Archives for December 2013

Every year, the Pantone team, with the input of select industry influencers and designers, creates the spring and fall color reports. These hues become the foundation for the next Fashion Week or furniture market. Oftentimes, many designers and color-enthusiasts will incorporate the new seasons’ color trends in small ways, like home décor accessories, and on grand scales such as a blast of color to the exterior wall of an architecture firm’s latest design project. Below, we have listed Pantone’s 2014 Spring Color Report and provided a few examples, just to get your creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

Pantone® Fashion Color Report Spring 2014

Cayenne: Spicy, yet not intimidating, Cayenne will add a blast of courage to an otherwise neutrally comfortable space. 

Photo Credit – Better Homes & Gardens

Celosia Orange: Named after a stunningly unique flower, Celosia Orange’s vibrant and energetic color radiates warmth throughout this contemporary children’s bedroom.

Photo Credit – Haus Line

Dazzling Blue: While endearing and bold, Dazzling Blue can be used in small accessories or large furniture pieces. If you truly love this color, splash it on the walls, too! 

Photo Credit – Rue Magazine

Freesia: Also influenced by a flower, Freesia is sweet and optimistic; this color is great for the innovative workplace, in paint or plant form.

Photo Credit – The Flowers Avenue

Paloma: Paloma’s contemporary tone is reflected in this concrete building, and both are sleek and timeless. 

Chapel of St. Peter, Campos de Jordao, Brazil, 1987

Placid Blue: The serene nature of Placid Blue makes it a top choice for coastal living. Notice how this shade is used as an accent on the chairs and the bookcase. 

Photo Credit – Willey Desgin, LLC

Sand: With a name like ‘Sand’, one would typically think of the beach, but here we see how Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s rustic Los Angeles home utilizes this color’s versatility, inside and out. 

Photo Credit – Architectural Digest

Women’s and Men’s Specialty Colors

Hemlock + Comfrey: Hemlock is a much softer pastel and Comfrey is a bit deeper than the 2013 Color of the Year, Emerald. Both shades are meant to add the natural touch of green to round out the 2014 spring color palette appeal.

Green shades enliven indoor and outdoor spaces.

Radiant Orchid + Magenta Purple: Radiant Orchid’s bold, chic color is the 2014 Color of the Year; its rich-toned counterpart is just as worthy as it exudes a sense of regality.

These vibrant purples and an ethnic print create a culturally chic home accent accessory.

Violet Tulip + Purple Haze: Violet Tulip evokes romance and wistful nostalgia. Purple Haze is a deeper, stronger version of Violet Tulip, but it still has its soft side. 

The blend of these soft violets with the dash of black and Dazzling Blue make a whimsical piece of artwork.

Be on the lookout for the shades of the Pantone® Color Report Spring 2014 and let us know which are your favorites! 

“Designed to be Effective” BOMA Magazine – November / December 2013

• Understand the functionality of the space. Designers need to understand that jobs are constantly progressing, thus altering the function of workspaces. Collaboration and spaces for optimal group work are becoming more necessary as, in the knowledge sector, a single person sometimes no longer has all the required skills and background to complete a job alone. In order to meet this need, a variety of collaborative spaces need to be provided. This affords employees flexibility for where they want to work as a group, which can lead to increased productivity.

• Suggest an open layout. Moving towards visibility in the workplace can promote an accessible, cohesive environment and help develop office culture and values. Robert A. Peck, director of Consulting for the Southeast Region at the architectural firm Gensler, says, “If we’re sitting where we cannot see people, we tend to forget about them. In an open environment, it’s harder to forget. So we can facilitate collaboration without forcing it.”

• Provide space for each type of worker. While collaborative space is critical, surveys have found that 54 percent of time spent by those in knowledge-sector businesses is spent in “focus” mode. Some employees thrive in distraction-free environments to focus, while others work better in ‘buzzing” surroundings. Commercial designers should have a mix of private and open spaces for their clients, so both types of people are catered to. 

• Redesign or add social spaces into the office interior. By transforming social spaces like coffee bars or breaks rooms, employee satisfaction increases, including interaction, acceptance and encouragement. Often, conversations that start as social shift into business which advocates for connectivity.

BOMA Magazine – November / December 2013