Tips from the Divas...

Chris, Leigh and Meredith rose yet again at o'dark thirty to hit the road for the April High Point Furniture Market. With coffee, biscuits and walking shoes in tow, we excitedly cruised up I-40!

Our goal was to check out new vendors and the old "stand by's" and to notice decorating and color trends. The vibrant colors from last market were still there...especially the yellows, purples, pinks and aquas. This time they were mixed with beiges and taupes to tone them down a bit and make them a bit friendlier to the masses.

Elements from nature were still present...distressed woods, faux furs, linen and leathers. There was an abundance of feathers (on pillows, in decorative birds' nests and as trim on draperies) and flocks butterflies in every showroom! Metallics were everywhere! Sparking fabrics, lamps, beads and accessories were glistening in every corner. You couldn't help but think of expensive diamonds, fine silver jewelry and shiny new cars...to us they evoked a feeling of newness and optimism.

The High Point Furniture Market is celebrating it's 100th Year in 2009. We hope something can be done in our state to "Bring The Market Back" to it's past glory. That was our optimistic wish this year as we limped back to the car, feeling more knowledgeable but like we might be 100 years old too!  

Yellow!

When doing research on our color of the month, Yellow, I was drawn to an article online by Jeanette Joy Fisher titled "Color Psychology: The Pain and Joy of Yellow" That title about sums it up and couldn't have been said any better!
 
This time of year, it's unavoidable to live in the south and not associate yellow with pollen and runny eyes and noses. The only good thing is that there is the promise that once you get through "pollen days", the days will be sunny and warm, just like yellow!
 
Like so many other colors, when used in varying shades and in varying combination, YELLOW can bring cheer or frustration into our lives.

Most yellows are bright and cheery. They evoke warmth, friendship (Yellow roses symbolize friendship, most women prefer red roses on Valentine's Day!) joy and optimism. Just be careful when painting a room in this color. If the shade is wrong and it's used without combining with another color, it can "turn" on you and create feelings of frustration and anger.

It is a proven fact that people are more likely to loose their tempers in bright yellow rooms and babies cry more when in a bright yellow room. The shade you use is critical!   Yellow as a color is an attention grabber. Our eyes see yellow first, before other colors. It has the highest light reflection value of any color...that's why many road signs and school buses are this color! It evokes caution and attention.

Yellow improves concentration so it would be a great color to use where you study. It's no coincidence that legal pads, number 2 pencils, hilighters and post-it-notes are yellow. They get your attention and help you concentrate.
 
Our best advice for using this cheerful color is to use it in pale and creamy shades to get maximal results. The soft warm rays of sunshine feel good, the harsh hot rays feel painful! Remind yourself of soft sunny days and cheerful times. If you live in a cold climate where the sun seldom shines, a brighter shade may be appropriate, just choose with caution and use in combination with other colors, not only yellow alone.

As always, Moonlight Interior and Redesign addresses color problems in a positive way. Balance creates harmony...especially with bright and sassy yellow!

Check out the Pantone website. PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa is 2009's Color of the Year. Yellow is the primo color in design and fashion this year!