Turns out, the people and places in Brooklyn are anything but. This vibrant locale is a pulsing thriving community where ambition meets art meets expression meets roots.

Barbara Streisand, Michael Jordan, Rudy Guiliani, and Marisa Tomei are just a tiny cross-section of the talent that Brooklyn has produced. And this color palette is just a sampling of the richness and diversity you’ll find here.

To create the Brooklyn look in your home, keep the walls and furnishings simple and comfortable with unique meaningful pieces to fill in the gaps such a bench from an old church or  heirloom trunk for the coffee table.

Picture a mid-century danish dresser with a collection of 70′s vases and graffitti inspired art for the wall.

Keep the color palette simple- white, gray and black with punches of bright modern color for the accents such as pillows, curtains, rugs, art… have fun, be aggressive with your style, and express your most vibrant self- that’s doing like Brooklyn, Baby!

Here’s the thing I’m noticing about Brooklyn: the past seems to hold a sturdy even comforting place here and people are more interested in putting a new twist on old things rather than demolishing them all together.

Case in point; here’s the Brooklyn Museum (and Prospect Park) photographed by Eugene Wemliner at the turn of the century:

And here’s the museum today:

Even the interiors play ‘red rover’ between the expected:

and unexpected…

brightly painted walls and sitting areas are standard at this museum...

expected…

and unexpected…

graphic retro-style wall treatments paying no mind to the historical nature of the art on display...

and much of their permanent collection is stored in plain view in this Public Storage room!

I’m a little sidetracked by these juxtapositions as I leave the museum and stroll past the Botanic Garden (this photo is actually by Rebecca Bullene- to make up for a moment of technical difficulty)

and through Prospect Park (remember the empty field in the black/white photo at top?)…

I’m so steeped in the clash of old and new that I barely notice the scene I’ve stumbled into!

Except for the giant trees and maybe a vinyl window here and there, this street could drop right back in time. I’m sure that’s what the film crew is counting on as they set up this scene.

As new cars unload old cars…

and creativity continues to spill onto the sidewalk…

I head underground for the train to Manhattan catching a glimpse of this pulse mark just as the doors close.

I think I understand the beat of Brooklyn now, and I know I really like it here.

My final colors for my Color in the City Brooklyn palette represent all the contrasts: serious and optimistic, old and fresh, past and present… to me, these are the ultimate colors of Brooklyn.

Check in tomorrow for the complete color palette and a few final notes. See you then!

It's Spring and the flowers have sprung here in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

And I’m feeling right at home with my new friend, Ed Roth, founder and creator at Stencil 1 (which, by the way you, have to check out at www.stencil1.com). Although I’ve admired his urban and playful stencils and books for years, we’ve only recently become acquainted. But, I know we’re going to be fast friends when he guides me to our first stop, an adorable vintage shop on Roebling Street called RePop:

Ed's already making a purchase- man, this guy doesn't mess around!

We saunter down a quiet old block of homes…

to another quaint little shop, Brooklyn Reclamation, with old things so carefully curated and clean- it almost feels like the home it likely used to be.

I see this cool old free standing mirror that I’m pretty sure I must have… that is until the store owner says he thinks it’s from a sanitarium in Pennsylvania (um, never mind, but thank you!)

Just around the corner across from new construction (there’s a lot of it in Williamsburg)…

and tucked next to a genuine Social Club (complete with pet turtle and late night Salsa music, I’m told)…

is Ed’s friend, Patrick Bradley’s studio.

Of course, I immediately appreciate his work with it’s layers, textures, and colors.

I especially like the wood grain piece tucked just one layer behind the front paintings

And the three of us continue on wandering down gritty vibrant streets to more clever cool stores like:

Nightwood: reincarnated textiles, interiors, and furniture

There’s so much to see in this up and coming pocket of Brooklyn- too much to capture in a day (or even in a blog post) so we stay focus on vintage decor (there are so many other kinds of shops and restaurants here!) and urban art… here are just a few more of my many and diverse impressions from the day…

Ed's sweet stencil of his mother. She's watching over the progress at Grand Ferry Park

My favorite discovery- this wallpaper reminds me of my chalk drawings and actually makes me a little homesick- but we power on. There's too much to see to be sad about home.

