My Own Color Chart: Tea with Milk

The main table and chairs in our new house are actually a set my parents had from years ago. I have been calling the color of the wood butterscotch for months now, trying to shop for fabric to recover the chair cushions and to bring the overall decorating scheme together.

Yesterday, I walked past the table carrying a mug of tea and it became very clear that the color of this wood is Tea with Milk. Cute, eh?

2015 Pantone Color of the Year: Marsala

I think it is wonderful that the renowned color company, Pantone, proclaims a Color of the Year and every year I write a post to give it some attention.

Design professionals around the world reference Pantone colors and numbers to describe colors accurately. Pantone's website describes it as providing the "standard language for color communication." What a cool business. As a color lover, nothing makes more sense to me than having a worldwide reference point. Saying that I wanted a wall color that matched a Revlon lipstick or a DMC embroidery floss, would drive a painter bananas.    

Pantone's Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala 18-1438. Now I know that when interior designers think marsala, it's unlikely that red velvet whoopie pies come to mind, but I think they are a perfect match for this unusual reddish brown color. I scoured my photo drive looking for a photo that was a good example of marsala and can say with certainty that I am not drawn to that color. I have photographed every imaginable shade of pink and blue in my day, but there is a somber quality to the color marsala that has made it easy for me to pass it up.

Now if we're talking baked goods, I like color marsala just fine. 

*Note: I photographed these gorgeous Red Velvet Whoopie pies in Bar Harbor, Maine back in 2009.

Pantone 2014 Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid

I can't let us get too far into January without highlighting Pantone's 2014 Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid.  I love the rich violet-pink shade and thought it was fitting that the orchid I bought last November has a big splotch of "radiant orchid" on every bloom.  

I can show you the color, "Radiant Orchid" on my plant, a radiant orchid.  Get it?!

I love having an orchid blooming in my house in the winter.  They add a bit of drama and only require 3 ice cubes a week, in terms of care and water. Orchids are generally about $29 a plant (try and choose one with 2 main stems and many blossom buds along the tip of the stem - avoid any plant with yellowish-green buds, they have been through some type of trauma and are about to fall off before blooming.).  I mention all of this so that you can be on the lookout for an orchid for yourself or to give as a gift.  

I bought this magnificent plant for $5 at Home Depot the big shopping weekend after Thanksgiving.  They had at least 50 perfect orchids for sale - always keep your eye out.  An orchid is a wonderful addition to any room.

Remember when I visited the American Orchid Society in Delray Beach, Florida? 

Pantone Color of the Year 2013: Emerald

Pantone announces Emerald is the Color of the Year for 2013!   
GO Green!  I couldn't resist showing you a little Spartan Spirit.  You see, "Go Green" is part of the chant for my Alma mater, Michigan State University.  The team colors are green and white and the football stadium practically vibrates with the fans are cheering, "Go Green! Go White!" back and forth.

Do you have accessories, home decor or paper goods that are emerald green? If not, keep your eye out for ways to bring a little green into your life.  I've chosen this photo steeped in emerald green that highlights water lilies and the beauty of a quiet river.  As for fashion, I have just relegated a favorite spring green cardigan to the front of the closet. Happy New Year!  

2012 Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango

Tah-dah!  I have been scouring my photo archives looking for the perfect image to represent the color "Tangerine Tango" - Pantone's Color of the Year for 2012.  I finally found it in this gorgeous Poppy in my parent's garden.

As the color of the year, this shade will appear as popular touches in fashion, interior design and lifestyle accessories.  A wool blanket on a porch chair.  A silk scarf paired with a classic trench.  Bright napkins on a kitchen table. 

The first way that I've added a touch of tangerine to my life was to fill a ceramic bowl to the brim with actual tangerines.  It looks bright and cheery on the kitchen counter, all while making the room au courant. 

How will you incorporate tangerine into your life this year? 

Pantone Color of the Year 2011

So pretty!  The Color of the Year for 2011 is this gorgeous reddish-pink shade of "Honeysuckle!"  Pantone and I are definitely on the same page this year.  Who wouldn't want to surround themselves with this rosy color? 

I decided to represent this year's selection with a David Austin rose ("Jubilee Celebration") that looks to me to be about the same shade as Honeysuckle. 

How can you incorporate Honeysuckle into your life?

A new blush for some rosy cheeks...
Paper napkins to brighten a dull day...
A bunch of roses...
Strappy sandals...

Enjoy!