San Diego's Old Town is a source of Insperation

 The Mexican "Style" Makes Me Happy!

I have been reading this book on Traditional Mexican Style.  You can't help but smile when you see the bright colors and bold designs.  While in San Diego for business I took an afternoon to see a friend and explore Old Town San Diego's retail, restaurants and home decor. 

 Colorful blankets are one of the most common buys when collecting. 

 We ate at this wonderful cafe.  We had a nice spot next to a fountain.  They make home-made tortillas here and the waiters wear a wonderful big smile.  They had lunch specials that were quite reasonable, and large portions.


This is my friend Teddy.  She and I have worked together, but what we really like to do it chat about family, home and life.  I always enjoy my time spent with her.  Look at the size of our meal!

The gardens and flowers in Old Town San Diego are beautiful.  I love succulents and these more arid plants.  It really feels like you are stepping back in time.  The stores are fun to explore.  I like the variety and special treasures. Teddy has collected Mexican styled pottery, accessories, textiles and dishes in the 1970's.  It was fun to reminisce and see so many of the same designs and influences coming back in fashion.

 Here are a few succulents I do not have...Richard and I have a special succulent garden where we collect succulents from all over California.

 Here is Teddy leading the way to the shops.  Look how colorful it is with the umbrellas.

 Here are some things I enjoyed taking a look at.  I took pictures to share with you.

Mexican Talavera ceramic tile mirrors and metallic punched tin mirrors.

Also you see sacred heart mirrors prove precisely why Mexico is renowned for colorful and unique tin mirror frames.



I loved these bright and colorful Mexican Talavera dishes.  These hand painted pieces combine influence from both Spanish settlers and native Mexican pottery makers, resulting in Mediterranean style designs. Some of these had bumpy risen paint accents (beautiful) with somewhat more vivid colors and more primitive designs. 

 


 Pottery Tile - The Mexican handmade Talavera ceramic tiles are beautiful. In the 16th century Talavera pottery was introduced to Mexico by the Spaniards. Mexico has a deep history in arts and craft, a country  rich with culture and folklore.

A milagro, (Spanish for "miracle") or ex-voto (from "my vow" in Latin) are small charms, generally made of gold, silver, copper or brass, which the faithful believe are endowed with spiritual powers, which when offered to a saint can heal and help preserve overall well-being. They are also given in gratitude for prayers fulfilled

 The we drove to the Midway and looked at the installation of the newest piece of outdoor art: A giant statue a World War II sailor kissing a nurse -- near the Midway on Harbor Drive in San Diego

 And the Bob Hope Military statues...a "National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military" The statue park cost $1.5 million, and was funded by the port of San Diego, Navy vets of World War II's Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Hope family. The plaza and sculpture were opened the summer of 2009.

My brother Jon loves Bob Hope and listens often to the radio shows.  This statue "garden" had some very real looking bronzed

And the Midway, a real US Navy aircraft carrier (USS Midway)

They are so real like....For more information on the Statues I encourage you to check out http://www.portofsandiego.org/public-art/view-the-art-directory/778-bob-hope-tribute-by-eugene-daub-a-steven-whyte.html  There are descriptions and information about each statue.

Ended the afternoon with a hot drink and conversation before Teddy dropped me back to the airport.  Spending the afternoon with a friend is so relaxing and fun.  I'll be sure to give you a call when I get your way...

2013 Color of the year is showing up in a big way!

For all of you that want to stay up to date with the latest trends, the 2013 “Color of the Year” as announce by Pantone- is luscious Emerald Green!

 I am in love with this classic and beautiful Emerald Green dress worn by Elizabeth Taylor.

 Inspiration can come from any image even those totally unrelated to a project. You probably know Pinterest, the exciting virtual pin-board online. Yes, I spend quite a bit of time on there developing my numerous “pin boards” looking for images that inspire me and make me feel creative. Just recently I pined some beautiful images that show how you can use the color Emerald Green in your own home décor.  

 

 

Emerald Green is a very strong color.  Major accent pieces are a great place to bring in this hue. Take these chairs in the first picture or campaign chests in the second for.  Designers are certainly getting bolder.

Green is a color that is most seen outdoors.  So these outdoor wooden chairs look so inviting.

