26.6.07

Yellow Chic

Imperial Trellis Fabric - Kelly Wearstler

Flickr


Victoria Hagan

Domino Magazine



Purple Area

Pieces Inc

HollyHock LA

wallpaper by Quadrille Lyford Trellis
Colorama

I have long had a fixation with the color yellow, although I haven't used it much lately in my Interior Design projects I am always inspired by it. I need to change and use it more because I love it. Color researchers believe the color Yellow to increase self-esteem and strengthen the overall well-being. Yellow wakes up a room like the rising sun, it is cheerful and uplifting. I also find it to be a very CHIC color and am always attracted to it. It is supposed to have the longest memory retention of any color. So I used to use it when I did show suites. I would put yellow flowers or yellow pictures in the home so if people were looking at a lot of projects, mine would be remembered. It is also a good color to paint your house when you are wanting to sell it.....because yellow houses sell faster. Also yellow cars have fewer accidents.

Some yellow facts from the web:

Hope and Happiness: Yellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice and deceit.

Nature of Yellow: Yellow is one of the warm colors. Because of the high visibility of bright yellow, it is often used for hazard signs and some emergency vehicles. Yellow is cheerful.

Culture of Yellow: For years yellow ribbons were worn as a sign of hope as women waited from their men to come marching home from war. Today, they are still used to welcome home loved ones. Its use for hazard signs creates an association between yellow and danger, although not quite as dangerous as red. If someone is yellow it means they are a coward so yellow can have a negative meaning in some cultures.
Yellow is for mourning in Egypt and actors of the Middle Ages wore yellow to signify the dead. Yet yellow has also represented courage (Japan), merchants (India), and peace.

Language of Yellow:
The use of yellow in familiar phrases can help a designer see how their color of choice might be perceived by others, both the positive and negative aspects.

Good yellow

Yellow ribbon - hope, support, remembrance
Mellow yellow - laid back, relaxation Bad yellow
Yellow or Yellow streak or Yellow-bellied - cowardice or coward
Yellow journalism - irresponsible reporting

Yellow Words:
These words are synonymous with yellow or represent various shades of the color yellow.
Lemon, yellow ocher, golden, saffron, cream, topaz, mellow yellow.
Click here to see other posts on Color

25.6.07

Simplicity

If you are like me and so many others with busy lifes and careers, I am always on the search for ways to simplify my life, organize my work, keep on top of things, file information so I can find it when I need it. So when I came across this book I thought maybe it held the answer.

The book Laws of Simplicity offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design. But after I had tried to this book, which I found to NOT be a simple read. I have to say it falls under Law #9Failure - some things can never be made simple. Like I am always trying to achieve the simplest of designs which I find are the very hardest, because everything has to be detailed to perfection equates to Law 5 - simplicity and complexity need each other. Sometimes I love the simplest of design and sometimes I am attracted to over the top design. Sometimes simplicity works and sometimes not. Maybe there is something to the adage that "opposites do attract".

Simple things I love: my Ipod, my Blackberry, blogging, designs by Christian Liagre
Complex things I love: travel (getting through security), playing the piano, finding the perfect bottle of wine, designs by Kelly Wearstler

TEN LAWS
1. REDUCE The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
2. ORGANIZE Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.
3. TIME Savings in time feel like simplicity.
4. LEARN Knowledge makes everything simpler.
5. DIFFERENCES Simplicity and compleity need each other.
6. CONTEXT What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.
7. EMOTION More emotions are better than less.
8. TRUST In simplicity we trust.
9. FAILURE Some things can never be made simple.
10. THE ONE Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful


Simple ....but complex


Complex ...but simple

23.6.07

Inspirational Quotes

"For a house to be successful, the objects in it must communicate with one another, respond to and balance one another."
Andree Putman

“Real elegance is in the mind; if you have got that the rest comes from it.”
Dianna Vreeland

“There are no great designers, only great clients.”
Christian Liaigre



“Most people build as they live - as a matter of routine…..But a few understand that building is a great symbol. We live in our minds, and existence is the attempt to bring that life into physical reality, to state it in gesture and form. For the man who understands this, a house he owns is a statement of his life, a visible shape for his life.”
Ayn Rand


"A thing of beauty doesn't need to go anywhere, or to do anything; it only needs to ‘be’.”
Patricia Gray

