Life In Color

Blue pill or Red pill

2012-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

From vitamins to prescriptions most people take some kind of pill every day, but have you ever stopped to think about what color those pills are? Could the color of the pill dial up its effectiveness? A study from India says color can amplify both the positive and negative placebo effects of medications.

"You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes." -Morpheus (image, link)

"According to recent research the color, shape, taste and even name of a tablet or pill can have an effect on how patients feel about their medication. Choose an appropriate combination and the placebo effect gives the pill a boost, improves outcomes and might even reduce side effects. Now, researchers at the University of Bombay, New Mumbai, India, have surveyed users of over-the-counter (OTC) medication to find out just how much the color of a tablet influences patient choice." link

Swallowing a bitter pill? Maybe its just the color (link)

"Writing in the International Journal of Biotechnology, R.K. Srivastava and colleagues report that red and pink tablets are preferred over other colors... Strangely, they found that 14 percent of people think of pink tablets as tasting sweeter than red tablets whereas a yellow tablet is perceived as salty irrespective of its actual ingredients. White or blue tablets were judged to taste bitter by 11 percent of the participants and 10 percent said orange-colored tablets were sour. (link). The over all conclusion of the study is in favor of the red pill but the details are a bit more complicated than that: "Twice as many middle-aged people preferred red tablets as younger adults and more women chose red tablets as were chosen by men."

So the red pill is best? But wait it depends on what the medication is for. Sleeping pills have been shown to be more effective if they are blue. A blue sleeping pill could have the opposite effect if you live in a region which culturally associates blue with a high energy activity, like soccer. Italian men for example, who root for a national team decked out in azure blue are immune to blue placebo effects.

So should we design medications to be gender specific? What about age, culture and geographic region specific? And if red and pink reign in the world of medication which reds and pinks would you prefer to take twice a day? If you had to submit to blue, would this color seduce you?

- Emily Eifler, Writer, Colour Studio
- Jill Pilaroscia, Principal, Colour Studio

The power of Rainbow

2012-01-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

When musing about the power of color we often think of the emotional effect color has on its viewers. But what about a different kind of power, take powerful companies for example. How do the biggest, most powerful, and well known companies approach color? We were surprised to find that our list of the top three: Google, Apple and Microsoft; all have used a similar color scheme for their brands.

We know Apple has switched to the more subdued slate grey but the rainbow apple along with the other logos make a striking set. The rainbow has even been adopted by the LGBT community for its symbol of unity in diversity. So if the powerful and re-empowered alike are using the rainbow as identity; what is the power of rainbow?

SF Weekly

Wikipedia points us to a history of rainbow symbology "The use of rainbow flags as a sign of diversity, inclusiveness, hope and yearning has a long history." It has been employed historically by very diverse groups including Incans, Jews, Buddists, Italians and others.

A few weeks ago we posted about color beliefs by culture and found that the color meanings most agreed upon cross culturally were those closely associated with natural phenomenon. Rainbows fit in that category. These bright swathes of color born from the elements of water and air are seen all over the world. They have throughout history been imbued with glory and significance. Our pre-scientific explanations of rainbows ranged from the paths of gods to a wound in the sky healed by a goddess.

So while we now longer believe rainbows are the gods mark on Earth they still hold some of that old power, a different kind of power. We are still awed by rainbows, even if they are just in logos instead of the sky.

Do you need a rainbow in your life? If there are none outside here is the next best thing:

For more see: Miri695, Jaqian, Rwangsa and Moyan_Brenn on Flickr

- Emily Eifler, Writer, Colour Studio
- Jill Pilaroscia, Principal, Colour Studio

The materials of color

2012-01-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

Paint is not the only source of color at our disposal. What about paint chips!

Cozy little cave did a stair way spruce with a little paint chip wallpaper. Notice the yellow and white painted stripes on the ceiling leading to the magical stair.

Ish and Chi made a striking color wall composition.

Design Verb has a tutorial for how to make business card holders out of chips.

Scott Prendergast used 500 chips from Home Depot for his color fade wall.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio
- Jill Pilaroscia, Principal, Colour Studio

Color culture

2012-01-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Starting a New Year on our Gregorian Calendar brings up reminders of the other new year celebrations around the world. Chinese New Year later in January, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) in early fall, or the Islamic New Year which moves around the calendar every year. It got us here at Colour Studio thinking about the color of all those different celebrations. What significance is hidden behind the chosen colors, and how do they differ from ours here at home?

We found this beautiful iris of information from David McCandleness over at Information is Beautiful and AlwaysWithHonor.com. They whipped it up back in April of 09. You can see their sources here.

InformationisBeautiful.net

The first thing to pop out upon reading is the closer the concepts are to natural phenomenon the more consistent the color associations are across cultures. We pretty much agree about the color of heat (41) and cold (10), and why not, fire and ice come from nature conveniently color coded. Evil (24), with its associations with the fear and danger of night, is just plain black; while passion (62) and eroticism (22) share the spectrum with red hot heat. Growth (37) is left pure green and squarely in the domain of plants; earthy (20) is brown, and even illness's (44) yellow elicits jaundice skin.

Two examples of color consistency with out direct natural equivalent are jealousy (49), which is all green, and truce (79), which is all white. These represent powerful cultural memes which have likely spread from one culture to the next replacing previous color symbology or maybe just filling in gaps.

As we get in to the more intangible concepts the color cultures diverge. Death (16), for example, is represented mainly as black or white, similar in their lack of hue if opposite in brightness and saturation. Or take anger (1), which trends toward red but also includes black, perhaps a mix of heat and evil. No one can agree on intelligence (46), love (53), or wisdom (84).

But what would you pick if we were starting our color symbology from scratch? Here are a few of our favorites.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

- Jill Pilaroscia, Principal, Colour Studio

Clash your colors this Christmas!

2011-12-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

Apartment Therapy

Since we will be off for the next two weeks we thought we should leave you with our perspective on color ideas for Christmas. Hey, everyone else is writing about it and we wanted to get in on the fun too. We here at Colour Studio, being highly cross disciplinary and studious about our color choices, will of course be recommending that you stick with red and green schemes this year. Elegance and complimentary color science above all. It's all very serious around here. Just kidding. While we are all for elegance, it can get a bit staid. Why not stray from the usual and expand your palette this year?

Re-Nest

Now we are sure that most of you have boxes of family ornaments stashed away safely in the basement or garage. Those little treasures are wonderful and bring back cherished memories every year. But maybe with those traditions throw in a color twist. Try painting some new bulbs in bright eye catching colors or head down to the dollar store and grab a box of recyclable plastic bulbs, throw in some glitter, and get your chromatic confidence going! These bright Christmas trees from Apartment Therapy have such energy!

Apartment Therapy

If you need more inspiration try heading over to Apartment Therapy and Re-Nest. We love them! Their sites are full of great colors. There are lots of options for some DIY color splashes: DIY Decorations from Re-nest or contemporary colored ornaments from Indie Pretty Projects.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Ode to the Crayon

2011-12-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

Inspired by our Project Manager Naomi and her "Color Outside the Lines" notebook we thought we could regress a bit this week and take a little trip down color memory lane. Many of us had our first introduction to color with crayons.

We all loved to draw as kids, with a lack of talent but lots of enthusiasm. Crayons were one of the first introductions to pure color for many people. Before we had Photoshop to deliver almost any color with the click of the mouse, those little wax treasures brought the blue of the sky or the green of an tree down to kid size, literally made color tangible, usable and understandable. They even had that distinct caryon-y smell, ah the sense memories.

So this week we are looking at coloring and crayons with grown up eyes. But we weren't the only ones to mature over the years, crayons have grown up too.

In 2010 Diem Chau, of The Pleasure of Tiny Things blog, was commissioned to carve 66 of these beautiful crayon soccer players for Nike in honor of the World Cup. They were put in eleven special VIP boxes designed by Wieden and Kennedy.

Sculptor Peter Goldlust has also been taking a new look at the crayon with these beautifully carved geometric crayon pieces.

Artist Christian Faur uses thousands of crayons to create an "pixalized" images, one point of color at a time. This work brings the crayon to digital image manipulation transition that comes with age in to sharp relief.

But what rediscovery of crayons would be complete without a look at our long lost favorite colors of childhood. And what do you know, the folks over at wikipedia were helpful enough to provide hex numbers for all the Crayola crayons of our youth. Their list is wonderful, we never realized how many specialty crayons were out there. Along with the standard colors we can also choose from the silver swirls, gem tones, pearl brights, or metallic FX collections. Adult eyes also reveal details children rarely notice. For example one color name carries with it the history of racism and political correctness in America; "Chestnut" was originally called "Indian Red" until 1999.

So now that we have scoured though all those crayon colors we threw together a few palettes. If you need a bit of whimsy and wax smell for your next project consider some crayon inspiration. There are some great projects out there if you need help getting started recycled crayons, window decorations, or wreathes and frames.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Lime Green

2011-12-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the hiatus, thanksgiving got the better of us and we have been busy busy busy. So to make it up to you a post all about lime green. Our associate designer, Emily, is currently on the hunt for a new home in San Francisco and during one of her many open house Sunday's she walked by this beautiful entryway. After seeing one boring color scheme after another it was definitely a welcome surprise. We are avid fan of lime greens, especially for architectural and interior design applications. We did a lime green entry way ourselves not to long ago.

Such inspiration sent us on a mission to find the perfect lime green palette for Emily's future home.

Lime green, chartreuse, yellow green, electric green, margarita, green apple. There are a wealth of of hues to pick from in this range. Its a bold choice, and certainly not for everyone, but for you color adventurers out there it could that extra zing you need.

Most of the interiors we have found match lime green up with neutrals like calm modern gray, clean white, and even straight laced black so as not to overwhelm the eye.

Notice that even the barest hint of lime accentuates the green of the exterior plants and makes the space expand to visually include the outdoors.

While floor to ceiling lime green walls may be to much for an entire room, it can give energy and motion to an tight or neglected stairway. Stairways are a liminal space between floors and not generally given much consideration but here lime green gives a stairway a fresh personality all its own.

The next two interior designs use lighter versions of the lime green as a base and add just a few splashes of its brighter sibling. Its visually links the two colors without putting lime green everywhere.

Just varying the brightness value can break up overwhelming colors.

