If you have to fly out and back in a day to tackle big color questions and call out bold plays of color, this is the team to have with you. CertaPro always takes care of their client, and Paul and his family were so laid back, so open to ideas, so excited to work on their home.

I'm no doubt explaining something fascinating about the delicate dance of color and light... Paul's seems to be thinking, "wait, did I have grilled cheese for dinner last night or was it lasagna?"

I met his family, got the grand tour of the house, then dove right into color. They wanted colors to update their house now that will still feel fresh with the improvements they have planned for the future.

Nathan Marmor, CertaPro Painter franchisee, stands by ready to catch the ball- er uh, the paint deck as we go over exact plans and finishes...

Paul was super cool and so was everything about his family and home. We came up with a really simple palette with thoughtful decisions around details like painting the baseboards to match the walls (why call out features that aren’t the best?!) and giving the bathroom a cleaner look with a light color that carried onto the walls and ceiling.

I like to carry a color swatches around the room to see how they'll look from every angle...

We went through each room choosing colors that looked great in every space and also worked well together for a more spacious and flowing feel.

Let's be honest, this probably isn't the most fast-paced game Paul's been involved in, but you can see we really had to consider some serious stuff here- like satin vs. eggshell! We're almost done here when I could swear I caught Paul thinking, "yes, yes, I am King of my castle" while I've apparently drifted off to, "hm, should I have grilled cheese or lasagna for lunch?"

All puns and serious faces aside, we really made a great team. Everyone’s excited about the project and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

Then it's back to the airport before the sun goes down. I'll touch base with Nathan and Paul in about a week and see how things are going.

We landed on a simple color scheme- just three colors- with a list of details to bring out all the best features of this comfy family friendly home.

‘You’re all over Better Homes and Gardens”

(pause for celebration- yea!!)

Jody Gorlock, author of this 34 Secrets article, compiled color tips from an extensive list of designers to offer readers approachable advice for their homes.

Of course, it was a surprise to him, but I was thrilled when I first got the call back in November to provide color tips for the article. (thanks for the heads up, Lane! I’d almost forgotten to be on the look out for the March issue!)

It’s funny, sometimes my days run into each other and I’m not sure if me and my team have accomplished enough. Projects get held up by back orders, interviews are often done months in advance, video editing takes weeks of drafts, and timing purchases and services can take Matrix-like coordination. There are a lot of moving parts and, of course, my goal is to be moving them and myself forward at all times. So when these moments arrive- the magazine comes out or the video goes live or the finishing pieces go into a project- I just can’t help but stop for a sec and smile. I love my work!

Go pick up the magazine for lots of great color tips for your home, and stay tuned this week to see- in real time- what I’m up to every day to make the Shannon Kaye Making Room for More machine turn. I’m headed to Phoenix tomorrow for a last minute color consultation… can’t wait to tell you about it! Stay tuned…

It was getting late (after midnight late) but I sat there determined to get all the content loaded on my new website- ah the drudgery, the torment, the unfairness of it all! I felt a bit overloaded and underwhelmed by the task at hand as my television rambled on. Then about 11 o’clock, Dolly Parton came on the Biography Channel and I couldn’t look away.

I’ve never doubted her talent, business savvy, smile… As I watched though, I also couldn’t help but notice her joy, laughter, wit, intelligence, generosity, creativity… and mostly her belief in herself.

“I knew I couldn’t be more poor, so I just went out and did what I could with what I had. I never thought I couldn’t have my dreams- that’s how silly or ambitious I was.”

Made me want to put on a sparkly top and laugh at myself for being overwhelmed by a silly ol’ website!

You know, Elvis’ manager wanted her to give away the rights to her famous song, ‘I Will Always Love You’ so Elvis could record it. She turned him down with sadness but without hesitation believing that what she created should always be hers. Some 13 years or so later, Kevin Costner, a huge Dolly fan, was doing the BodyGuard and it was his suggestion to use the song that lead to success and greatness for so many!

So, here’s what I’m taking away from this story:

a. you never know who will refer you, hire you, be inspired by you… so always do your best. It’s okay to walk when the relationship is done- just do it with as much grace as possible.

b. no matter how poor, overwhelmed, burdened, you can choose how you respond to your life- you can choose fear and tears or laughter and love.

c. ownership is yours to keep and give away. Whether your work is great or small, impressive or only quietly amazing- guard it fiercely, but share it with everyone

Have a great weekend everyone! Keep going!