22.6.07

Black & White Summer Chic

Buddha Fountain

Essex Fountain
Alfresco Pavillion
Alfresco Umbrella with Elephant Stand
Pineapple Beverage Dispenser
All these items are very chic and very affordable from Z Gallerie
Supplying you with even more inspiration for your outdoor summer rooms -I would fill the Pineapple Beverage Dispenser with pineapple juice spiked with some Barcardi Rum - Yum Happy Summer
Click here to see other posts on Color

21.6.07

Thank-You Chic Muse

My Work

Thank-you Chic Muse for the profile you on did on me today on your wonderful blog.
Check them out at http://www.chicmuse.com/

ThankYou Life in a VentiCup

John Saladino
Thanks Life in a Venti Cup for mentioning my Blog and for that
wonderful John Saladino image. I have been wanting to do leather
studded doors like that for awhile. This is one of my favourite
images from his book. I heard John speak at the Seattle Design
Center a few years ago and have been a fan of his for years.
His designs are very classical.

I love your tag line "life is too short to think small". I will add
it to my list of favourite quotes.

20.6.07

ThankYou DesireToInspire

Many thanks to Desire to Inspire for their kind mention of Patricia Gray Interior Design's Blog on their post today. Desire to Inspire is listed on Domino Magazine's blog web-site.
They are two women, one from Australia and one from Canada, who manage to find the most incredible images to post. They did a recent post on one of my very favourite designers - Vicente Wolfe that was stunning. Their blog is a daily feast not to be missed. The articles are brief, and to the point, and there are always interesting
comments to read as well. I am honored to be on their blog.

18.6.07

Inspirational Quotes

"For a house to be successful, the objects in it must communicate with one another, respond to and balance one another" Andre Putman "…a house is much more than a mere shelter, it should lift us emotionally and spiritually.” John Saladino “When you’re building a room, you’re building character, and character is the strength and wisdom of a home” Rose Tarlow “We shape our homes……, and then our homes shape us.” Winston Churchill “It's all in the Details.” Patricia Gray

16.6.07

Day Dreams on Umbrellas

I live in Vancouver and it has been raining for the last two weekends. I long for sunny days and being able to use an umbrella to sit under to escape the "sun" rather than the rain. So in the meantime, my mind has been occupied with sunny thoughts and day dreams of umbrellas. There are a lot of great umbrellas out there so when the sun does come we can hide out in the shade. These pictures are downloaded from the following sites: http://www.janusetcie.com/ http://www.coroitalia.com/ http://www.extremis.be/eng/outdoorfurniture/outdoor_furniture.htm

15.6.07

A Mid Summer Night's Dream

At this time of year my body and mind wants to be outside enjoying every minute of nice weather we have. I love to create outdoor spaces that are an extension of our indoor space. For people living in apartments and townhouses with decks, creating an attractive outdoor space can serve many functions. It can give you an extra room for entertaining, lounging, working and sleeping (ahh afternoon naps on those warm summer days). If it is properly lit and heated for those chilly evenings it can be an wonderful spot for those BBQ's and lingering guests.There are many new and innovative products on the market for outdoor spaces. Here A few that I have been enchanted with:

http://www.unicahome.com/p31957/gandia-blasco/the-mdulo-series-pergola-by-gandia-blasco.html This pergola's elegant, sleek and sophisticated design is quite a stunning addition to any setting. On the patio, in the back yard or poolside, the módulo provides stylish seclusion and soothing shade.
http://www.janusetcie.com/

http://www.janusetcie.com/

A wonderful fresh black & white curtained balcony I hope you enjoy every minute of your time outdoors this summer......
Patricia

Radio Interview

This is a Radio Interview with Paul Karchett in my office talking about my "Career and Design Influences" Part One Radio Interview http://www.patriciagrayinc.com/interview/Part-1.html Part Two Radio Interview http://www.patriciagrayinc.com/interview/Part-2.html

1st Post


This is the first of what I hope will be many posts. I think this Blog will be a great medium for sharing my philosophy and passion for design , as well as what inspires me, in an ongoing archive format. I plan to talk about not only my work, but also the work of other creative people who are endeavouring to design in ways that are relevant to the times that we are living in. I will post images not just of my work, but also images I find that highlight particular concepts that I find interesting, timely and beautiful. What I willl focus on will be:
  • new and fresh
  • exciting and stimulating
  • beautiful and articulate
  • passionate and inspiring

    I welcome your comments
    Patricia

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