Another crack in the urban landscape- I love these colors!

As we rest at Grand Ferry Park we decide we'll each pick one photo that we've taken today as kind of a tryptic memento of our day...

Here’s Ed’s Photo (see more of his pics on Instagram!)

Patrick’s photo (he’s got plenty more on Instagram too!)

And my shot of Hotel Delmano, where Ed treated us to old fashioned cocktails and conversation.

 Ed Roth and Patrick Bradley were fantastic tour guides of Williamsburg, a gritty, vibrant neighborhood of contrasts and Creatives making their statements with food, clothing, art, furniture, interior design, and landscape. And all this in spite of the stark new condo construction and other homogenizing signs of gentrification casting shadows on the time and color weathered streets. To symbolize the contrast I choose two colors today to add to my Brooklyn palette:

The streets are still very much singular in their brick and stone structure, but that hasn’t held anyone back from making their own unique statement.

Even simple touches like the hand painted transom windows in this coffee shop add a comfy touch

Next is the Flea Market in the Fort Greene area…

where the vendors are as colorful as their wares…

Under a bright blue sky, everything looks like it could work in my house!

Old and new, what I like about this Flea Market is that the creativity and presentation reigned supreme. From the organic foods to original art and unusual collections, the overall feeling is pride of ownership and creative expression. That’s so nice!

And as I stroll away I’m thinking about the predominant colors I’ve seen today.  Then notice this rare empty space…

and my next color for Brooklyn (see yesterday’s post for the first!):

The adventure continues tomorrow as I explore the Williamsburg area…

As I pull up to my friend, Ariella’s, building in Park Slope- a quiet little borough in western Brooklyn- I can’t help but feel like I’m walking onto the set of Sesame Street with it’s rows of brownstones and corner shops. The classic kid show is set on a fictitious street in Manhattan, but still, I wonder as I climb the steps and ring my friend’s doorbell, if Big Bird and Gordon will come singing around the corner, “Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood?…”

 At first glance , the monochromatic blocks of brick and stone seem strict and static, but I quickly notice bold bursts of color emerging from the sameness of it all…

Shadowed by stone steps and bay windows, vibrant front door colors, casings and all, reach out to welcome visitors…

Some neighbors have banded together pledging, “Color for bay windows- Everyone!

A brave few have decided to go for it and paint everything…

This freshly painted Peach will no doubt encourage others to go for it with color.

Even sedate color schemes like sandy cream and black with a natural wood door stand out against dusty red and gray neighbors.

hm, why do I start humming, “I left my heart… in San Francisco…” as I pass this abode? I wouldn’t call this beautiful, but I have to admit, I do appreciate the unabashed approach.

And then one of my favorite a moments... a color combination that surprises and delights me like this warm inviting cream house with black windows and three values of teal to define the details. Who knew it could be so gorgeous?!

The ornate crown is dressed in pale aqua against a clear blue sky while the foundation block in a strong medium tone grounds the building and dresses up the gray steps and black railing. The windows are painted simply with matte black, and the surprising front door and transom are coated in a deep velvety teal- almost spruce- that shows off the carved keystone detail, arched window, and gilded street numbers. Stunning.

I’m just becoming accustomed to this residential view when we turn the corner onto a street full of commerce- restaurants, shops and services- old and new. Something altogether different is happening here. Tune in tomorrow to see more!

Here’s my first Color in the City Brooklyn color. I’ll reveal a new color each day then present the entire palette at the end of the week.

