Color

Although there's no hard and fast science that says everyone will react in a certain way to a certain color, there is something very real about the psychology of color and no doubt that certain colors tend to elicit certain emotions, moods, and even physical feelings. Because of this impact choosing the right colors for your interior design scheme is about so much more than just which swatches and samples you think look pretty together.

Warm vs Cool
Colors are divided into two groups: warm and cool. Reds, yellows, and shades of orange are warm colors and are known to stimulate and excite, while blues, greens, and purples are cool colors because they have a relaxing and calming affect. In general warm colors work well in places where there should be activity and interaction, like the kitchen and living room, and cool colors are most appreciated in rooms where the aim is relaxation and calmness, like the bedroom and bathroom.

That's not to say you can't mix things up and put a relaxing color somewhere busy -- my mom has green in her living room and it's still the lively hub of the house, although I do find the walls relaxing to look at. Here are some basics about each of the major color groups:

Last year color-defining company Pantone chose sunny Mimosa as the shade for 2009. Their choice for the color of 2010 is PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise, a tranquil blue-green hue that recalls tropical waters and clear skies. The choice marks another year of distinctly cheery hues, far less dramatic than 2008's moody blue iris or 2007's fiery chili pepper red. Pantone's color experts say that the turquoise color can be used as an accent both in clothing and in home decor to provide a calming and colorful touch. They are also pushing it as a wedding color, pointing out how well it offsets white. One trendsetter has already embraced turquoise, Michelle Obama wore a bright turquoise dress on December 2 while unveiling the White House holiday decorations.

Wow, I realize it could just be the photography but this shower looks positively dreamy. Which is quite appropriate considering it's called "Dream Light." It's a chromatherapy rain canopy from Jaclo Industries that's designed to take the standard relaxing power of a shower and turn it up a notch with the emotional and soothing power of color. It's made of a stainless steel sheet in round, rectangle, or cube shapes with programmable LED lights that illuminate the water as it falls.

Talk about a great way to relax -- just looking at this Thalassor Beleina Whirlpool Tub makes me feel a little less stressed. It must be the sweeping sculptural tub design, coupled with the raised faucet that makes the whole thing feel a little like you're sitting in a fountain. But most fountains don't have massage jets, hydrojets, and a chromotherapy system that offers 512 colors (that's ridiculous!) for an experience that is absolutely and completely tailored to exactly what you need. Can't get better than that!


Via Trendir

The diNovo Edge from Logitech might be the "most advanced keyboard" in the world, but Luxeed, from Luxiium Lighting and Technology, is clearly the most colorful and a better choice for anyone interested in having a more expressive computer. Every single key on it can be customized with one of over 500 colors. Users will be able to download preset colorschemes from the their website (which doesn't seem to be available yet) and even program the colors or brightness to change to music.

Eclipse color-changing wall paint could convert anyone who thinks that paint is not as interesting as 3D wallpaper or wall flats for decorating the home. The paint changes color from dark to light when it is touched or otherwise exposed to heat. It can be applied as a single coat to add dimension to existing colors, such as the purple pictured here, or it can be applied alone, creating a black-to-white effect. The company that makes the paint says that it will "transform your wall info an interactive show piece." You can see a demo of someone pressing their face against the wall - in the event that is the sort of thing you would like to do with your "show piece" - here. 

I haven't painted a room in quite some time, but something tells me that, priced at $349 a gallon, Eclipse is at the high end of the market.

[via Apartment Therapy]

 

Wedding dresss fashions change just like everything else does, though they are far more likely to keep to tradition - something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue - than other types of dress. The waists move up and down and skirts getl alternately fuller and slimmer, but the elegance is something that is never overlooked. Here are the top wedding dress fashions for this year's spring/summer season. All the dresses shown here are from runway shows.

 

Anything by Caroline Herrera, because not only are the dresses gorgeous, but when women who have worn them actually want to alter them for daily wear, they must be something special. Dress by Caroline Herrera.