Lime green is young, playful and refreshing and according to a few color phycology sites lime green helps clear bad thoughts from the mind and promotes motivation. We are in need of all of those things. So here is our palette for lime green, we hope to use again in the near future.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Its Always Hot in the Performing Arts

2011-11-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Opera houses, concert halls, and theaters are architectural monuments to a rich culture of performance arts. Traditionally performance environments have been done in warm palettes: red specifically but with lots of gold, orange and warm woods and stone. Its a color scheme usually called "Red Plush." For example, below is the newly reopened Bolshoi Theatre in Russia.

"Bolshoi" means "grand" in Russian, and the new theater fills the bill. Tapestries have been rewoven, crystal pendants in the main two-ton chandelier have been restored or replaced, and the balconies have been covered with gold leaf. Over 150 goldsmiths worked with the nearly 11 pounds of gold leaf used for the interior. From a box on the side of the stalls, security guards watched a rehearsal of "Ruslan and Ludmila." Here for more

Eastman Theater in Rochester, New York is also a classic example of the red plush grande drape and seating upholstery.

The meme has spread all over the world. Above is Chinas National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. It is truly epic inside. Our Associate Designer, Emily, can tell you from personal experience, when you stand on that stage the audience is an expansive sea of lush red seats. It goes back and back and back for what seems like forever. The Opera house alone seats 2,416.

Though we have found very little direct evidence about why red plush came to be the dominate scheme or why it continues to be, there are a myriad of different opinions out there. The psychological profile of red associates the color with power, anger, blood, all things dramatic and dynamic. Red dyes were particularly difficult to produce during theater's renaissance revival. The dyes were very expensive and were perceived as opulent, extravagant, special. Those lucky enough to afford tickets to attend theater expect the experience to be stimulating and engaging which fits with red's personality. For the more scientifically minded of you there is the theory about the shorter wavelength of red allowing the eye to easily adjust to a darkened environment. For more theories see this.

The Sydney Opera House

But as we were looking around for images of theater interiors we came across an outlier or two. Above the Indiana University Musical arts center trades in the red grande drape for a perhaps even more opulent royal purple.

This one is cheating a bit, we admit it, but this emerald green drape from Wicked would be lush and vibrant as a grand drape. However the color message would be entirely different. Mystery awaits in the forest. What colors would you like to see on your next trip to the Opera or Ballet?

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

The effects of Aging on Color Vision

2011-11-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

It is common knowledge that vision problems crop upas we age. The Mayo Clinic’s website mentions the four most well known:Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular degeneration, and Floaters[1].It is less well known that our ability to see color also decreases as we age. This knowledge comes in handy on one of our current projects: the Mary Helen Rogers Senior Community. The community, which is currently being built in San Francisco near Civic Center, is named for the well-loved local Mary Helen Rogers who was called the "true matriarch of community activism in San Francisco," by former Mayor Gavin Newsom. She was a founding member of the Western Addition Community Organization, a group that forced the city to support its lower income residents displaced by racism and urban renewal. In the spirit of her generosity we also wanted to do our best to support the future community there with our own work, and with an aging community come aging eyes.

How do you go about designing a color environment for people who see very differently from you? The first step, as always, is research. “Cells in the retina that are responsible for normal color vision decline in sensitivity as we age, causing colors to become less bright and the contrast between differentcolors to be less noticeable. In particular, blue colors may appear fadedor "washed out." [2]To counteract this degradation environments for seniors should be outfittedwith higher contrast surfaces, such as increasing the contrast between a floorand countertop.

Also, the “musclesthat control our pupil size andreaction to light lose some strength. This causes the pupil to become smallerand less responsive to changes in ambient lighting. Because of these changes, peoplein their 60s need three times more ambient light for comfortable reading thanthose in their 20s.”[3] This greater need for light in the eye canalso be addressed in the environment with brighter colors, which bounce morewavelengths of light back to the eye than duller colors. As seen in the graphic below, low saturation colors quickly turn toward black and white as vision ages while high saturation colors maintain a high degree of visual vibrancy.

Arecent study in The Journal ofGerontology on color vision in the aging eye returned informative resultson the particular qualities of color that are more difficult for seniors tosee. The study measured the “losses of color vision in the dimensions of hue,saturation, and brightness”[4]The study demonstrated a “loss ofdiscrimination of saturation beginningat age 50, with rapid change noted after age 60. Similar findings were seenfor hue but were not evident for brightness.” The participating scientistsconcluded with the hope that this “informationwill provide a basis for planning safer, more functional environments forelderly people.”

We selected a color palette for the interior to aid in way finding in this 8 story building. Here are some of our selections.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

[1] Mayo Clinic,www.mayoclinic.com/health/vision-problems

[2] All aboutvision, www.allaboutvision.com/over60/vision-changes.htm

[3] All aboutvision

[4] The Journalof Gerontology, geronj.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/6/P320.short

In Full Colour: Recent Buildings and Interiors

2011-11-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

We like to keep an eye out for new color publications. We used In Full Colour: Recent Building and Interiors from Braun for inspiration selecting colors for a new Seniors Housing Project in San Francisco. The Europeans have a history of respecting the use of color in architecture. Whether color is selected in the context of regional palettes based on soils and vegetation or inspired by the availability of new materials and technologies in the architectural marketplace, they do not fear color. To give you an visual nibble here is a Bonus Post of the week!

A vet clinic with a splash of color at the University of Berne, Switzerland. These brightly colored inner courtyards bounce light in to the surrounding rooms, giving them different glows is the days light changes. P. 208

This office park in the Netherlands "is constructed of glass panels in which a multicolored foil is integrated. Depending on the time of day and the angle of incidence, the facade changes from yellow to blue, to red or from purple to green and back again." P. 200

Green can be a hard color to master. And if I may be so bold as to invent a word; green can get 'hospitally' on you if you aren't careful. But I would say this is application is pleasingly watermelon like in nature. It is a mix of "Fire brigade red [and] police green" for a joint space in Berlin. P. 128

Youthful yellow Youth Hostel. "Within the cityscape [of Bremen, Germany], the building always shines in the distance like a powerful vivid signal." P. 58

Rainbow colored has a bad rep but is used perfectly for this mixed use building. Leon, Spain. P. 124

When I think of the Netherlands this red is not the first hue to come to mind. But Agora theatre is beautiful and "determinedly upbeat place." Meant to revitalize the pragmatic, sober town centre" of Lelystad. P.70

This next one is a mixed commercial residential space in Tubingen, Germany. P.66

This new development in a heavy industry zone in Lingang, China is all about the colors of the sky. "Large-format colored surface produce a a sense of depth, distance, proximity as well as strong structural contrasts." P. 112

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Accent colors for the sky

2011-10-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

When it comes to color, and most air-travel related things, Virgin is in a class all its own. When they first launched the Virgin America brand they came armed with seat-back entertainment including video games and seat-to-seat chat, onboard wifi, and my personal favorite, purple mood lighting. Can you see your self getting plane rage while surrounded by the spiritual hue of purple?

Recently they seem to be stepping up their game. I came across this project by Access Agency/The Cool Hunters. They promote their services as a transformational creative agency. From their description for the project:

"It takes more than a few subtle changes to draw attention at international airports. As a brand that is fun, social, playful, and understands design, Virgin can take plane transformations further than most. We’ve created new bold designs for Virgin Atlantic planes to really get people’s attention. Imagine when suddenly overnight a limited number of planes will look completely different. Unlike any planes ever.

If you were sitting at Heathrow and saw one of these rolling by, you’d take a picture and post it for all of your connections to see. This is the “look at me” kind of cool and bold design in unexpected surroundings that people love to see and talk about. Have you spotted one of these? Did you fly in one? The design would stay on the planes only a limited time and then a new design would show up on other routes. This is the ideal set-up for a viral phenomenon."

Via http://www.access-agency.net/virgin-atlantic

So just for fun we thought we would try our hand at planes. Our picks for spicing up that beautiful blue sky?

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Pretty in Porange

2011-10-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Rihanna rockin it

Once upon a time, just recently actually, two colors formed a new team in the fashion world. Purple, our wise and royal hue, married warm and energetic orange to form Porange. The couple is now aspiring to the heights of other hybrid name duos Brangalina or Bennifer.

Hot color combo via Glamor

While slow moving in the beginning the trend seems now to be inescapable and will presumably infect all susceptible members of the population by late this year.

But wait. As with all things in fashion, Porange is cyclical. This whole trend could just be be a Princess Diana revival movement. And why not? We could always use a little more of her grace and generosity.

Princess Diana back in 1992

Or maybe its all an ingenious viral marketing ploy by Raw Color.

A raw color hybrid hue

Why so popular?

We often think of complementary colors as those straight across (180 degrees) from each other on the color wheel. Purple and orange are what is referred to in color theory as compound colors, they are about 120 degrees (or 1/3rd of the way) away from each other on the color wheel. Different angle, same great synergy.

We here at Colour Studio would like to do our part to spread the Porange meme so here is this weeks color scheme:

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Color me skeptical

2011-10-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Are you one of those people who like to take personality quizzes like What Harry Potter Character are you and What dog breed are you? What about What hue are you?

Aquamarine, the March birthstone

In our studio we have five different color quizzes that claim to know you inside out. Actually "quizzes" may be a bit too low brow, they like to call themselves Color Systems. They come with headlines like "What Color is your Personality " and "Choose your colors, Change your life"

So I decided to take them all and then bare my soul to you all here, or at least the color of it.

Colorstrology

Most of us are familiar with birthstones, mine is either jasper or aquamarine depending on the system you subscribe to. Colorstrology is similar but vastly more complicated. Michele Bernhardt's book Colorstrology assigns a special color and list of personality traits to each and every day of the year. For March 4th, my birthday, the color is "Reseda."

Reseda Alba, my birthday colors name sake via Flora Italiana

What does Reseda mean about my secret inner life? I am apparently spiritual, private and productive; frankly not the first three words I would use to describe myself. I flipped to a random page later in the year, July 7th, to be greeted by Persian Jewel, a pleasantly rich blue, and the description intelligent, seductive and sensitive. Frankly theirs not a bad day in the book. No one is ever grumpy, dull, or prone to addiction. Eye-roll

Color Energy

"Trust your body knows the color it needs, just as it craves orange juice when you need vitamin C"

This one is is part auras/part chakras. To give your self a "color reading" you lay 12 colored cards out in front of you, rub your hands together till they get warm, shut your eyes, hover your hand over the cards till there is a buzz like sensation then pull one card (if this doesn't work for you they encourage you to use a pendulum). Yes I did actually do all this sitting at my desk in our studio, luckily I was alone with my embarrassment. I pulling the yellow card.

