places we spent time very soothing.

Most of these interiors are not exactly like the ones I remember but there are some elements that are familiar from memory that resonate with my current sensibilities.

A silver tulip table would be nifty.

David Hicks London 1972

The lacquered walls, the art, the bureau as bar, its all then and now.

Yes, people actually had that carpet in 1972 and the chairs were a common sight. I included it because of the very au courant Tangerine.

I can just see my parents having fondue and a bottle of Lancer's Claret.

I believe this image is from the 1960s but could easily find its way in to a shelter mag today, no?

This is so horrible, but I think we had that TV. The sofa and carpet look sorta familiar too.

In many ways the 1970s visually sucked.

This kitchen is hard to look at but the Moroccan lattice on the cabinets is a familiar current motif.

I would really like an all white kitchen with Cararra marble subway tile backsplash but I'd take this groovy kitchen in a heart beat as long as I don't have to wear the jumpsuit.

For those of you who did not live through the early 1970s and really like some of the mod styling, beware. By the mid 80s we cringed every time we saw any of these things.

Still, they represent to me a simpler time when I was a child.

Orange you glad

Did you ever feel as though you needed permission to like something?

Those of us who are not always confident in our likes and dislikes, may have felt that way a time or two.

I suppose it just comes with maturity.

However Pantone's endorsement of orange, or Tangerine Tango, might just be a color story I will never forget for it's validation of my second favorite color.

It happens to be besties with my ultimate favorite, pink.

Ah youth!

I really love the combination of orange and pink. I view it as the ultimate in "girliness" without looking too shy.

Personally, I was happy embrace Tangerine Tango even without Pantone's help.

This week my very pale pink living room with its rust velvet Brno chairs will get another tiny infusion of orange in the lacquer tray from West Elm in the first photo.

It will replace the Chinese baby hat here

HERE

Inspiration-living room

This gorgeous living room is by Bunny Williams in AD via Mrs. Blandings.

I can't stop thinking about it.

Those curtains! Mon Dieu!

Orange juicing

One of the colors that I am really digging lately is orange. It is not a seasonal thing. I just like it in all its tones and depths.

Lucky for me, my brown eyes make this color OK for a blonde. I just bought a tunic in the same hue from H&M.

I used to think of orange in terms of very groovy, mid-century modern terms but it looks so wonderful with pastels.

(Annoying note: Brno tubular chairs--mine are flat bar and rust colored)

I like orange as an accent.

Saving the best for last...

Windsor Smith's famous room. Tell me that pink and orange aren't delicious together. I dare you!

Orange you glad I waited until now for the stupid cliche?