Funny enough, I’m finishing up a green bedroom where this pillow would fit beautifully (that wasn’t planned- I swear!). Wish I could show you the finished photos, but we’re still waiting for the custom duvet. You’ll be the first to know when it’s all ready. ‘Til then, here’s the plan:

I chose a tall curvy headboard to create a focul point for this oddly shaped room. Placed in front of busy built-ins the piece will also help the room feel more spacious and tidy

Dark mossy green will to cover the headboard to set off the walls and lighter fabrics

This fabric inspired the color scheme and style for this room. This will be the duvet (you'll see the sample of this in some of the photos)

Fresh lemon green paint for the walls and built-ins will bring out all of the green hues in the duvet fabric

Pale blue gray on the ceiling to expand the space and soften the edges. TIP: the lower ceiling over the bay window gets the wall color to- say it with me- keep the focus on the headboard!

This piece may be neutral but it's not plain. The creamy colors keeps the room light and airy while the architectural details mimick the nooks and crannies of the room and relate to the rug

Soft roman shades to dress up the bay window without distracting from the headboard

Recognize this rug? I included it in yesterday's saffron monochromatic scheme. It looks fantastic in this room too!

Here’s a sneak peek at the progress…

Bad photos (sorry!), but you’ll notice that most of the accessories are green or white. The headboard fills a tight awkward space make the room feel more spacious. The fabric draped over the pillows is for the duvet. Can’t wait to get it back from the seamstress!

Grouping 'like' objects and playing with variations of green keeps these built ins from looking cluttered. The look is personal, but the focal point is still the curvy headboard.

Cream and pale green stand out on this black marble top dresser. And the mixture of texture and scale give this vignette an unfussy feel

The small gray chair is upholstered in gray linen relates to the texture and color of the linen duvet, and the color connects to the marble dresser top.

I like the dark floors, black window trim, and hefty molding in this cozy room. The view isn't horrible either.

Got your inspiration piece? Take a good look at it and jot down the defining points like color, style, look, feel. They don’t have to technically correct, just describe the piece to help you define your theme.

I’ll demonstrate with this bolster (below) I found on Jayson Home and Garden. Saffron and sage in color, it has a vintage feel that’s exotic, rustic and elegant. I’m immediately drawn to the architectural pattern and contrast between the smooth background and raised tapestry yarn.

What is rustic elegance anyway?

It’s classic and luxurious with the patina of time as if it sat in a sunny window over the years. It’s still beautiful but maybe a bit faded or worn. Rustic elegance implies a rich opulent past softened by age that makes it feel less formal, more comfy in the present.

Anywayyy, this looks like it belongs to a sophisticated, well-traveled person (let’s pretend that’s me, shall we?). May seem like a difficult color to work with, but almost immediately I found a few more treasures to go in our room…

Contrasting a clean lined sofa with casual exotic pillows adds gives the room a comfy inviting feel…

Another Jayson Home and Garden piece, this ottoman's a clean mid-century feel works well with the sofa and the antiqued brass frame relates to the rustic pillows. See how relating the pieces without matching creates a yummy eclectic room that draws you in?

This luminous painting of San Francisco by local artist Jeremy Mann would be stunning over the sofa. The deep amber tones and black shadows add depth, contrast and drama

I think you see where I'm going with this vintage leather chair with amber warm wood and brass details...

Sherwin-Williams Eastlake Gold is so dramatic and warm. It's perfect for our golden palette and well-traveled feel.

A fluffy flokati rug from Anthropologie keeps with our exotic theme and adds softness (both in color AND texture) to balance out the darker points

But you could use this vintage suzani tapestry on the floor to keep the feel dark and mysterious. You could also use this versatile piece as a throw on the ottoman or a wall hanging. OR use it on the entry floor to introduce the color scheme early.

Add a clean architectural piece like this bookcase and super modern art piece like a brass or stone sculpture for an amazing finish…

Love this galvanized book shelf with the books placed inside out to reveal their warmly patinated pages. Found this image on finders keepers blog- love it!

Local photographer, Kurt Rogers, captures San Francisco so beautifully

Ahhhh, feels like I’m standing by the sink drinking a full glass of water from the faucet in one gulp knowing I’ll fill my cup again as soon as the last drop hits my throat. Californians aren’t known for embracing this weather (you’d think the occasional change in climate would be welcome here!). They call it dreary.

But I see colors come to life and textures jump to the foreground… somehow perspective even seems to get deeper… I love the rain.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Take monochromatic interiors, people say they’re flat and boring… like this:

But the good ones look like this!

People end up with one-note rooms simply because they’re afraid to try putting colors together, afraid to mixing patterns and prints…  That’s not a monochromatic plan, that’s a fearful plan! Stop, you don’t have to live this way!

Even if you don’t feel brave enough to put colors together, monochromatic schemes can be unique and beautiful because they (the good ones) rely on texture, contrast, and intensity to dress an entire room in one color. A few weeks ago we explored complimentary colors and how to bring them to your home. This week, we’ll take a look at monochromatic color schemes and do the same. So, take a look around your room and grab something that inspires you in terms of color, style, theme… and let’s get started.

In the meantime, here are a few rooms that might get your imagination going. See you tomorrow!

I've shown this room before. Steven Gambrel's monochromatic schemes amaze me.

Another Steven Gambrel special

When the main elements are one color, changing out the accessories can totally transform the space. Imagine this room with a round blue ottoman and green artwork... it would work!

Who motivates you to do more?

The list goes on and on for me, so I just jotted down the few that bubbled to the top when I sat down this morning. Check them all out, or make your own list and surround yourself with people, messages, music, that make you feel like you can take on the world. Who knows what you might create for yourself! Have a great weekend everyone.

Grandma May

Mike Dolan

Julie Nostrand

Mateo Dineen

David Mendez

Diaz Azcuy Orlando

Zem Joaquin

Clyfford Still

SFMoma has several works in their own permanent collection. (Thank you for reminding me, Wayne!)

Ray and Charles Eames

Alicia Keyes

Nicole Krauss

Steven Galloway (thank you, Hobbes for loaning me The Cellist)

Vedran Smajlovic (the real Cellist of Sarajevo)

Eileen Gray

Bono

Eddie Vedder

]]> http://www.shannonkaye.com/but-wait-theres-more/feed/ 1 http://www.shannonkaye.com/finding-your-sweet-spot/ http://www.shannonkaye.com/finding-your-sweet-spot/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:24 +0000 Shannon http://www.shannonkaye.com/?p=5034 It’s funny how a little tidbit of information can open up your world…

Have you imagining all kinds of new things…

And seeing what you do in a whole new way. That’s exactly what happened when my brother mentioned Jim Nares. I looked him up and immediately felt my heart start to race…

This is Jim Nares. He suspends himself above his canvas and may makes hundreds of passes until he renders that one perfect stroke.

When he moved from England to New York in the 70′s he was dabbling in film, music, sculpture…one of his early works is a film of a giant caste cement globe swinging like a wrecking ball from a pedestrian bridge outside his apartment in what was then a decrepit lower Manhattan. If you’re interested, here’s a little more…

Seems like an unlikely start for a painter, but as Paul Kasmin Galleries puts it, “Mr. Nares hadn’t yet developed his signature single-brush-stroke paintings, but he was honing his intensely physical formula by swinging giant pendulums through desolate alleys.

The way Jim puts it (I’m paraphrasing here) he was one of those people who wanted to do everything and didn’t succeed at it very well… in the 80′s there was a resurgence in painting and he decided to focus on one thing and do it very well.

He’s certainly succeeded. He narrowed his focus, even beyond paint, to just the stroke itself, and from several strokes and colors to one single pass in one brilliant hue. He also went from dabbling to creating an amazing, successful, and focused life.

Sometimes finding your sweet spot can take a little searching, a little experimenting, maybe even a little failing. But opening up to the journey and letting the work and success of others inspire you brings those lucky strokes just as close to you. And little by little you’ll see everything come into focus.

Erin Martin- I mentioned her Monday and could babble some more about her brilliance, but let’s just look shall we?

John Saladino is a more, shall we way, seasoned designer. He made his mark in the 80′s and continues to create some of the most stunning and subtle homes I’ve ever seen. He’s other worldly to me, he’s so gifted and developed and genius… Here’s just a glimpse of his work:

This home (one of my Saladino fav's) is featured in Monochrome, a stunning book by Paula Rice Jackson

Sheer magic- curtains going up the stairs, fireplace tucked under stairs, modern iron work in an overscaled classic motif, enchanting enclave... don't think I can stop detailing the wonder of this space...

And just when you’re baffled by the lack of color in my inspirational Designers so far, let me introduce madcap warm-hearted Jay Jeffers...

I'll close with Jay's office. Can you imagine the ideas you'd conjure in a space like this? All of these designers are most inspiring because they're in motion. They take action, they try new things, they live their passion and watch their dreams and those of their clients come to life. Ahhh.... there your go- I'm inspired. Are you?