Now comes the interpretive phase. Apparently the electromagnetic frequency of my third charka is exactly the same as this yellow card, which means my intellect is buzzing. Wait what does that mean exactly? Oh right, my yellow is too high or too low or needs a back rub. I am lost on this one. Can I do an eye-roll twice in one post?

The Dewey System
In the Dewey system we move from fairly random oriented systems to the seemingly more accurate use of personal preferences. The system can be boiled down into several steps of picking color cards, which ones you love, which ones you hate, and what they mean when they are combined. I ended up with a blue-purple-black palette. When combined, these colors apparently mean others see me as a Pioneer but I see myself as a Thinker. Now if I am being honest I like those results, they feel true, or at least I really want them to it be true. But that is the point of these systems right? Make it you feel good about the results or demonstrate that you can use a non verbal medium, the stimulus of color to gain personal insight. I would need to see this one tested on lots more people before I became a believer.

The Luscher Test
Want to try one of these systems for yourself? Try out this online version of the Luscher Test, a well respected color psychology test. Developed by a Swiss physician in 1947 to aid in diagnosing disease, the test was believed to offer insight into treating the whole person.

My results? Apparently, I am having difficulty making progress won't put out any effort, even though I just got a new job. I am egocentric and quick to take offense, which I immediately think is totally insulting but also must be true since I just wrote an entire post about my personality (does my sarcasm drip from those words or politely cling?).

We do not subscribe to each of these systems, some are more research based and some are just pop culture. However there may be an underlying value to knowing how you respond to color in your environment, your clothes, your psyche.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Painting the town red: La Tomatina

2011-10-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

La Tomatina, Spain

On the last Wednesday of every August in Buñol, Spain, thousands of people gather to celebrate La Tomatina (also known as the Tomato Festival). This tomato filled festival has maintained it's strong tradition annually since it originated in 1945. There is no certain theory on how or why this tradition began. Some people believe La Tomatina started from a food fight amongst friends in the small town while others believe an unhappy group attacked city councilmen with tomatoes during a town celebration. Although many stories exist about the origin of La Tomatina, it is certain that for whatever reason the festival started, it was enjoyed so much it became an annual event of Buñol.

Each year La Tomatina attracts people from all over the world and the streets fill with rivers of thick red tomato pulp. A population of 9000 people, Buñol typically grows upwards of 40,000 during late August each year. The tomato craze takes place in the town's main square, Calle del Cid. At 11am, over 100 tons of ripe, juicy tomatos are rocketed into the streets and onto the crowds. For one hour, the thousands of people engage in a fun and frenzied tomato fight.

Although the festival began without religious significance, it is now held in honor of Buñol's patron saints, Louis Bertrand and Mare de Déu dels Desemparats (Mother of God of the Defenseless). Red has always been believed to be an attracting color, and through these few photos, we witness the intense passion of this celebration.

Our favorite reds?

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Can color be a brand in itself?

2011-10-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Gold. It's part luxury credit card, part wedding ring, and part golden calf. Through out our history gold has been equated with godly purity and used to reward great human achievements. In the well known american economist Thorstien Veblen's book The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) he described gold as having a "high degree of sensuous beauty," leaving no flexibility for the eye of the beholder. In today's modern stock and commodity heavy economy, gold perpetually reasserts itself as the safe place for investment after any calamity, from 9/11 to the 2008 market crash.

Golds symbolism is still well utilized by todays upper crust. Here the Queen and the Dean of Westminster shake hands at the recent royal wedding, both in shining gold.

So can this historical love affair with gold be usurped by another? Chase seems to think so. In their recent campaign Chase is challenging golds supremacy with a color commodity of their own: sapphire.

Logan Sapphire - Washington DC, Natural History Museum

In the new ads a car-factory style conveyer belt moves a line of products through to be spray painted gold: a tooth brush, a toaster, a pair of glasses, a vacuum; then comes the credit card.

"If something is simply the color of gold is it really worth more? We don't think so.
Chase sapphire is a card of a different color."

This example of color as brad comes at a time when gold is being associated with seedy BUY GOLD NOW schemes like Gold Line. But will a momentary tarnish on golds reputation help fuel the fire of this campaign? We shall see.

- Emily Eifler, Associate Designer, Colour Studio

Living Dreams: My Color Ballet

2011-08-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

Visitation, Mark Morris

The other night some friends came over for dinner and the conversation turned to creative projects that we had conceived but never realized. One of my guests knew about my color ballet and encouraged me to share my vision.

Mark Morris

Years ago someone gave me a book about Mark Morris. I had his seen his dance troupe perform at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall several times. Reading about the young choreographer with the piercing eyes, wild hair and mildly outrageous behaviors intrigued me. Weirdly enough I was walking down the street in San Francisco a few days later and ran into him. I told him that I loved his work and found his creativity inspiring. He was warm, engaging, and perfectly open to talking with a complete stranger. A seed was planted…

A very generous friend took me to the San Francisco Ballet for six years. During this time, Michael Smuin was the Artistic Director. We saw revivals, newly commissioned pieces and the premiere of The Beatles ballet. The response to the Beatles premiere split the audience demographic down the middle. While some attendees walked out, others gave the performance a standing ovation with cheers.

Beatles, Michael Smuin

Critics of the Smuin era said the dancers were sloppy but advocates felt the boundaries of conventional ballet programming were expanded. Patrons were exposed to the classics, the forgotten and the new. Francis Ford Coppola was brought in to do sets. The art component of ballet seemed to open for me. I thought why couldn’t a color specialist dive into this world where musicians, and filmmakers, were adding excitement to the form.

New York City Ballet Set, Santiago Calatrava + Peter Martins

A Color Ballet based on the major hues would be a complete sensory delight. Music would be incorporated to elicit the mood of color. Sets would communicate the psychological associations humans have subconsciously to specific colors. The dancers’ costumes would be one uniform color using shape, texture, and form to convey meaning.

Issey Miyake Design

The red movement would pulse with dramatic music like a beating heart and the red costumes would be provocative as a bullfighter’s form fitting couture. The blue movement music and choreography would be hypnotic like ocean waves and the blue costumes would billow like clouds floating effortlessly in the sky.

Pacific, Mark Morris

The visual receptors and the biological response to color stimulus paired with the mood triggering power of music, interpretive movements and gestures of the human body would reinforce the ballet concept. Imagine how a stage filled with movements in red would move an audience in a different way than a stage filled with blue movements.

Italian Concerto, Mark Morris

Although a Color Ballet would not require a traditional story line the performance would still have the power to convey an entire range of emotions to the audience. One could compare this to the genre of expressionist painting verses the pictorial old masters. In this case, color meets dance on a primal level.

Mark Morris Dance Troupe

It was now time to engage Mark Morris. I sent several color themed gifts to his studio in Brooklyn. The staff referred to me as “The Color Ballet Lady.” One color gift involved a Todd Oldham French grosgrain ribbon handbag from the South Beach Florida boutique, filled with green paint chips, green gloves, green feathers, and green rubber frogs. Another gift included a royal blue push broom with a matching over sized dustpan. Each color quest was wrapped in the chosen gift color. He must have thought I was crazy.

Color Gifts for Mark

Eventually, Mark agreed to meet me for a drink to discuss my idea. I left San Francisco and during my journey South, I visualized my color filled creation and saw myself taking bows at the triumphant finale with Mark.

Mark Morris + Jill Pilaroscia

We met in San Luis Obispo where his troop was performing at the time. In my bag, I brought velvet squares in the major hues for cocktail napkins, and a careful selection of music. The pale pink interior of the hotel bar spoke only of the 1980’s. We sat at a high round top table on stools that immediately dwarfed my stature. I was carefully attired in black to not draw attention to myself. I ceremoniously placed homemade polychromatic velvet squares on the table top as textural cocktail napkins. I was setting the stage for the brilliant color ballet.

He was gracious and complimented my originality. He listened patiently as I discussed my big idea – each color would have music, costumes and sets that reinforced the inherent associative characteristics of the color. We would contrast the colors in a way to create surprise and tension. I referenced the work of Carl Jung on the collective unconscious, the origins of associative color and human evolution, and the metaphysical relationship of sound, specific notes and color. I also contrasted the concept to that of Balanchine’s Jewels ballet, spoke of Scriabin’s Color Music concerts in the late 1800’s - all this time stressing the originality of the Color Ballet idea.

Jewels, George Balanchine

Mark responded with a clear statement, "I work from music not from ideas!" Having seen an abundance of Mark’s works I should have recognized his style. He finished his drink and invited me to his performance that evening. With a heavy heart, I drove back to San Francisco. My year long effort came to an end with Mark’s declaration that music rules his creativity. Mine however, is ruled by color. We touched but we didn’t dance.

It was with mixed emotion that I watched his San Francisco Ballet production, The Sandpaper Ballet. Isaac Mizrahi created the bright green costumes, which vibrated against an electric red set. Seeing the inclusion of powerful colors made me think that I had possibly influenced Mark’s appreciation for color on some level.

Sandpaper, Mark Morris

Sitting high in the hall closet is a red cardboard banker box full of notes, costume inspirations, color visuals for sets, and reviews of successful new ballet productions worldwide. The idea has not died, and my passion for color still lives strong. One day I will revisit the Color Ballet with a grand finale showcasing the dance of the seven hues.

Photo Credits
Visitation Ballet: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/oct/30/mark-morris-programme-2-review
Morris Portrait: http://www.jessefrohman.com/pages/portport_2.html
Beatles Ballet: http://www.cb-pr.com/press/smuinseason.html
NYCB Set: Architectural Record, September 2010, Photo by Paul Kolnik
Miyake Design: http://arttattler.com/designfuturebeauty.html
Pacific Ballet: http://markmorrisdancegroup.org/resources/photo_gallery/
Italian Concerto Ballet: http://blog.chron.com/peep/2010/01/mark-morris-lou-voodoo/
Mark Morris Dance Troupe: http://www.cornish.edu/summer/dance/courses/mark_morris_dance_group_pre-professional_dance_intensives/
Color Gifts: Jill Pilaroscia
Morris + Pilaroscia: Donald Jones Photography, 1999
Jewels Ballet: http://artsplace.blogspot.com/2009/03/jewels-at-boston-ballet.html
Sandpaper Ballet: http://articles.sfgate.com/1999-04-29/entertainment/17684581_1_joanna-berman-dancers-mark-morris

Color Branding of Corporate Interiors

2011-08-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

It is a human evolutionary impulse to covet the new and improved. Curiosity has lead to innovations, discovery, and improvements on all levels of existence. In terms of the environments where we live and work, we have come to embrace the idea that the new has a powerful impact on our experience.

