Color Brings Beauty, Spirit And Joy
With the Jewish holiday, Purim, just around the corner, Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School has never looked more beautiful and spirited. 
Streams of blue and yellow swag the ceilings and colorful paper cover the walls throughout the halls. The creators of this transformed an elementary/middle school into a Persian Palace. I thoroughly appreciate the labor of love that went into creating this joyful and amazing transformation, as I’m sure the students and teachers do.
Purim is an extremely festive holiday that celebrates yet another miraculous victory for the Jewish People over a destructive foe. It is a holiday when both children and adults dress in costume to represent the idea of hidden identity and that things are not always as they appear. