You may have many reasons for why your favorite color is your favorite color - or maybe you don't know why.  Perhaps it's the feeling it gives you. Maybe it reminds you of someone, something or a special place.  Colors have a profound effect on our mood - whether you are aware of it happening or not. But choosing the right color for the right time might be just that little boost you need.  Therefore the colors you choose for your wardrobe and in your home are pretty important.  Do you have one room that is your oasis? Do you have a go-to shirt for those important meetings? What color are they? Double - check. I'll bet you'll be surprised :)

"An apple reflects a shade of red to the retina, forming impulses that travel as coded messages to the brain, where hormones are released, altering metabolism, sleeping, feeding and temperature patterns. So you see, we don't just notice colors, we feel them. Mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, they empower us. Dawn to dusk, they rule our world, transforming nature's energy into personal realization. Every color has its own personality and in each lies knowledge and clarity."  ~Suza Scalora

So in advance of the first day of spring (Saturday March 20) I'd like to offer a bit of enthusiastic, playful optimism. Here is a little yellow for you.

Color At Home: Creating Style With Paint ; Flower Power Wallpaper;  Lilies in Bloom Scarf

Here are some meanings that colors portray or suggest:
Brown - stability, earthy, reliable
Blue - tranquil , intuitive, trustworthy 
Green - growth, abundance vitality 
Red - energy, determination, passion 
Purple - spiritual, passionate, visionary 
Turquoise - refreshing, cool, imaginative 
Gold - illumination, wisdom 
Lavender - romantic, imaginative, fantasy 
Magenta - outrageous, imaginative, inovative 
Light Blue - peaceful, sincere, affectionate 
Orange - happy, courageous, successful 
Indigo - knowledge, power, integrity 
Pink - friendly, compassionate, faithful 
Yellow - enthusiastic, playful, optimistic 
Aqua - motivated, active, dynamic

Kravet Inc.'s home furnishings line of fabrics, trims and wallpapers designed by Echo recognized by Interior Design Magazine.  Here is the notice that ran in Interior Design's "DesignWire Daily" newsletter today!

INSPIREDESIGN Design Excellence Award Winners Announced

INSPIREDESIGN, the inaugural hospitality design tradeshow hosted by Las Vegas World Market Center and sponsored by Interior Design, is in full swing this week in Sin City. Topping off the show’s events, the magazine recognized the best and brightest in new products yesterday with the show’s first annual Design Excellence Awards.

 Kravet / Echo

A panel of esteemed judges hand-picked by Interior Design's editor in chief Cindy Allen— Michael Morris and Yoshiko Sato of Morris Sato Studio; David Ashen of D-Ash Design; D.B. Kim; and Alice O’Keefe of Gensler—strolled the floor of exhibitors with discerning eyes and selected their top picks that showed excellence in any of the following categories: general design, presentation, sustainability, technology and innovation.

Nano-tex; overall product
Stacy Garcia; Fashionista Collection
Kravet; Echo Collection
Jane Hamley Wells; Para Sectional Sofa
Phillips Collection; Silver Console
Aceray; booth presentation excellence
Global Views; 3-Light Lamp
Dimension Millworks; Stealth Door
Leftbank Art; overall product
Fermob; Luxembourg Collection
Korel Design Tiles; KGRR60 Circle Tiles and 6300-2 Striped Tiles
Stimex; Desk Uno by Karim Rashid
HCI Hospitality Design; Tub
Naturemaker; Steel Art Trees
Kohler; Eco Faucet (Hybrid Energy System + Insight Sensor Technology)
McGuire; Walnut Swivel Chairs
AF Lighting; Candice Olson Collection
Home Source International; Bamboo Sheets
Mayer Fabrics; Frolic
 

AskADesigner Question:
I just bought the Echo Jaipur bedding set but need to redo the color scheme in our bedroom. I have no idea what color curtains would go well with the set. Can you please help with any ideas? We have plain white walls and beige carpet... Thank you!!
Name: Beth and Jim ****
Email: ******@gmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 4:22 PM

AskADesigner Answer:

Dear Beth and Jim,  

Being that you chose your new bedding to be the Jaipur collection, we know you're a couple that's not afraid of color...and we love that! Since this bed is both bold pattern and multi-colored, I understand your confusion on choosing the best color for window treatments. White walls and a neutral carpet make the selection a little easier. If you were thinking about having a fun color on your windows as well, I really like the idea of using panels that match the light aqua color from the bed. It's not one of the brightest colors from the collection, so it won't be too high contrast and will look nice against white paint. Also, aqua is a gender neutral color...I'm looking out for you Jim :)

Another direction is to find window treatments that go with the Indian inspired mood of the collection. Look for curtains in a linen or nubby cloth that work with the bed. I think a pretty neutral color (that doesn't clash with the color of your carpet) would look beautiful! Maybe you can even find something that has a simple, ethnic embroidery, which would mimic the look of the Jaipur Euro shams to tie everything together.

It can be really difficult to find curtains to finish decorating a room that are exactly what you're looking for, so if you're feeling crafty, sometimes it can be easier to find a beautiful fabric at a fabric store and sew the drapes up yourself!