In the 1990s, companies started branding their corporate environments. The trend grew, as the idea that business identity could crossover from advertising media to interior space gained broad acceptance. Many corporations used the same environmental cues to support their brand messages in all their workspaces, whether in London, Omaha, or New York.

Target, Cape Coral, Florida

Innovative companies desired interiors that defied the norm. At the Yahoo campus in Sunnyvale, California, slides were installed to connect an upper floor to the floor below. Who needs stairs when gravity can work to your advantage? Freestanding conference rooms with canted walls in vibrant colors looked nothing like their traditional counterparts. Ebay followed suit with interior colors that matched its logo. New players like Facebook and Salesforce chose enthusiastic palettes reflecting their youthful worker demographic. These environments are bold, fun, festive, and stimulating.

eBay, San Jose, California

Google changes its home page visuals daily. High tech companies of all kinds are constantly adapting their products to reflect new introductions or new services. But should the branded physical environment change as quickly? Does using the precise criteria for branding identity and product make sense in the built environment? Is it a sound return on investment?

Twitter, San Francisco, California

Cultural anthropology has become part of the prerequisite architectural curriculum at architectural institutions like University of Florida. Architects use science and art to design spaces while anthropology focuses on science and people. People who have researched the link between humans and environment like Dr.Heinrich Frieling, Dr. Harry Wolfarth, Frank Mahnke have found that humans need variety in their environments to avoid monotony, visual fatigue and boredom. Access to nature, good air quality, variable light levels, and comfortable and ergonomic furniture all enhance productivity.

Facebook, Palo Alto, California

The concept of one-upmanship in creating dramatic environments sometimes misses the human mark. We all like new, and fun things, but there will be times when color for color’s sake will not carry the clients’ investment soundly into the future. Lets consider if that colorful package design, which visually leaps off a retail shelf will be as successful as a focal wall color in an office environment. Let’s at a minimum question if a branded color solution works in an environment.

Yahoo, Tokyo, Japan

I would suggest that digging deeper into behavioral scientific response, geographic locations, climate conditions, and demographic profiles will yield a brand environment that will not be irrelevant when the next big color trend surfaces.

I completely support the idea that each organization has its own culture. The culture may prefer to work in quiet private spaces for specific tasks and then have the flexibility to roam a large floor plan to select informal group work situations. What I am suggesting is that the same amount of time spent on space planning, preparing furniture layouts, and using real estate efficiently should also be spent on determining what is the most beneficial aesthetic environment that will support human needs. Color used indiscriminately to look innovative will not stand the test of time, nor will it serve the brand in a significant way.

Photo Credits
Target: http://www.ryancompanies.com/projects/supertarget-stores/
eBay: http://www.oneworkplace.com/ourclients/portfolio.asp
Twitter: http://viewhometrends.com/twitter-office-interior-designs/
Facebook: http://www.chilloutpoint.com/science_and_technology/google-office-versus-facebook-office.html
Yahoo: http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2009/09/yahoo-office-in-japan.html

Baghdad Erupts in Riot of Color

2011-06-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Photo: Jerry Levy

The quote from Marshall McLuhan in the late 1960s, "The Medium is the Message" is still relevant when considering the role of color in the environment. McLuhan believed that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role. He used the lightbulb as a metaphor - a lightbulb does not have content in the way that a newspaper has articles, yet it is a medium that has a social effect - the light bulb allows people to create spaces during nighttime that would be otherwise enveloped by darkness. I suggest that color has the same ability to change an environment by its presence.

Photo: Jerry Levy

Take the story published in the New York Times, by Michael S. Schmidt and Yasir Ghazi on May 15, 2011, As Baghdad Erupts in Riot of Color, Calls to Tone It Down, as an example that illustrates McLuhan's concept.

The authors state that downtown Baghdad has a new police headquarters painted two shades of purple - lilac and grape. The central bank has been painted in bright red candy cane stripes, the Trade Ministry is pink, orange, and yellow. Blast walls have been repainted hot pink. The article continues, "Baghdad has weathered invasion, occupation, sectarian warfare and suicide bombers. But now it faces a new scourge: tastelessness."

For decades Saddam Hussein's government ruled over aesthetics in Iraq's capital with the same grip he exercised over the people. A committee of artists, architects, and designers approved the color of buildings as well as the placement of landscape. With many beige brick buildings, and color used sparingly, most often on mosques, the city's appearance was uniform and restrained – and dull.

When the Iraqis began rebuilding, the color police were gone. Color was no longer controlled. The New York Times writers state the color chaos is taking place because the regime’s artists, and arbitrators of taste had enough wealth to be able to leave the country.

Ferdinand Leger said, “Color is a human need like water and fire." I do not believe that color is being used solely because the wealthy and educated elite have left Baghdad, leaving only the uneducated lower classes behind. This argument is based on chromophobia, a dismissal of color as a legitimate medium of human expression and human freedom.

Photo: Jerry Levy

Color has the power to influence experience that affects the observers on cross-disciplinary levels. Exuberant bright colors are stimulating, invigorating, enthusiastic, fresh, and different from what the citizens had seen during Hussein’s reign. Given that studies have shown biological, psychological, and sociological response to color, I believe the culture is using color in a positive way, to pull itself up from a horrible set of circumstances.

Maybe these are not the most harmonic color combinations. Riotous color appears to reflect the strength it took this culture to overcome the perils and horror of oppression and war. I applaud the free thinking. Over time, the citizens will find their own balance. I do not believe the elite intellectuals who pine for the days of Saddam's color control, really understand politics of change. This is a good kind of riot.

Link to New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/world/middleeast/15baghdad.html?scp=1&sq=As%20Baghdad%20Erupts%20in%20Riot%20of%20Color,%20Calls%20to%20tone%20it%20down&st=cse

Colour our Worlds - Cross Culturally

2011-02-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

Color is often used as a form of expression in cultures worldwide. When I began my research on color in festivals, Heather Clawson posted Colour My World on her blog Habitually Chic (http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/). Clawson juxtaposed images from the Spring/Summer 2011 fashion collections with images of exterior and interior color design. Colour My World revealed an enthusiastic use of color in Western culture. The following images are a sampling from Clawson's post, Colour My World (http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2011/01/color-my-world.html).

Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011

Unknown

Gucci Spring/Summer 2011

David Hicks, 1954

Our passion for color, as displayed in the visuals above have a synchronous application in Eastern cultures. More specifically, I found proof of this color dialogue between East and West in the orchestration of the Hindu Holi Festival.

The first marked celebration in the Hindu calendar is the Holi Festival. Each Spring, Holi, also known as the Festival of Color is celebrated in several countries. Thousands of people come together and participate in many activities, including the ancient ritual of putting colored powder on each other.

The colored powder used during Holi was originally made from natural seeds, flowers and silt from the riverbed. Over time, the palette of powders has greatly expanded through the introduction of synthetic pigments.

Women, men and children from different social classes and backgrounds come together and are united through color.

This Spring, be reminded of the famous Holi saying, "Let the colors of Holi spread the message of peace and happiness."

Color in Preschools + Elementary Schools: Part One

2011-01-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

Photo by Jerry Levy

What are the best colors for Preschool and Elementary Grades? According to Frank Manhke, President of the International Association of Color Consultants, color in your environment has a psychophysiological influence on you. Manhke combines hard scientific evidence with empirical studies in his book, Color, Environment + Human Response.

Children are particularly susceptible to environmental stimulus. Different ages accept and reject colors according to their development. For young children, leaving the security of the home environment is challenging. Thus, creating a sense of security in their educational environment is very important.

Dr. Heinrich Frieling of the Institute of Color Psychology tested 10,000 children around the world on color preference. Here are some of his research findings:

Most children, ages five to fourteen rejected black, white, grey and brown.
Children five to eight preferred red, orange, yellow and violet.
Children nine to ten preferred red, red-orange and green-blue.
Children up to fourteen preferred blue, ultramarine and orange.

Dr. Frieling acknowledged that the pure hues noted above were not appropriate for large fields of color in the school environment. Manhke converted the color preference test results into suitable colors to be used as a palette guideline. As Manhke always stresses, color guidelines are simply guidelines, and not to be used as formulas. It's important to recognize that each school and classroom has different architectural conditions, light characteristics, geographic and cultural situations to evaluate.

Manhke recommends a warm bright color scheme of light salmon, warm yellow, pale yellow-orange, coral, and peach These colors compliment the nature of young children and help reduce tension and anxiety. Colors from the cool spectrum, blues and blue-greens can balance the palette and work as accents. A balanced palette of warm and cool colors reduces tension, nervousness and anxiety. Colour Studio has always had a strong interest in coloring educational environments. For school projects we have incorporated warm yellows, blues, and greens. These colors were successful in lifting the general mood and atmosphere of the schools to positively impact the students and faculty.

Colour Studio selected the following palette specifically for an elementary school located in Northern California. This palette was developed with the specific site in mind and is not intended to be used as a formula for all elementary schools. Here is a sampling of the colors we used:

Dunn Edwards 341

Benjamin Moore 148

Dunn Edwards 5332

Benjamin Moore HC-150

Benjamin Moore HC-143

Dunn Edwards 5879

The idea that young children need primary colors dominating their environment and visual stimuli covering every surface of a classroom is not supported by science. Incorporating too much color can be as detrimental as having too little color.

When considering color for schools, lets be sure to analyze each environment to insure our color and design decisions support the welfare of our end users no matter what their age.

Color Forecasting - Anticipating Public Taste

2011-01-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Color forecasting is based upon the idea that public taste can be anticipated. Whether it's due to current events or a natural oscillation, we see changes in the color forecast each year.

Pantone Mugs

Color Marketing Group produces forecasts for clients who pay large sums of money to be in the know. Pantone has determined it can raise its brand recognition by sharing its forecasts with the general public.

2011: Honeysuckle

Pantone 18-2120 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 2078-30

Pantone revealed Honeysuckle as the color of the year for 2011. Honeysuckle is a positive color that is found to be uplifting in a time of stress. As Leatrice Eisemen noted, “Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues.” (http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20821&ca=4)

We’ve taken a look back at the last 11 years and have found possible cross currents of events and color associations that inform each year’s color trends.