Mondrian spent several years in Paris and London, but his final years were spent in his favorite town, New York City. He’d been developing his style for much of his career, but it was in Manhattan that the rhythms of jazz music came to life on the streets below his apartment as he looked out the window and saw the quick staccato movements of the yellow taxi cabs below. This painting IS jazz-  it’s sporadic colors and skipping beats mimics the hustling rhythm of the big blocks and busy City. Many call Broadway Boogie Woogie Mondrian’s masterpiece. I also call it his Color in The City palette, the group of hues that, for Mondrian, represented his moving and musical impressions of the Big Apple.

So, I’m waiting for the plane, wondering what I might see on my trip and what I could create at home from my impressions. I’ve been to New York and New York City many times. But this trip, I’ll spend time in Brooklyn- an area I’ve only passed through- as well as Paris and a few little towns nearby. (I know!) I’m excited to see what colors and impressions emerge as I create Color in The City palettes for each place I visit and bring back tips for recreating your travel experiences at home.

In the meantime, tweet me with your list of must-see places; food, vintage shopping, museums, hidden jewels… if I can make it to your recommended spot, I’ll check-in on Facebook and send you a big thank you on Twitter. Can’t wait to see what you have in store for me!

If you’re feeling adventurous and ready to add a little pizzazz at your hearth…

ENTER NOW!

for a chance to have me come to your house and give your fireplace a dramatic makeover!

To Enter the contest complete these required steps:

1. Follow me on Twitter, @ShannonKaye67, and watch for my Call for Entries.

2. Retweet the Call for Entries message at least once.

3. Send me an email with your Twitter handle and the words FIREPLACE MAKEOVER in the subject line.

4. Include (in the email) the city where you live and three photos of your room with good views of the fireplace and overall space.

5. State that I have your permission to have creative control over the process, including design, color, materials, execution, and styling.

6. State that I have permission to publish photos of your space before & after, as well as details about you and the project. (Personal information such as address and contact info will be kept private, of course.)

Here are a few more details…

• Entries must be received by Midnight March 31^st (Only entries meeting all of the requirements as outlined above will be eligible to win.)
• This first contest is limited to entrants in the greater San Francisco Bay Area in California (Sorry if you’re outside this contest area! But Tweet me your city & state to let me know where contest number two should take me!)
• WINNER will be announced on/about April 5th (Only the winner will be contacted and must respond within 48 hours to receive the award. If the winner isn’t available or doesn’t respond, an alternate winner may be chosen.)

If your fireplace looks like this…

It could look like this! (same fireplace with integral plaster and playful accents)

Remember-  I’ll need free reign of your fireplace and the wall around it, so make sure you’re ready to break out of your box and do something adventurous! Can’t wait to see all the fireplaces.

ENTER TODAY!

I’ll get back at it tomorrow… until then, here’s a little feature on Houzz.com that you might like. It’s about fireplaces and mentions one of my older projects- yea!

Bringing all the details together takes a mix of exact measuring and visual fussing. For example, keeping the graceful elegant feel of the new Willa Home logo on these jumbo sized signs took a little fussing…

These are the Pantone colors the graphic designer and printer used for the logo and business cards:

The sign maker could’ve ordered these exact colors in vinyl for the sign, but the look would’ve been flat and thin- not good when you want people to notice you from their cars or walking down the sidewalk. So, concentrating more on the ‘feel’ than the exact color, I chose these stock vinyl colors for a fast turn around that’s worlds better than the custom hues for this application:

I also had the sign maker cut out the corners of the signs to match the panel detail on the business cards and striped panels in the store. Connecting the dots visually is the key to successful interiors whether you’re dressing up a boutique or updating your home.

Thanks, Phil!

Of course, it’s back to exact measurements when it comes to hanging these beautiful beacons. I’ll admit I  did hang over Phil’s shoulder during installation, to make sure everything was perfect. No need to worry though, as always, he did a terrific job.

Okay, so I can check that project off my list! But stay tuned for photos by Lilias Petit-Scott (she shot my house for Apartment Therapy). I’m looking forward to seeing what captures her eye…

Next!

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.