I hope these suggestions helped you to come up with some ideas. We are so excited that you chose Echo's Jaipur bedding collection to redo your room. Enjoy it!

-Rebecca, Associate Designer - Home, Echo Design

We know shopping can be either an exercise in drudgery: we plod along, methodically acquiring items simply because it's necessary to sustain ourselves. Drop it all in a cart and stand in line. Overall, a dull, purely business transaction. Like buying a hammer. Or some duct tape. Or Shopping can be a joyful, blissful experience where we marvel at the choices, the colors, the arrangement, and comfortably weigh our options in a pleasant, beautiful space. All of this adds up to an overall feeling of satisfied contentment. They don't call it Retail Therapy for nothing.

One little shop in Miami has an especially delightful and inviting take on the shopping experience. Miss Peppers accessories boutique just opened in November and they were featured in Daily Candy. At Miss Pepper, you are greeted with a burst of fresh flowers, a fainting couch (you know, it can happen), a friendly boston terrier and a beautifully decorated room accented with bright funky globe chandeliers. When we saw the Daily Candy article and photo about Miss Pepper, we did a happy double take - looked closer and noticed that the wallpaper is Echo's own flower power wallpaper. They used our retro pattern in soft grey to be the backdrop of their customer's shopping experience. So not only can you find hip, new jewelry and accessories but this boutique will make you feel hip and new ... and happy!

Miss Pepper, 7308 Red Road, South Miami (305-668-8282) http://www.misspepperboutique.com/

Hi there Rachel,

Yes, the entire Jaipur collection is made of 100% cotton sateen and it is completely machine washable. The actual label says "Use front load commercial washer or dryer. Machine wash warm, normal. Wash with like colors. Only non-chlorine bleach when needed.  Tumble dry low. Remove promptly."  We know not everyone has a commercial size, front-loading washer in their home (or even access to one) but what that really means is that you need a machine large enough for the duvet to fit and spin freely.  We also recommend washing it alone for that reason and also to avoid any zippers or buttons from other clothes catching on the fabric. Using a smaller machine may result in an uneven cleaning and actually may encourage more wrinkling. Front loading machines are also more gentle on fabrics as opposed to the rougher agitation from the traditional top-loading machines.  Lastly, due to the bright colors of the Jaipur design, we recommend a gentle wash cycle with a cold temperature setting and a mild detergent. The colors are color-fast, but cold will keep everything sharp and crisp for longer.   In order to reduce wrinkles, remove the duvet immediately and shake it out prior to placing it in the dryer. Use a low temperature setting and remove it while it's still slightly damp.  Then you can hang it dry to lessen additional wrinkling.

I thought you might also be interested in a little bit of background on cotton sateen and how best to care for it to make it last.

Cotton sateen is generally made from combed thread, but uses a finer thread than cotton percale. Sateen starts with this long-fiber, combed cotton which is then mercerized to bring out a sheen. Mercerization (invented by John Mercer in 1844) causes the fiber to swell and that's acheieved by soaking the fiber in a caustic soda of sodium hydroxide (i.e., lye) and then neutralizing it in an acid bath. The result makes the cotton fiber stronger and more easily dyed. It also adds a luster to the fibers.  Sateen should be very soft to the touch, with a high thread count and should drape well.  Thread count refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads used to create one square inch of fabric.  Sateen fabric uses the satin stitch in construction, which means four over and one under or basically, the threads are mostly on one side of the fabric, giving it that smooth look. A traditional stitch is one over, one under. Therefore cotton sateen is softer than cotton percale as sateen has a higher thread count and uses finer threads.

Sateen has been a popular fabric since the early 1900s. Being made of cotton, it is much cheaper than silk satin, and is also more durable, as well as being machine washable. In the early 20th century, sateen was often used for women's undergarments because of its durability and smooth feel.

Thanks for writing in Rachel!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Echo Design Web Concierge

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Rachel [mailto:*****@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Rachel
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:35 PM
To: AskADesigner
Subject:  Weblog - Ask a Designer
Name: Rachel
Email: *****@gmail.com

Is the Jaipur duvet machine washable?

Two of our designers, Amy and Leslie, just returned from Paris and Milan and they brought back details on what the current trends are in both cities.  Their first stop was in Paris and this is Part 2 of our series of posts.  Their favorite place to stay (and shop!) is on the boulevard Beaumarchais in the Haut-Marais arrondissement. They found a beautiful new store called Merci, a 16,000 square foot general store which opened in July.  It's a mixture of modern and traditional, of the new and second-hand, and, since it's in an old warehouse, the displays of home furnishings, apparel and accessories have the quality of apartment or loft living.

One display was made of hundreds of ceramic tea cups - tea lights!- hanging from the ceiling.

There's even a used book store and a cafe.  The best part of the store? 100% of profits go to a children's charity in Madagascar.

Now that's what I call shopping.  Merci BEAUCOUP!

Does the Bubbles collection have a matching wall border? Any suggestions to a coordinating wall border that could go with this design. We are thinking about picking up the lime or teal color for the walls.

From: Tami
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2009 3:19 PM
Subject: Weblog - Ask a Designer

To: Tami
From:  Meg Roberts, Design Director, Home
Thursday August 20, 2009

Dear Tami,
 
Thank you for the great questions about decorating around our Bubbles Bath Collection.  We do not have a wallpaper border that is a direct match for the Bubbles collection, however I think that the pattern is so lively that my first choice in a border design would be simple stripes.  I actually think that you could create a striped border yourself, with paint, that would be a lot of fun.  I would paint the wall the same cream as the background, and then pick up a few of the colors from the pattern in thin painted stripes, separated by cream.  You could have them professionally painted mechanically straight (or if you are handy you could tape them off and do it yourself).  But they don't have to be mechanical because the fine circles in the pattern have a handpainted feel, and you could recreate that look rather easily. 
But if that is daunting, I also love the idea of picking up a color for the walls.  You mentioned Lime and Teal.  Both colors match the pattern, however Teal is a deep green-turquoise and if you are painting an entire wall a color I would stick to a lighter shade such as aqua which is also a color in the Bubbles pattern. 
If you decide to go with the border idea and have questions, please contact us again.  Either way we would love to see a photo of the finished room.
Good luck!!
 
Meg Roberts, Design Director, Home
Echo Design Group

From: marina
Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2009 4:08 PM
To: AskADesigner
Subject: Weblog - Ask a Designer

i have a white tiled bathroom with peach tiles behind the bath.what colour shower curtain& bath mats can i buy to make it stand out?

Dear Marina,
 
It sounds like you are in luck because peach and coral are hot colors right now!  There are two directions that you can choose to go (other than the safest, most obvious solution of white!)  First, you can work within the family of peach and coral, but because you have both white and peach tiles, and since it can be difficult to match your peach tiles exactly, I think you would do best to try to have a print or pattern which includes a lot of white and if possible several different shades of peaches and corals.  This way you won't have a problem even if the exact tile color isn't in the print!  The second option is to come up with an accent color.  Peach can have a variety of shades and accenting it can create different moods.  I would have two first choices:  You could pair it with aqua for a fun, retro or even a tropical resort look, or with chocolate brown for a more sophisticated (and unisex) look.  And don't forget that you can also have fun with the other accessories in the bathroom.  Good luck!
 
Meg, Design Director, Echo Home

PS> Here are some images from Color At Home that illustrate the peach / aqua and peach / chocolate / white color combinations.  They are images from other rooms in the house but you will see how beautiful the effect is.  Enjoy!

Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 3:21 PM
Subject: Weblog - Ask a Designer
Name: Sheryl

I have a small bathroom which has terra cotta tiled floors and I have just painted a light yellow. I have seen your 'Bubbles' shower curtain. I am wondering if I put green towels with it if it would work. Also, does that shower curtain come with a small mat? Would you also be able to send me a picture of the shower curtain and of the mat if it is available. Thank you for your advice.

To: Sheryl
Subject: Weblog - Ask a Designer
From: Rebecca

Hi Sheryl ,
 
Because green is one of the main colors in the Bubbles pattern, you can definitely use towels in one of the green shades used in this design.  Another option that would look great is picking up the Sand color in the shower curtain since this neutral would compliment your yellow walls and terracotta tiles nicely. 
 
Bubbles includes a matching rug, and ceramic accessories (toothbrush holder, lotion pump, tissue box, waste basket, tumbler, and soap dish, shower curtain hooks) that coordinate with the shower curtain. 
 
Thanks for writing in and good luck decorating your bathroom - I'm sure it will look great using the Bubbles collection!   

-Rebecca,  Associate Designer, Echo Home

One of the best things about summer is the sudden rainshower.  It reminds me of childhood when we’d run through the puddles in our bare feet, splashing, twirling our umbrellas over our heads, the warm rain beading up on our raincoats…. Sometimes for us adults it gets a little harder to appreciate a storm (when we’re trying to have a decent barbeque for once and now the hot dog buns are soggy and the grill is leaking and someone knocked over the jello salad on the sprint into the garage…..) But when the storm happens on a day you’ve left the noise and cement of the city behind and gone into the world where nature is free to be as it was meant to be, the storm can really be beautiful. The rolling thunder and the enormous dark clouds put on an amazing show. Afterwards, there’s the beautiful stillness that immediately follows.  All the leaves and flowers have been washed clean and are glistening in the diffused low light left by the remaining clouds. There is only the sound of an occasional raindrop and a soft clean fresh smell of flowers. That’s when this picture below (left) was taken.  It’s hard to believe that this color occurs naturally and isn’t artificial.  From Color At Home “Green means life.  From a field of spring grass to the leaves of the mightiest oak, green is the most vital color in nature. As shady, quiet parks of a city offer escape, the perfect green room can offer sanctuary, a retreat. Simultaneously soothing and invigorating, green can do no less than restore your spirit. It may have more varied hues, values and characters than any other color, some of which are the most comfortable, usable and timeless tones in home design.” So if you’re considering a color for a room in your home, consider green.  It might be nice to have a room where you can kick off your shoes in the cool rain.  - Jennifer