Here is a brief synopsis:

2000: Cerulean

Pantone 15-4020 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 822

Cerulean is a dreamy and peaceful color. This blue was chosen to be the color of 2000, the start of the millennium for it’s calming and peaceful attributes.

January 14: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at 11,722.98 (at the peak of the Dot-com bubble). The Dot-com era begins its decline and collapses.

November 7: Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first First Lady of the United States to win public office.

2001: Fuchsia Rose

Pantone 17-2031 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 1349

2001, was the year that many of us remember as the Dot-com collapse and the tragedy of 9/11. The color Fuchsia Rose is optimistic and enlivening. This color was chosen wisely for 2001, as sadness was felt throughout the country.

2001: Multiple dot.com firms and online companies collapse.

January 20: George W. Bush in sworn in as the 43^rd President of the United States.

September 11: 9/11 Attacks: The World Trade Center is hit.

2002: True Red

Pantone 19-1664 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 2087-10

The year following the attacks of 9/11 encouraged patriotism and building community. True Red inherently speaks to the country’s population as a color that is both energizing and patriotic.

April 19: The Senate defeats President Bush's plan to authorize oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

October 9 - October 10: Congress passes the Iraq Resolution authorizing the Iraq War.

2003: Aqua Sky

Pantone 14-4811 – Cross Over: Sherwin Williams 1750

Aqua Sky, the color of 2003 is comforting and soothing. The color Aqua reminds us of the sky and sea and is often associated with being an ‘escape color.’

March 20: The Iraq War begins.

June 4: Martha Stewart and her broker are indicted for using privileged investment information and obstructing a federal investigation.

September 17: President Bush admits that there is no evidence linking the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

2004: Tiger Lily

Pantone 17-1456 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 021

Tiger Lily is a bold orange color that is energizing and stimulating. This orange is exotic and expresses a clear connection to the sun, signifying warmth.

February 3: The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

February 12: San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

July 25: Lance Armstrong wins the 6th consecutive Tour de France cycling title.

December 26: The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake occurs, resulting in the Indian Ocean tsunami. The devastating tsunami killed over 200,000 people and is one of the deadliest natural disasters recorded.

2005: Blue Turquoise

Pantone 15-5217 – Cross Over: Pittsburgh Paints 256-5

It’s only been a year, and we witness a return to another ‘escape color’ with Blue Turquoise as the color of the year for 2005. The serene qualities of Blue Turquoise seem fit for a year hit with a major and unsettling natural disaster.

January 20: George W. Bush is sworn in for his second term as president.

August 2005: Hurricane Katrina takes form on August 23^rd and strikes the Gulf Coast on the 29th, causing severe damage and many deaths. On August 30^th, Katrina disperses leaving many homeless and mourning the dead.

2006: Sand Dollar

Pantone 13-1106 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 1080

Sand Dollar is a neutral color, both calm and relaxing.

January 26: General Motors reports an $8.6 billion loss for 2005. This is their biggest loss since 1992.

November 6: Democrats gain control of both houses of the Congress. Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives.

2007: Chili Pepper

Pantone 19-1557 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 1322

Chili Pepper, the color of 2007 is outgoing and confident. This intense red color screams passion and is a color that cannot be ignored.

May 3: The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Matthew Shepard Act. This is the first time that a gay rights bill is brought to the floor for a vote.

August 7: Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's home run record and hits his 756th home run.

October 9: The Dow Jones Industrial Average hits its all time high of 14,164 before beginning to decline into the recession.

December: The recession officially begins.

2008: Blue Iris

Pantone 18-3943 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 1407

Blue Iris is a rich color that has calming and spiritual effects. This stable color offers reassurance in a time of complexity and uncertainty.

January 21: Stock markets plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. recession.

November 4: Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States and Joe Biden is elected the 47th Vice President. Barack Obama becomes the first African-American President-elect.

December 1: The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 680 points. This is its fourth worst drop in its history.

2009: Mimosa

Pantone 14-0848 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 313

Mimosa, a golden yellow signifies warmth and nurturing. This color embodies hopefulness in a climate of change.

January 20: Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. More than one million people attend the inauguration service.

March 13: The Federal Reserve reports that U.S. families lost a record 18% of their wealth in 2008.

June 25: The great entertainer and musician Michael Jackson passes away and triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief.

2010: Turquoise

Pantone 15-5519 – Cross Over: Benjamin Moore 663

In 2010, we revisit another ‘escape color,’ Turquoise. The color turquoise offers a sense of protection and healing during stressful times.

April 20: An explosion occurs on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The explosion causes the rig to sink and initiates a massive offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

November 4: The US Federal Reserve announces that they will buy $600 billion in bonds to encourage economic growth.

November 9: San Francisco bans Happy Meal, served by McDonald's with regard to growing obesity concern.

November 28: WikiLeaks publicly releases thousands of confidential documents from the U.S. government.

Whirlpool Duet, 2009

We can be certain the 2012 forecast will introduce us to a new hue. People are fickle about color and color does not age well in our society. Both Color Marketing Group and Pantone will continue to influence the industries of apparel, automotive and product. Without new trends, people might not invest in that new outfit, the turquoise espresso machine, or the cranberry matching washer and dryer combo. Color Sells.

A Colorful Addition to Any Wardrobe - The Bow Tie

2010-11-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Photo: Mr. P_Laurent Desgrange Ties

My friend Kenneth has encouraged me to do more blogging. Everyday there is something color related that strikes a chord and then I think its not academic enough to blog about. But I will confess, not all of my color interests are purely academic. Some of them are emotionally driven.

I have friends who are more color sensitive than others. I have found connecting with friends on a deep level takes many forms. It could be in the frequency of our communications or in the number of times we see each other per month. I however, have another barometer - the ease of buying them colorful gifts. I believe that knowing what someone will genuinely appreciate as a gift is a true measure of friendship.

Two years ago in Manhattan, wandering Museum Mile on the Upper East Side, my daughter Emerald and I stumbled across the Seigo Neckwear store at 1248 Madison Avenue at 90th Street. The small shop with its colorful display of beautiful ties in the window drew us right in. Not only did they have fantastic ties, silk scarves, pocket squares and handkerchiefs, they had a complete wall display of hard to find bow ties.

Photo: Seigo Shop

Immediately I know which friend of mine would love one of these ties as a gift.

Photo: Seigo Katsuragawa

The shop owner, Seigo Katsuragawa came to New York 20 years ago to study at FIT. He has all of his ties woven in Japan with looms typically used to produce fine kimono fabrics. Many of his ties have a unique matte finishes and offer unusual color combinations and patterns which are unique to the tie market.

On this visit I found a delicate yellow floral print and a vintage 1950's pink and brown graphic which I knew would be a welcome addition to my friend's collection.

Here is my colorful friend modeling last years birthday gifts from Seigo.

You can see his careful coordination of shirt and tie. The perfect gift of friendship. Colorful and unique, just like the gift recipient.

The Community of the Future is Filled with Color

2010-10-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

This month I participated in a think tank salon hosted and moderated by Deborah Patton Executive Director of The Center for Applied Brilliance. The venue was the West Coast Green Conference 2010. Marc Hinshaw, architect, Jerry Michalski, relationship economy expert and Susan Goltsman, planner and landscape architect, joined me on the panel. We each were asked to develop our presentations around the idea of The Future of Community. The panel did not communicate prior to the presentation yet the amount of agreement in our perceptions of the future was synergistic.

Images: Architect Will Alsop's designs for his City of the Future Vancouver, Canada

I started research on color and architecture. I found myself online looking at images from Europe and Asia of both environmentally responsible and colorful architecture. Why are other cultures so much more willing to use color on buildings than we are?

Image: Low2No ARUP with Sauerbruch and Hutton. Winning design to develop the 1st carbon neutral development in Helsinki, Finland

Is there a fear of color in our culture? I believe there is. An excellent book supporting this argument is Chromophobia, by David Batchelor. Batchelor defines the principle of chromophobia as a fear of corruption or contamination through color that has lurked in Western culture since ancient times. He argues that chromophobia is apparent in the many attempts to purge color from art, literature, and architecture either by making it the property of some foreign body, the oriental, the feminine, the infantile, the vulgar or the pathological or by relegating it to the realm of the superficial, the inessential, the cosmetic.

Image: Chromaphobia by David Batchelor

Additionally, negative color statements have been made by people who are Icons in our field.

Even though Corbusier only produced one all white building, he is historically known for his crusade for white.

Image: Corbusier in his studio

Image: Corbusier design for a chapel in Rome

Richard Meier typically produces all white buildings and is a crusader for white.

Image: Richard Meier

Image: Jubilee Church in Rome, Italy

Image: The Getty Museum in Los Angeles California

As we become more global in all aspects of our experience, I predict the fear of color in architecture may shift.

Image: Photographer - Jerry Levy

With dwindling resources, and tight budgets, we have to rethink the materials and finishes we have available for construction. Color has the ability to trigger responses, and communicate volume, form, scale and detail. Color is in a position to assert itself as a viable tool to articulate architecture.

Image: Herzog and Demeuron highrise in Beijing, China

I remain optimistic that color will be used as a resource in the creation of spaces that have both sensual character and memorable qualities.

Image: Sauerbrach and Hutton - Highbay Warehouse for Sedus in the Black Forest

I will crusade for color !

Economical & Cheerful

2010-07-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

We recently completed a color project for UCSF at the Parnassus Campus in San Francisco. The facility built on land donated to the University by Adolph Sutro was constructed in stages. The Clinical Sciences Building went up in 1934, The Moffit Hospital designed by Timothy Pflueger and the Medical Sciences building opened in 1955. The School of Nursing was completed in 1972, and the Health Sciences East and West opened in 1975. The buildings have been added to, reconfigured, and linked over 30 years. Students and visitors find navigating the Campus challenging.

Parnassus Campus Map

Facing extremely tight budgets for improvements and maintenence, the Facilities department commissioned Colour Studio to create a color palette for the 10 plus miles of corridors linking Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences and the Health Sciences East and West.

Our mission was to aid way finding, create a palette to differentiate buildings, and appeal to a broad number of personal tastes.

Upon completion of the painting, we received several emails from the users. In fact the first compliments that came in were addressing one of the most challenged spaces, the windowless, basement hallways of the Medical Sciences.

Subject: RE: MSB Basement Paint

“It really opens up the basement and makes it look bigger than ever. Nice and soothing.”

“We love the new paint colors in the basement level of MSB!”

The UCSF Corridor Project had no architectural improvements, and no lighting enhancements. The application of a sunny color palette did radically change the experience of the hallway.

You can’t afford to ignore the value add of color – it can transform a users experience.

BEFORE

AFTER

"Color Icons" Mary Blair

2010-03-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to the Walt Disney Family Museum located in The Presidio of San Francisco. The personal evolution of Walt Disney and the Disney Studios is chronicled in amazingly creative interactive displays. I was delighted to discover the sophisticated color work of one of his key collaborators, Mary Blair.

Image: The Colors of Mary Blair, Walt Disney Animation Research Library Collection

Mary Blair was born into a poor family in Oklahoma in 1911, moving first to Texas and then west to San Jose, California when she was 7. Blair's artistic skills were evident at a very early age. Her mother supported the family by sewing for the neighbors as well as for the local churches. With remnants, clothes were fashioned for Blair that according to biographers were both colorful and stylish.

Image: Cartoon Modern – www.cartoonmodern.blogsome.com

Blair won an art scholarship to Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles . She graduated at the height of the Depression in 1933. The economic climate forced her to abandon her dream of a fine arts career. She took a job in the animation unit at MGM Studios. She married an artist and continued to develop her color eye. Blair started using her fine arts training to inform her work in animation.

In 1940, Disney recruited Blair where she worked under the title of color stylist and designer for 30 years. Her collaborators described her exciting use of color on a par with Matisse. She painted color compositions using complex tertiary hues. She would place two different chromatic intensities of color next to one another which was revolutionary for animation at that time.

Image: The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, John Canemaker – Disney Editions

Her inventive palettes of muddy colors with pure colors created a visual tension that heightened the sense of drama. Her Peter Pan and Cinderella colorations shaped the future of Disney animated features.

Image: Cartoon Modern – www.cartoonmodern.blogsome.com

Disney asked her to create the character design of It’s a Small World, for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.

Image: The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, John Canemaker – Disney Editions

After she left Disney, she continued to apply her original and distinctive color skills to free lance mural design, graphic design and the illustration of children’s books.

To give you an insight into Blair’s character, here are two excerpts I found.

Joyce Carson who worked with Mary Blair was interviewed by Disney Historian Jim Korkis.

“Mary sewed and designed her own distinctively stylish, color coordinated clothes. She had lots of glasses and a lot of different colored contact lenses as well. She used to coordinate her eyewear to go with the outfit she was wearing that day."

John Canemaker, tenured professor and director of the film animation program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, authored The Flair of Mary Blair. “Blair juggled her family and creative life. She postponed starting a family until she was thirty six. Even after the birth of her second child three and a half years later, Mrs. Blair continued create dazzling color compositions.”

Image: Cartoon Modern – www.cartoonmodern.blogsome.com

Blair died in 1978. She was the very first woman to be honored as a Disney Legend. I would like to think she will be remembered for her prolific and joyful creativity, her exuberant color palette, and her pioneering spirit as a woman in the arts.

Image: The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, John Canemaker – Disney Editions

The Colors of Mary Blair

Walt Disney Animation Research Library Collection

The Art and Flair of Mary Blair

John Canemaker – Disney Editions

Cartoon Modern – www.cartoonmodern.blogsome.com

Disney Legends – www.legends.disney.go.com

"Color Icons" Diana Vreeland

2010-03-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

Emerald Carroll, our new associate in Manhattan, suggested I start a series of blog posts on “Color Icons”. With such a colorful name, I decided to follow her advice.

The “Color Icons” posts will be featuring individuals who have left their mark on the world due to their specific interest, passion, research, and writings on color. I am starting the series with Diana Vreeland, a woman of exceptional personal style and a deep love for the color red.

Image: Diana's Dining Room

Diana Vreeland fascinated me from the moment I saw her rebellious “youthquake” mini skirted models featured in Vogue in the 60’s. She was the fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar from 1937 to 1962. In 1962 she left Harpers to become editor in chief of Vogue. She built a reputation for allowing photographers, stylists and models to do what they do best - be creative. In 1972 she was fired from Vogue for being a troublesome perfectionist.

Image: Vogue Covers

She is described as having an incredible aura of glamour, and a startling personal style. She oozed enthusiasm, vitality and pizzazz and could hold an audience captive with her provocative and fantastic stories.

Image: Diana at Black Tie Event

She consciously matched her personality with her environments, surrounding herself with dynamic and powerful red.

She worked out of a red lacquered office, smoked constantly, ate peanut butter and jelly for lunch and chased it down with a shot of scotch.

Diana’s friend Horst P. Horst photographed her in her living room designed by Billy Baldwin. Diana referred to the room as her “Garden In Hell.”

Image: Diana in "Garden In Hell" Living Room

Diana is quoted as stating “ All my life I’ve pursued the perfect red. I can never get painters to mix it for me. I want Rococo with a spot of Gothic in it and a bit of Buddhist Temple.”

She embraced red in all forms - red walls, sofas, pillows, and chairs. She surrounded herself with large vases of red flowers and would only pen her notes with red ink. She was frequently photographed dressed head to toe in the hue.

Diana went on to establish her own job title at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the ‘special consultant’ to the Museum’s Costume Institute. She staged nine fantastic shows including Costumes and Designs of the Ballet Russes, The World of Balenciaga, and Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design.

When Vreeland became blind in the mid 1980’s she stated it was because she had looked at so many beautiful things. I can only imagine she still saw the world through a red lens.

Vreeland, a style icon of historic proportion fully realized the power of color. Diana died in1989.

Image: Diana at the Metropolitan Costume Institute

Credits:

Diana Vreeland

By Eleanor Dwight

William Morrow an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers

Diana Vreeland

By Diana Vreeland

Alfred A. Knopf Publisher

Red, the Color of Attraction - Color Science Meets the Movies

2010-02-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

Two researchers, Andrew Elliot, a psychology professor, and Daniela Niesta, a postdoctoral researcher, at the University of Rochester, published a groundbreaking study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Using five psychological experiments, the study concluded the color red makes men feel more amorous toward women. And men are unaware of the role color plays in their attraction.

Image Source: Head In The Clouds (2004)

“Much is known about color physics and color physiology, but very little is known about color psychology, “ said Elliot.

The aphrodisiacal association of red with amorous intentions my be a societal conditioning, consider the red light district and the red hearts and roses associated with Valentines.

Image: Jerry Levy

Elliot & Niesta argue that men’s response to red may more likely stem from deep biological roots. Non-human primates respond to females displaying red. When nearing ovulation, female baboon and chimpanzees redden conspicuously nearing ovulation. This sends a clear color signal to attract males. As much as men might think they respond to women in a thoughtful, controlled way, the study shows their preferences and predilections are more primitive.

Image Source: Volver (2006)

To quantify the red effect, one study looked at men’s responses to photographs of women under a variety of color presentations. A woman’s photo would be framed by blue, white, gray or red. In another experiment the woman’s photo was placed on a red or blue background.

Image Source

In one study, men were shown photographs of women wearing either a red or blue shirt. In the experiment men were asked not only about their attraction to the woman, but if they were going on a date and had $ 100.00 in their wallet, how much money would you be willing to spend on your date?

Image Source: Far From Heaven (2002)

Under all conditions, women shown framed by or wearing red were rated significantly more attractive and sexually desirable by men than the exact same woman shown with other colors.

Story Source: University of Rochester(2008, October 28.) Red Enhances Men’s Attraction To women, Psychological Study Reveals. Science Daily. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081028074323.htm

Forever trying to raise the awareness that color matters in all areas of our lives, I recently saw Pedro Almodovar’s movie, Broken Embraces. The amount of red in the movie was striking. I found an interview on line with Maria Delgado and Almodovar discussing the color.

Image Source: Volver (2006)

Maria Delgado: I’m very aware that in all your films, quite often the strong female character is seen wearing red at specific points in the film. So whenever I watch one of your films, I almost wait for it – to see a red dress, or red cardigan or red shoe. It’s like a treasure almost. Is that intentional or is that just me?

Pedro Almodovar: The color red is present in all my films and my films are on the whole are very colorful. I use it in a very sensual way - It is a significant color. In Spain it represents hate, love and fire. It’s a cross- cultural color of humanity.

Story Source: http://moviegrande.com/volver/interview5.htm

Color Psychology & Big Pharma

2010-02-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

Since starting the blog, I have been spending more time on the web searching for research articles on applied color. Its remarkable how many articles are written about color and the pivotal role it plays in our lives.

Wired Magazine ran an article last fall, Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drug makers Are Desperate to Know Why. "What turns a dummy pill into a catalyst for relieving pain, anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction, or the tremors of Parkinson’s disease? It is the brain’s own healing mechanisms, unleashed by the belief that a phony medication is the real thing. The most important ingredient in any placebo is the doctor’s bedside manner followed by the color or the tablets." – Steve Silberman

Yellow pills make for the most effective antidepressants as they are seen as little doses of sunshine. Red pills are most stimulating and provide energy while soothing blue works best for tranquilizers. Green pills reduce anxiety and white tablets are superior for soothing ulcers.

Color association and symbolism provided the basis for the development of the field of color psychology. To see the influence of color penetrate into big Pharma’s attempt to dominate our central nervous system demonstrates how powerful the brain is and that color has a definitive impact on human experience.

Author: Jill Pilaroscia, Colour Studio, Life In Color

Color In The Office Environment

2010-02-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

Do office workers benefit from the use of color in their environments?

Image: Red Envelope Office_David Wakely

If you ask the workers you will typically get a positive response. If you ask facilities management you may get a negative answer. If you ask the architects and designers you will get a mixed answer.

Why is this?

Every individual has subjective color likes and dislikes. If the office is designed using a workers preferred colors they tend to like their environment. Conversely if they hate a certain color and must work surrounded by it everyday, you know they will find it irritating.

Image: The Art Of Color_Johanes Itten

From a facilities management perspective, the typical objection to color is the extra work it takes to maintain an office with multiple hues. The time required to clean paintbrushes and paint buckets when several colors are involved translate to department costs.

Architects and designers may frown upon applied colors and believe that color should come from the building materials themselves.

I do not disagree at all with this belief. However, budget driven projects will use special materials in public spaces like the Lobby, Conference and Board Rooms. The open office may not have the budget for special materials.