 

Pantone color of the year: emerald green

Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. It’s also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity – no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

 

A quick and easy way to add the color Emerald Green to your home is to make throw pillows.  There are lots of fabrics showcasing this fashion color. 

Your friends will be green with envy as you redecorating your space by adding a touch of emerald. Of course I cannot guarantee that this will make you smarter or healthier, or wiser, but envy, yes that’s a given!

For those of you who might want to paint a room or invest in something large try pillows before committing to something as bold as a lacquered-green door or chairs or couch.

 

Green pulls this neutral room together adding the accent to window coverings and pillows.

 

To see more Emerald Green inspiration check out my pins at http://pinterest.com/jonelle3/emerald-green-color-2013/

Thanks for stopping by,  Jonelle'

Sherwin-Williams Colormix - 2013 Color Trends

You saw it here first!

NEW** Opposites attract like never before, exerting a magnetic pull on the color spectrum. Sherwin-Williams Colormix™ 2013 debuted today.  To see the latest colors check out

www.sherwin-williams.com/.../mdey/~edisp/sw-pdf-colormix.pdf

Are you ready to explore Sherwin-Williams new trends in paint color for 2013? This year we have color palettes that exemplify simple versus complex, mystery versus certainty, light versus dark, synthetic versus natural and vintage versus futuristic. Although drawn to our preferences, we can’t help being influenced by all of the energy of color around us. It’s no longer a process of elimination but one of combination

Today I attended the IDAL Convention where I saw the world premiere of Colormix2013, presented by Jackie Jordan, Director of Color Marketing for The Sherwin-Williams Company and creative director of STIR magazine. Jackie is very “”down to earth” and despite the fact that she travels the world attending trade shows, art exhibits, fashion and fabric expos she still found time to chat about the latest color trends. Each year, beginning in September Jackie and her team presented Colormix to decorative artisans, painters, interior designers and architects, nationwide.

Jackie presented 1 hour of color inspiration to IDAL members and regional interior designers and architects at the Convention.  And we were all given new fans decks, color cards of the collections and a complete forecast folder with color tips.

The International Decorative Artisans League’s 27th Annual Convention and Exposition in Reno Nevada had many other exciting speakers and exhibits.  A list of a few I enjoyed: 

Classic Italian Trompe L'oeil

All That Glitters: Basic Gilding

Cabinetry & Furniture Finishes

Glitz & Glamour – Finishes

Hands-on painting– realistic clouds

Hand Painting on Furniture

Color Theory

Chalk Paints for Furniture

I toured the exhibit hall and picked up some samples of Annie Sloan paints (Love their new colors) www.anniesloanunfolded.com some #M tape for a project I’m working on this weekend www.3m.com, some designer stencils for a wood table I want to stencil and some curtains, some metallic silver setcoat from Faux effects (and dragon Fly stencil).  If you are looking for special painting techniques you’ll love the Artisphere Online Magazine. http://decorativeartisans.site-ym.com/?page=ArtisphereOnline

I had a wonderful day and enjoyed all the lectures and learning more about paint and creative applications.  I can’t wait to share with my clients with leading color trends and design combining knowledge. So go on, click the link and take a look at the new colors and combinations.  Then you can tell me which of the four color pallets your favorite?

Green with Envy...

I recently visited a good friend's home where I discovered the perfect green colored kitchen.  I wanted to go home and paint my whole house green!  Well, not really, but it did make me think about where I could use green. 


Don't you love the color green.  Green harmonizes it creates the perfect combination of the passivity of blue with the vibrancy of yellow. It is considered the most restful color to the eye, and of all the colors, green is the one in which the human eye distinguishes the widest range of shades.

Green represents nature in nearly every culture.  It can be seen in the new life that comes in the spring and in the lasting color of evergreens.  BioPulse states, 
(http://www.biopulse.org/color.html)
green is used as color therapy for relaxation and balancing the nervous system.  Green represents money.  Green has also represents fertility, love and sexuality in many cultures.



Dark green is associated with ambition, greed, and jealousy.
Yellow-green can indicate sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy.
Aqua is associated with emotional healing and protection.

Olive green is the traditional color of peace.








