Sensational Color

Curious Love of Green

"He had that curious love of green, which in individuals is always the sign of a subtle artistic temperament, and in nations is said to denote a laxity, if not a decadence of morals."

--Oscar Wilde [Anglo-Irish playwright and author, 1854–1900] “Pen, Pencil and Poison,” Fortnightly Review (London, Jan. 1889)

For more quotes about color see Quotes on Color

Photo from the Official Web Site of Oscar Wilde

Leatrice Eiseman featured in Seattle Times

The Seattle Times ran a long piece in the Thursday, September 28, 2006 issue titled "Forecasters on lookout for the next big color" that prominently featured Leatrice Eiseman. 

The article talks about how colors are forecast and includes an audio clip of Lee sharing her thoughts on the Spring 2007 color trends and palette she developed for Pantone.

Read the article in the Seattle Times

Listen to Lee talk about colors for Spring 2007

Listen to Lee's comments on color forecasting

Interview with Leatrice Eiseman

I know that many of my readers are fans of my friend and favorite color guru Leatrice Eiseman so I wanted to point you to an interview in VisualStore that you may have missed.  Not the questions Lee is typically answering.

See the interview

Color-Call™ Caller ID

Color instantly identifies many things and now you can use it to identify who's calling.  The Color-Call™ Caller ID System let's you assign a caller or group of callers to one of four colors. 

You could program green for those you always want to talk to, and red for those you don't.  Purple could let you know that it's your best friend or maybe blue could be for that special guy with the to-die-for eyes of the same hue.

Perhaps most importantly when the phone is ringing the system automacially scrolls between all of the color to alert you that the caller ID is unidentified or blocked because no one really wants to speak to telemarketers  or psycho ex-friends.

Once again color adds another dimension to a familiar product.  Just make sure I don't find my number coded with your "do not answer" color.

Available at Brookstone.com

Squidoo Lens of the Day

What's a lens you ask?  A lens is one person's view on a topic they care about.  Naturally most of my lens are about color.  Today one of my lens was chosen as Squidoo's Lens of the Day.  See my lens-

Color: Meaning, Symbolism & Psychology

If you're not already hooked on Squidoo then you need to check it out.   There are thousand of lens on just as many great topics.

True Colour of Life

The true colour of life is the colour of the body, the colour of the covered red, the implicit and not explicit red of the living heart and the pulses. It is the modest colour of the unpublished blood.

Alice Meynell [British poet and essayist, 1847–1922] “The True Colour of Life,” Essays (1914)

For more quotes about color see Quotes on Color

Photo from Jouer

Pantone Paint Premium Price

Last week I wrote about the partnership between Pantone, a color system that is used in a variety of industries but isn't a household name to most consumers, and Fine Paints of Europe, a paint company known more widely to professionals than to consumers as well.  It is my understanding that this and other alliances that Pantone is forming are focused on getting their brand in front of and recognized by the retail customer.

I have now had an opportunity to learn more about the the new paint line although haven't yet sampled it.  What I'm wondering is how many retail customers are going to be willing to pay over $100.00 for a gallon of paint.  Granted Fine Paints of Europe touts high quality and I do believe that their paint has a depth of color that is not easily acheived with most standard brands.  This is a tremendous advantage to someone like me that needs to put on three or four coats of standard paint before I feel satisfied with the depth of color however I know that most people think I'm crazy because they can't immediately detect the difference between two coats and four coats of paint.

This week the Washington Post did an article (excerpted below) that questioned the high cost of the new Pantone paint line.

"There's nothing more expensive than cheap paint."

So say the folks at Pantone, which is escalating the paint wars with the introduction of its first retail paint line selling for what comes out to an astonishing $133 a gallon...

...While most American paints sell for $19 to $45 a gallon, Pantone's Dutch-made 2.5-liter Euro gallon (a smaller can than the American gallon) made by manufacturer Fine Paints of Europe costs $85 to $95. A fan deck of 3,000 colors is $165.Pantone touts the durability of its "filler-free" product, saying a proper Pantone paint job could last 12 to 15 years. Lisa Herbert, executive vice president of Pantone, says the paints are aimed at the high-end homeowner. "They are for someone who really wants high quality. The finish is very luxurious. It would take six coats of an American paint to achieve the brilliance and saturation of Pantone paint."

While I think the statement that Ms. Herbert makes fairly represents the paint I'm wondering if most people will be willing to pay the premium that goes along with acheiving these standards.

I'd love to hear what you think about the price versus quality issue when it come to paint for your home interior.  Is it worth it to you to spend more for the better quality paint or do you see paint as something temporary that you aren't willing to pay top dollar for?

See the previous post on Pantone Paint

Color and Style Trends at Crate and Barrel

Since Crate and Barrel opened their doors in 1962 they have offered fuctional products that have sleek shapes, innovative forms, and up-to-date colors.  In order to develop a line that consistently meets the standards they have become known for their buyers must to be tuned into upcoming color and style trends and translate those trends into new products.

Traditionally this thinking has been done behind the scenes and retailers including Crate and Barrel haven't specifically revealed the trends behind the merchandise selected.  Recently Crate and Barrel  decided to take a different approach and added a section to their website that offers buyers insight into their key trends and shows the merchandise available in their retail stores and online that is associated with each.

For example, Mixed Greens suggest that you "update neutral spaces with a quick add-on in the season's freshest greens" and shows products in a range of gorgeous greens.  Dream in a Bold New Color when you "tuck into technicolor with a vibrant new wardrobe for bed" includes rich hues of sage, moss, gold, chocolate, plum and orange.

Naturally this isn't a complete trend resource since not all styles or color trends would be right for their store but sharing the philosophy and trends behind their current product lines is great way for Crate and Barrel to connect with their customers and assist them in finding perfect items for their home.

American Express COLORISTA

With all eyes on the runway fashionistas are not only looking for the upcoming styles but also for the latest color trends.  Savvy retailers and fashion editors know that color gives us a reason to update our wardrobe and is a big part of what makes fashion fun.  Now one of the world's largest financial services firms shows that they too recognize the power of color in fashion.

Capitalizing on our desire to wear the hottest hues the smart marketers at American Express have taken color off the runway and into their latest promotion.  Appropriately named COLORISTA, this promotion uses color as the common element for promoting fashion across multiple designers and boutiques.

COLORISTA offers shoppers in NYC and LA a 25% discount on retail merchandise in 2006 fall fashion colors when they use their American Express card during September.  Each week, a new color is featured at select boutiques and the COLORISTA website shows the week's color and a list of the participating boutiques.

While we don't often associate fashion forward-thinking with financial services companies I think the concept works for American Express.  The same promotion might not be as effective if offered by one of their competitors.  For instance, I don't think many of us would be inspired by a campaign that features a barbarion asking "What color's in your wardrobe?"

No Blue Without Yellow

" There is no blue without yellow and without orange."

--Vincent Van Gogh

Dutch painter, 1853–1890
Letter, June 1888. The Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh, vol. 3, no. B6 (1958)

For more quotes about color see Quotes on Color

Picture from the van Gogh Museum