Image: HP Lobby_Sharon Reisdorf

This is where paint and color can come in to make the work place more appealing.

Is there science behind the application of color to office environments?

Frank Mahnke in his book Color Environment and Human Response outlines a solid body of research supporting the value of color. Citing psycho-physiological, neuro physiological, psychosomatic and visual ergonomic factors, color and light can greatly improve a person’s impression of their workplace. We respond to color in a complex way that operates beyond personal preference. Lack of stimulation whether visual or psychological is associated with boredom, and fatigue.

Image: Cafeteria_David Wakely

By consciously varying the light dark contrasts and using a well rounded palette you can imitate the range of colors one would experience in nature. You also increase the chances of creating a pleasing environment that may appeal of a broad group of end users.

There is no specific formula of colors for an office that can be prescribed. Each office needs to be carefully evaluated to determine its optimal palette. There is ample research in cross-disciplinary fields to support the fact that color can play an important role in the office environment.

Color, Environment & Human Response
Frank H. Mahnke

Color Planning for Interiors
Margaret Portillo

Success With Greens

2010-02-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Mother nature does green so well. Why is it a tricky color to get right in interiors?

Image: Stow Lake @ Golden Gate Park_Jerry Levy

Green was my Mother’s favorite color and I was surrounded by it growing up. Two upholstered high back velvet chairs in forest green graced the living room. Each time the color faded, Mother spray painted them. It’s hard to believe she pulled this off, but they looked beautiful to the eye. They were prickly to the touch and uncomfortable to sit on in skirts or shorts. Our kitchen was a green sanctuary with ivy green linoleum counters. Four different wallpaper patterns with green stripes, leaves, and berries were found upstairs and down. Her largest green installation was a custom built floor to ceiling wall-to-wall china cabinet painted Williamsburg green.

In color psychology green is associated with nature. It’s the color that is used to soothe and calm the spirit. Visually it hits right on the surface of the retina, so it neither advances nor recedes. It’s a non-demanding hue.

Image: SFMOMA 75th Year Anniversary Focal Wall_Jerry Levy

So why is challenging to select the perfect green for your environment?

In nature there are blue greens, grey greens, yellow greens in light and dark values and color names reference nature – sage, ivy, fern, apple, forest green and mint.

Image: Painting Diebenkorn Cityscape 1. @ SFMOMA _ColourStudio

Historically many institutional offices, schools and hospitals have been coated top to bottom with green. Cold and lifeless these colors do anything but soothe the user. People frequently select pastel colors for their environment as they feel safer. Green is a hue that is more successful when it has some character and personality.

I live in a house with many greens- olives green, yellow green, historic green and I find that if you select the correct hues, green creates a wonderful backdrop for living. It can be work in traditional interiors as well as contemporary settings.

Image: Martha Stewart Everyday Colors Brochure

Image: Residential Dining Room_David Wakely

Here are some of my favorite greens:

Farrow & Ball Colours
Folly Green_#76
Saxon Green_#80

Dunn Edwards
Stuffed Olive_DE 5529
Watercress_DE 5528

Martin Senour
Chrysanthemum Bud_105-5

Pratt & Lambert Williamsburg Color Collection
Russell House Green_CW519, CW520, CW521, CW522
Palace Chamber Green_CW523

Author: Jill Pilaroscia, Life In Color, Colour Studio

Color and the Learning Environment

2010-01-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

Image: Metropolis Magazine

“Can design help kids learn?” asks last February's issue Metropolis Magazine. Of course it can! I quickly opened the magazine and could not wait to read the article. Featured were elementary through high school projects built nationally and internationally by notable architects. The new facilities sparkled.

Facing tight budgets, and financial shortfalls, not every school district can build new ground up buildings. Acknowledging the idea thoughtfully designed buildings can enhance learning; can we use color and paint as an effective and inexpensive tool to enliven the educational environment? Studies have shown there is evidence that color application and learning environments are codependent.

Image: Oslo School – Architectural Record

Heinrich Frieling of the Institute of Color Psychology tested 10,000 children ages 5 to 19 from around the world. According to the child’s psychological development level, the tests showed certain colors appealed to different age groups. . Dr Ellen Grangaard, in her doctoral thesis for the IACC, used the Frieling color palettes for classrooms pairing age and color preference and found off task behaviors declined and academic standing improved.

Image: Tel-Aviv Kindergarten – The Cool Hunter

The Wolfarth Study conducted in the 1980’s, studied the effects of light and color on elementary students for a full school year. The results showed carefully selected color and light lowered blood pressure and stress levels, reduced disruptive behaviors, and improved academic performance and IQ scores.

Image: Phoenix Union Bioscience High School – Architectural Record

Color deprived environments are bland and uninspiring. By introducing color, one can heighten the sense of movement and exploration. Colors in corridors and public spaces such as lunchrooms, and gymnasiums can be dynamic and energetic. Colors in classrooms, libraries, and science labs can be calibrated to the activities occurring specific to those tasks. Carefully selecting colors and placing them strategically in rooms could improve learning and concentration.

Image: Amsterdam High School – The Cool Hunter

One pioneer worth mentioning in the field of school color is Ruth Lande Shuman. Shuman founded her nonprofit, Publicolor in 1996 in New York City. The non-profit has enhanced over 95 school environments by involving students in improving the looks of their school with paint. The program has an environmental benefit which is what I am most interested in promoting. The secondary benefit is social as the non-profit instructs disenfranchised students in the trade of painting.

Image: Jubilee School

There is no formulaic approach to color for school. The Frieling work established color preferences by age group, but this does not translate to every school in every culture or geographic locations offering classes to elementary students should be a specific color. The work of Publicolor does not mandate that each schoolroom should be bright stimulating color no matter what its function. What I am acknowledging is we need to heighten our awareness and acceptance of the role of color as a tool to shape behavior and enhance experience in the academic setting.

Author: Jill Pilaroscia, Colour Studio, Life In Color

White - The Complex Color

2010-01-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

Image: Interior Color Palettes by Dai Linong

The perfect white interior is radiant, clean, modern and chic. You assume you can’t go wrong with white. But it’s more challenging to select successful whites than you might think, White is not pure. Its sin is reflection.

One client painted her living room and dining room entirely bright white. After the painting was completed she noticed distinct gray shadows at all corners of the room. She was sure the painter used the wrong color. How could the room already look dirty?

The owners of a Craftsman-style home with its characteristic dark redwood ceiling beams and trim, wanted to make the interior feel lighter and brighter but did not want to paint over the natural wood. They selected the purest white they could find, and discovered the new paint did nothing to change the impression of the rooms. In fact, the intense light dark contrast between the wood and paint made the rooms appear even darker. How could white not brighten their environment?

Image: Paint - The Big Book of Natural Color by Elizabeth Hilliard and Stafford Cliff

Choosing the right white for the environment makes all of the difference. There are whisper whites with undertones of pink, green, blue, violet, gray, umber, yellow and blends of these colors intermixed to create complex whites.

We judge colors by comparing one to another. A sage green couch can bring out the complimentary pink in a seemingly neutral white. Hung on the wall, a painting with dominant orange tones will call forth blue undertones against a white wall.

Be sure to analyze your whites and sample the color in your environment under natural and artificial light. Remember in white rooms, every object in the space will be on stage.

Image: Elle Decor Magazinge - Jan/Feb 2010

The majority of whites I use tend to have some yellow component in the mix. They suggest sunlight and can make a room glow. They will not shadow at corners and look dirty.

Benjamin Moore:
OC-121 Mountain Peak White
OC-90 Vanilla Ice Cream
OC-85 Mayonnaise

Image: Color At Home By Meg & Steven Roberts

When I want the gallery look I use these whites. For them to work successfully the rooms need excellent light – either natural or skillfully selected ambient light.

Benjamin Moore:
Ready Mix Super White
OC-45 Swiss Coffee

Farrow and Ball:
2005 All White

In rooms with saturated wall colors I frequently select pigmented whites for ceilings and trims. They will minimize shocking contrasts where the walls and ceilings intersect. These colors can also work in rooms with dark woodwork to soften contrasts and create glow.

Benjamin Moore:
OC-92 Mannequin Cream
2153-60 Rich Cream
OC-100 Palace White

Before you go to the paint store, inventory the dominant items in your room. Identify the colors of these given elements – the couch, rugs, art, and wood finishes.

At the paint store, select several white color cards you are considering out of the display. Hold them directly against one another to see and compare the underlying color tones. Identify if you are drawn to a grey white, a yellow white.

Then think about the objects in your room that will be seem against the white walls. Look for harmony between the white and the given elements. If you have a warm neutral couch, look for a warm neutral white which will blend well. If you have a dominant red rug, look for a warm red that will not turn green against the flooring.

Pay attention to the subtleties of white and you will have a color success.

Image: Paint - The Big Book of Natural Color by Elizabeth Hilliard and Stafford Cliff

Author: Jill Pilaroscia, Life In Color, Colour Studio

Color as Evidence of Rising Optimism?

2009-12-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

Image: Metropolis Magazine

During the Depression of the 30’s, the color palette became dour, dark and subdued. At the end of the Second World War the palette became energized and uplifted by the introduction of pinks, turquoise and minty greens. The earthy grounded colors of harvest gold and avocado of the 50’s and 60’s gave way to the vivid and high contrast psychedelic colors of the 60’s and 70’s. Hippies, drugs, electric guitars energized the palette and the culture. The excesses of the 80’s brought us the Post Modern palette of mauve and grey. The environmental movement ushered in the age of green hues that previously had been relegated to institutional applications. Have you noticed the chromatic intensity of colors in art, graphics, fashion and industry being turned up?

Photo: Jerry Levy_San Francisco, Ca

In the New York Times this Sunday Bill Cunningham’s column, On the Street, was titled HUE. The photographs of vivid color found in nature juxtaposed to brightly dressed New Yorkers illustrated the transcendental link to color stimulus and the unconscious.

Image: New York Times

Cunningham starts his narrative referencing the new High Line, the 1.45 mile section of the former elevated freight railroad located on Manhattan’s West side. The architectural team of Diller Scofido + Renfro executed the project with landscape architects James Comer Field Operations. The concept that strolling in nature would enhance New Yorkers mental perspective seems to be taking root. The planting of amethyst daisy chrysanthemums, which have bloomed prolifically this season, is credited with influencing the abundance of purple fashions visible on the street. The color associations assigned to purple emphasize the spiritual and seeking nature of man. Could we be looking for some interior safety in an increasingly stressful world?

