Color Crush: Tomato + Turquoise

Sherry here!

I have always been partial to a red with a touch of orange--a tomato red. When I saw CB2's circus striped shower curtain, I started to dream in tomato and turquoise. Next came the emotional response to a "vi motas i Danmark" poster spotted at Bo Concept. Yes, I have fallen hard for this color combo. What do you think? Would you use this bold pairing in your home? I plan on it!

Sources (Clockwise from top left)

1. Cashmere Popover Hoodie - Turquoise, J. Crew Collection- 248.00.
2. Urbanears Headphones - Tomato, J Crew - $60.00
3. Room Essentials Towels, Set of Three, Target - $11.97
4. vi motas i DANMARK poster, Bo Concept - $225.00
5. Barque Stripe Shower Curtain CB2 - $49.99
6. Red Wireless Speaker by JAMBOX, via Apple Store - $179
7. Turquoise Necklace by Kenneth Jay Lane, via ShopBop - $220

Color Crush: Navy + Persimmon | Etsy Edition

I think we're witness a key shift in the evolution of Etsy. Etsy began as a celebration of craft and community. It's business function was to connect crafts people with each other, and provide them with an opportunity to reach buyers outside of their local market. That is to say that participating in the Etsy community was the end goal. 

Now, due in large part to the growth of the blogosphere's influence and in even larger part to the trend of retailers (like West Elm and One Kings Lane) partnering with Etsy, the online community seems to have evolved into a stepping stone for creatives. It's now a weigh station on the road to discovery. 

As a consumer, I'm so happy to see my favorite Etsy sellers (like OneFortyThree or Lisa Golightly of Kiki and Polly) move on to the next stage of their careers-- whether it's launching their own e-commerce site in order to accommodate increased demand or partnering with a retailer. 

I do sometimes wonder, though, what the founders of Etsy think about the shift. When you read their mission statement, you don't get exactly get the impression that they intended to be a stepping stone to partnership with big box retailers. But you can't argue with the benefit to the individual craftspeople. And, after all, aren't big box retailers just furthering Etsy's mission to make craft more accessible to the broader public?

Since all this was on my mind, I thought I'd do a round up of some recent discoveries on Etsy in one of my favorite color schemes-- Navy and Persimmon. Enjoy!

Sources (clockwise from top left)

1. Moab I, 16 x 20" Archival Print - Limited Edition, Callie Helen @Etsy - $100
2. Ouija Board, Melamine Decorative Plate, Burke Hare Co. @Etsy - $16
3. Red Cardinal, A4 Print of Original Illustration, Tiny Kiwi Illustrations @Etsy - $14
4. Modern Table Lamp, Ample Furniture @Etsy - $395
5. 16 x 16" Vintage Turkish Kilim Pillow Cover, Sukan @Etsy - $170
6. Urban Tote in Navy Waxed Canvas and Distressed Leather, Red Staggerwing @Etsy - $95

Color Crush: Turquoise + Apricot

Alex here. Spring is in the air! Or so say my allergies and the frisky bird who thinks my window sill is a hot spot for courting lady pigeons. (I wish I was kidding. I am not. It's like a feathered, rabid version of The Bachelor out there.)

I'm leaning into the warmer, pollen-filled months ahead with a spring-inspired color combo: Turquoise + Apricot. I especially like the cool, dusty undertones to the images below. Just like spring, it's cheerful  and fun, but a hint of winter chill lingers under the surface.

Sources

1. Photography by Petra Bindel, Agent Bauer
2. Geo Stool, Timber & Ore, via Pinterest 
3. Pre-Fall 2013 by Chloe, via Pinterest 
4. Kaleido Trays, via The Future Perfect - $33+ (price varies based on size/configuration)
5. Smukke Stackable Chair, ABC Carpet & Home - $395
6. Ceramics by Misa Kumabuchi, via OEN

Color Crush: Mustard + Gray

Isn't it funny how ones' taste changes? They say your taste buds are completely replaced within a 7 year cycle. I wonder if there's a similar cycle for aesthetic taste.

Never in a million years would I have guessed that I might go through a mustard phase. We don't even need to go back seven years-- if you'd have asked me a year ago what I thought of mustard-colored decor, you'd have gotten a spirited, "bleech." 

And now? I'm so drawn to it. Can't get enough of it. I think it's the pairing of muted, dusty mustard with a crisp, cool and sophisticated gray that makes it work for me. Happily, the combination is popping up all over the design sphere. 

What you think? (If you're looking to add a little mustard + gray to your home, Dwell Studio should be your first stop. They're really nailing this color combo.)

1. Portfolio of Spanish interior designer Maria Llado, via Desire to Inspire 
2. Osa Pillows - Mustard + Charcoal, Dwell Studio - $125 ea.
3. Draper Stripe Duvet Set, Dwell Studio - $350
4. Alvine Ruta Rug, Ikea - $249
5. Ontario Home of Jeremy & Carrie Wreford, via the marion house book
6. Pegasus Necklace, Stella & Dot - $198

Color Crush: Farrow and Ball's French Gray

Alex here. I'm crushing hard on a very particular shade of green. It's a pale green, but with a hint of grey. Almost a muddied undertone. In my head, I think of it as "succulent green" for its similarity to the plants' color-- and, now that I think about it, maybe it's also linked to my cactus fixation?

The closest official match I can find for the shade is Farrow & Ball's French Gray. And it looks like I'm not the only one with a crush. Here are few images that have popped up in my blog and Pinterest feeds (I'm particularly in love with the first image, of a Clinton Hill apartment that features the killer Case Study Daybed by Modernica.)

The Clinton Avenue Apartment of Photographer Susanna Howe.
Image Source: Remodelista

47 Plaza Apartment by Workstead

Hotel San Jose in Austin, TX

47 Plaza Apartment by Workstead

The Grid Set by Valvanera Arrieta
Image Source: Design-Milk

Deer Bed Photography by Katherine Wolkoff
Image Source: A Cup of Jo