I thought I'd share some green pallets I've seen that inspire me.

When choosing a green be sure to put it on the wall in the room it will go.  Greens can look very different when they are in sunlight or shade.


Decorating with green is easy and fun. You will never go wrong using this fresh and relaxing color palette.  Do you need some "Green" in your home?

Be Inspired by 65 years of Pink

Being to true to yourself is so important in life, but also in your design.  For nearly 25 years, I have been inspired by Phyllis Madonna's courageous use of pink to style her popular Inn in San Luis Obispo.  This well know stop for travelers since December 1958 has been known for their extravagant rooms, excellent food and excessive use of the color "Hot Pink"  Reminiscent of the board game Candyland, it may not be my personal taste for my home, but what an example of a designer who is true to herself. 

While my girls were growing up, we used to enjoy the day before school started with breakfast to celebrate the "new year."  I now go to meet friends and catch up on our careers. You cannot miss this hotel restaurant and event center as you travel north or south on 101 Freeway. The style of Madonna Inn is 19th-century Gothic and Swiss chalet but some describe it more accurately as Swiss Chalet meets Disneyland. What is fun is there are no numbers on the doors of rooms but each room has been given a name and each room is decorated uniquely. Madonna Inn is a hit with locals and many celebrities have visited the Inn too. (Ask the front desk clerk and she'll ramble off a list.) There are one hundred and ten unique rooms, each decorated differently to suit many individual tastes...rock rooms, waterfall showers, extensive fireplaces, European fixtures, and fine furnishings make every room special. 

A collectors item from years past the famous Madonna Inn Goblets in an array of colors.  You'll learn more about them in a future blog as I collect them.

While at the Inn, I took some pictures to share with you (excuse the camera phone quality, they are from my iphone 4)  You can see this beautiful hand carved wooden door when you arrive. There are also more wonderful carving on the walls and stair railings.  There are mirrors everywhere, gilded gold furnishings, fabulous light fixtures and wild bright (pinks) floral carpeting.  All this designed for a feeling of fine dining.  It is “over the top” in bright pink, white lights and flowers. You can't help but feel the passion and purpose the owners felt when building and designing the Inn.

Love the hand carved wooden doors

This is Sammy my good friend looking at that large light fixture that is made out of a wine barrel. In the late 1950's several wood carvers were brought in for the specialty work of hand carving the doors, beams, railings and the many other carved adornments you see here at the Madonna Inn.

Notice the use of white lights, hot pink vinyl and wisteria (Phyllis Madonna's favorite flower)

There are gilded gold frames and mirrors everywhere.  The Madonna Inn provided the backdrop for an episode of ABC's reality series The Bachelor. In the season 14 episode that aired on January 25, 2010, look for this mirrored wall.

I love that when visiting the Inn you can just stroll around and see it all:  Madonna Inn Bakery & Pastry Shop, Copper Café & Coffee Bar, Alex Madonna’s Gold Rush Steak House, Silver Bar Cocktail & Lounge and several boutique shops upstairs. It is amazing and while you are there you must make a stop in their coffee shop and have their Toffee Crunch Cake. It is one of my favorites and I always want a piece on my birthday.

The owners, Phyllis and Alex Madonna, were friends of my grandparents when they lived in San Luis Obispo.  Mr. Madonna, who's known as a rancher and a local philanthropist, with his wife, Phyllis, were the imaginative force behind the Inn.  The story goes that he designed it on a napkin. Everything from the street lights to the vending machines is painted in a shade of pink, which the couple thought set a romantic mood for honeymooners.  (When I was a girl the entire Inn was painted bubblegum pink.)  Mr. Madonna built the Inn with his wife, making sure to consult with her with each and every detail. If nothing else, this trip to Madonna Inn has inspired me to really be true to myself!

If you are interested in checking out the Madonna Inn, you will find it off of HWY 101 on the Central Coast of California (http://www.madonnainn.com/).    The Inn is noticeable right off the freeway with its bright pink and white sign and its stately appearance.  The hotel is a stopping place for travelers from all over the world because of their reputation for excellent food (and lots of it) and unique architecture and design.  It is a wonderful place to meet up with friends and be inspired by something totally unique!