Image: New York Times

In Central Park as well as the other green sanctuaries throughout the city, the trees are ablaze in reds and gold’s. Cunningham states, “On the backs of a few imaginative women in a city known for dressing in black” color is highly visible. Could the grounding qualities associated with reds be assisting these individuals in feeling connected and balanced? Could the mental energies inherent in the gold hues be helpful with focusing ones mind and thinking clearly in chaotic times?

Carl Jung stated there is a collective unconscious connection to color in ones environment. Color response is not learned but is part of the hard wiring of the human mind. Could crosscurrents of thought be permeating our choice of colors that we choose to surround ourselves with in our built environment, our wardrobe, and our art?

Could optimism be consciously penetrating our culture through the vehicle of color? Could we reframe our thoughts by merely applying a coat of paint to our walls, by purchasing a colorful accessory for our wardrobe, by attending the movie Avatar that is laden with saturated color?

I think its possible. Color has the ability to shape behavior and influence experience.

Photo: Jerry Levy_San Francisco, Ca

Author: Jill Pilaroscia, Life In Color, Colour Studio

Color In The City

2009-10-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was having cocktails with friends at the Four Seasons in San Francisco, and some architects from Korea joined us. One of them asked what I did for a living, and when I told him I was a color consultant, we talked about the relationship between color and architecture. He asked me to submit a paper for an exhibit he was preparing in South Korea for the 2009 Gwangju Design Biennale. He wanted the color perspective to relate to his theme Global Living, One Earth, One Sun.

http://www.gwangju-biennale.org/?mid=sub_eng&mode=03&sub=03&tab=01

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7664/one-earth-one-sun-exhibition-at-the-gwangju-design-biennale-09-korea.html

For this second blog entry, I thought I would share a modified version of what I prepared for him. I added some extra visuals for your viewing pleasure. Every so often (well, at least four times a year), I hope to share my process or observations. Your feedback is welcome.

In the same way that customs, language, and food define a culture, color and light contribute to the experience of place. Careful observation will reveal a location’s visual impression. Cities and towns are distinctive and unique. People select colors in their surroundings, preferring certain combinations and avoiding others. Color sense and color experience appear to be collective vernacular expressions. Color choices respond to a location’s specific physical characteristics and the natural environment.

Why do the bright colors of a sun-drenched coastal city look garish in a foggy landlocked metropolis? There are many answers.

First, the angle of incidence of the sun’s rays determines the quality of a region’s light. It shifts daily and seasonally. It controls the depth and intensity of shadow. It also influences the apparent intensity of environmental color. Polar locations such as Nome, Alaska, receive much less sunlight than an equatorial location like the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. When the sun’s light is perpendicular to the earth, the colors are evenly illuminated and have an overall flatness. In Ireland, the angle of light incidence grazes low across the horizon. Each blade of grass appears to be vivid emerald green.

Photo: Jerry Levy_Tiburon, Ca

Second, around the globe, sunlight varies in duration and intensity. There are locations we can describe as having bright light, median light, and shadow light. In Clue One: “One Earth, One Sun,” bright locations would be Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Cairo, Egypt. A median light location would be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and shadow light cities would be Osaka, Japan, and London, England.

Third, all wavelengths of color race toward the earth’s surface at the same speed, the speed of light. But earth’s atmosphere sets up an obstacle course containing dirt particles, dust, pollution, and water molecules. The long wavelengths with slower frequencies such as yellow and red have an easier time avoiding obstacles. The short wavelengths such as blue have a high frequency, and they oscillate quickly. When the blue wavelengths hit an obstacle, which they are more likely to do, they are thrown off course and scattered, causing the sky to appear blue. Less blue remains in the light as it reaches the earth’s surface, so the light appears sunny to our eyes. Its main components are the longer wavelengths of red and yellow.

Fourth, the climactic conditions of our atmosphere—dry or moist, hot or cold—influence the molecular shape and size of the air molecules, which interact with the sun’s light. When the sky appears white, not blue, it is because the airborne molecules of water, sand, and snow in the atmosphere are large enough to bump all of the wavelengths off course. Dry air molecules, which accompany hot temperatures, are small and dense. They can also deflect light rays. The rays are refracted into a shimmering mirage of colorless light.

Finally, the altitude of a location influences the clarity and intensity of its light. At higher altitudes, the light is more reflective. Conversely, lower altitudes will have softer light as more obstacles interrupt the light’s path to earth.

Lois Swirnoff writes in her book The Color of Cities that our collective color reactions to our environment develop as an expression after prolonged exposure of the eye and brain to the conditions of environment. The specific colors common to a particular place arise because everyone living there has similar reactions to the qualities of light and local color in their environment. Regional color is not a product of designers or planners applying subjective color preferences or their individual tastes. As geographic markers, the colors of regions reveal the global range and diversity of vernacular expression.

Here are two specific descriptions of regional and local color characteristics.

Shadow City

Photo: London

London, England, at latitude 51 north, longitude 0, and an altitude of 49 feet, is one of the world’s foremost global cities. It is also the embodiment of a city of shadow light. The temperate climate, with its characteristic fog and light precipitation throughout the year, lowers the intensity of the sunlight and subdues color contrasts. Large areas have been left to gardens and parks. The parks contribute the largest areas of color to the urban fabric. London is physically large, with distinct neighborhoods. The medieval layout of the streets either meanders randomly or originates from a central point and radiates outward in an orderly pattern. The impression of the architecture is heavy, solid, and formidable. Sand-colored limestone was quarried near London and used on many of the major structures. Smaller structures were built with London stock bricks, whose distinctive color and soft appearance came from yellow Kent clay. These natural materials have matte surfaces that absorb the light. Over time, pollution has turned both stone and bricks grey. The visual memory of London is dark. Stoic humility and understatement are character traits of the British. Color comes mostly from the pageantry and ceremonial monuments that represent the traditions of the culture. The local color of London illustrates a palette that is staid and reserved, with bursts of strong color found in small accents on uniforms, family crests, ornamental shields and banners.

Light City

Photo: Jean-Philippe Lenclos_Colors of the World: A Geography of Color By Jean-Philippe Lenclos & Dominique Lenclos_Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, sits on a plateau at an altitude of 2600 feet. At 45 west longitude, the Tropic of Capricorn bisects Sao Paulo at 23 south latitude. This location marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is at its maximum tilt towards the sun. The climate is tropical and moist. The city lies between two rivers, and is a fertile plateau where coffee plantations thrive. The region was subject to flooding. Alluvium deposits provided the clay cladding the exteriors of early rustic buildings. Later, the clay was fabricated into brick and masonry materials to construct larger and more substantial structures. To resist deterioration caused by the moisture and humidity in the region, the buildings required painting on a regular basis. At this altitude, the bright light causes the pastel palette to appears lively and energetic. Frames, cornices, and moldings on the building exteriors are typically white, while the building colors range from cool blues and greens to warm yellows and terra cottas. With traditions that embrace music, festivals, and celebrations, weather that supports an outdoor lifestyle, and a spirited cultural attitude of joie de vivre, the streets have an air of vibrancy. These conditions make for a visually stimulating experience of local color.

Conclusion

Every region has a unique sense of ambient light and color. Although each of us experiences the colors from our individual perspective, everyone shares the collective experience of light and darkness regardless of where we are located on earth. Developing an awareness and sensitivity of different cultures is important to further our global understanding. Color can be a teacher, because it can reveal much about traditions, culture. and the natural setting of place. When we embrace both our universality and acknowledge our differences, we can appreciate the power of color and light in the environment.

Photo: Jerry Levy_Australia

Photo: Jerry Levy_Chicago

Content & Writing: Jill Pilaroscia, Life In Color, Colour Studio

Design & Production: Naomi Kuhmann

Fall Colors

2009-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Fall brings a change to color palettes in all areas of our life. The colors associated with holidays, merchandising, and nature take on the hues of a smoldering fire. Science, weather, myth, and symbolism all play an influential role in the colors we experience.

What causes the orange moon of autumn? During the fall, the moon lies close to the horizon. From this position, its light has to travel twice as far to reach our eyes than it does when the moon appears directly overhead. Pollution, smoke, and cloud particles, along with dust stirred up during the crop harvests, creates an obstacle course and scatters the light. The short wavelengths of blue, green, and purple are pushed off their trajectory toward earth. As a result, the long, strong wavelengths of yellow, red, and orange win the honor of bathing the moon.

Weather and biology control the intensity of fall foliage color. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, trees signal their leaves to seal off their connection to their stems. The process of photosynthesis stops, and the radiant green hues start to lose their vibrancy. The lack of water triggers chemical reactions. Carotene, a pigment also found in corn and carrots, causes maples, birches, and poplars to turn yellow. Anthocyanins, also found in all red and blue berries, black currants, and purple sweet potatoes, are responsible for brilliant red and orange foliage. Tannins give the oak leaves their distinctive brown color.

All Hallows’ Eve on October 31 marked the end to the old Celtic calendar year. Celts hollowed out turnips, beets, and rutabagas, placed a candle inside. They decorated windowsills and porches to welcome home spirits of dead ancestors and ward off evil. American immigrants adapted the tradition, and the bountiful, large pumpkin offered a super-sized lantern. Because Halloween was celebrated after sunset, the blackness of night came to be associated with the holiday. The pumpkin signifies the radiance of light.

Mother Nature branded the fall palette and imprinted it deeply on our unconscious. We can take the associations we have with fall colors—the bountiful harvest, the completion of a cycle, the warmth of the fire, the celebration of magic and mystery—and apply them to our built environment, using them to influence behavior and create mood.

Autumn colors can be gregarious, open, adventurous, intoxicating, glowing, and sustaining. Who wouldn’t like to experience that?

Colour Studio's favorite fall colors...

Dramatic Oranges

Benjamin Moore: 2167-20 Pumpkin Pie

Pratt & Lambert: 8-16 Orange Spice

Brilliant Golds

Benjamin Moore: HC-7 Bryant Gold

Benjamin Moore: HC-10 Stuart Gold

Deep Reds

Pittsburg Paints: 331-7 Autumn Ridge

Pittsburg Paints: 432-7 Brick Dust

Warm Browns

Pratt & Lambert: 33-22 Dansbury Downs

Pratt & Lambert: 33-20 Cafè Gris

Content & Writing: Jill Pilaroscia

Photos: Jerry Levy

Design & Production: Naomi Kuhmann