Celebration of Colors

July has finally ushered in the hot temperatures of 100 a few times here in northern California and the rest of the country is dealing with the same. I'm beginning to wish my car had the remote control where you can turn the car and A/C system on, to cool the interior off ahead of entering the driver's seat!



We are fortunate to have air conditioning in most our homes and I am thankful of that often, having also lived in Arizona for 4 years where the summer was 6 months long with 100-116 degree weather! While July starts out with these red hot conditions, it also kicks off big with our July 4th celebration and fireworks, honoring our country's stars and stripes forever in reds whites and blues. The color red signifies excitement, drama, love, passion and pushes us into action (think about color of a fire truck). White represents purification, bringing all truth and understanding into the light. Blues just help to cool down the psyche, refresh the spirit and body, inspire ideas and sound thinking, lifting us to soar into our dreams. Our Forefathers knew what they were doing when they chose our symbolic colors.



I rarely see designs anymore that incorporate all three colors, but when I do page through a magazine and find this combination, it is always an eye opener. It's just dynamic and electric with lots of energy. Perhaps we all cannot live with that interior color scheme 24/7, but we can live with variations of it and glean some of these wonderful color traits for our own homes. I have a few rooms to show you how red hot reds sizzle, blues blissfully chill us out, and how whites as a light interior canvas can show off both of them so well. Before I do, I'd like to share a little of my career history to tie this together.



Some friends and clients have asked about my days back in Florida when I designed models for a major building corporation. I had the rare opportunity to work for this amazing company as a corporate model home designer. My stay with them spanned almost 4 years. I loved creating these color and furnishings concepts and all the work involved to measure, design, draw, present and order all the design elements. Then to supervise and install each model after 3-4months, all on one or two days, was truly like a celebration of it's own. It was hard work, but so rewarding in the end. We would arrive on the day of the install in our casual blue jeans, with drinks and food in our coolers. To the sound of music piped out of recessed speakers throughout the home, we worked until it was finished, down to every plant, accessory and piece of artwork. Such closure and beauty on each job. And so, I chose a couple of my models to show you some ideas for reds, whites and blues, in honor of 20 years that have gone by since their completion. I hope you enjoy viewing them, as they are near and dear to my heart and I also made some invaluable friendships with design associates with whom I am still in contact.




Reds added as an accent are so stunning in a home, so take a look at this model home in all it's redness! We were not permitted back then by corporate to paint walls a color other than cream, so all our color came through fabrics and wallpapers. Blues are restful, peaceful, flowing and adding gold to blue schemes makes the spaces absolutely glitter. And lastly, the only model I remember where I incorporated all three, red, white and blue (and then some....green and yellow are in there also), is this cheerful and vibrant gulf coast model with multicolor stripes and tropical florals, blanketed in a white walled and upholstered palette.




The canvas of each of these rooms above, as I mentioned, is cream and that allows for these reds and blues to pop and create maximum contrast. Red is such a motivating and invigorating color. It can be used in small amounts and make such a large statement. It can also be used in so many different color schemes, again in small accents. Experiment yourself with adding some red, or blue to your scheme in artwork, flowers or pillows. Blues are a cooler bunch and a little trickier as there are so many shades of blues out there. A little caution is advised on mixing blues; however, once you find the blue you love, know that it can be mixed with other colors as well. Again, you will either use blue to cool down a hot color scheme, or you might choose it all by itself against a dark espresso wall color for an updated contemporary look. Blues floating in a room of ivory/white and yellow is all about joy and happiness. Adding white will virtually clean the room and bring fresh air and newness back into it. All of these rooms are dramatic and cheerful and catch your attention. Model home design follows that mission. Staging a home for resale has the same intentions as well. Liven up your rooms with some model home design ideas and they will feel brand new again.




Today's home uses much more color on the walls, and I was happy to work with this client (a semi-retired designer herself, not afraid to use color), when I was hired to design in the furnishings for this upbeat eclectic home. The inspiration for her wall color sparked from a spectacular painted screen in the client's room. It also resembled an accent glamour fabric from my inspiration upholstery fabrics, which was a warm brownish red with gold faux finish with slight top sheen. The expert translation by her faux finish artist to the walls was nothing less than extraordinary in this current and exquisite home.



Thanks for viewings my Reds, Whites and Blues this July. Have a safe and scintillating summer.



Designer 4 You 4 Ever
Pamela Farnsworth

AVALLON DESIGN

Visit our website at: www.avallondesign.com
Design Inquiries: pam@avallondesign.com



Pamela is an IIDA Professional Interior Designer in Northern CA. Her most current projects are in the Sacramento area, Roseville, Granite Bay, Rocklin, Lincoln, El Dorado Hills, Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Napa Valley and Sonoma. Having had a showroom for 16 years in the San Francisco Bay Area in Woodside and Portola Valley, she travels as well for clientele from Marin down to Carmel. Pam has also owned a design gallery in North Carolina for 9 years, a design office in Arizona for 4 years and worked in the states of Florida, Texas, Virginia, and South Carolina, designing custom residences, vacation homes, luxury model homes, country clubs and reception/sales centers for golf communities.



"I didn't choose this career...it chose me when I first moved to California. It lit a fire inside me that has been burning now for over 30 years and thankfully, it is a career that moves and changes with me as I grow myself. Since there are so many branches of design within our industry, it allows me to continually learn new information to apply to my projects. My clients are all unique and their styles are as well. Reaching our design goals for their living environment is paramount, while creating an enjoyable and sound design journey for them along the way. We become a design team. With design in mind, and desire at heart, together we transform interiors into living art."


Pamela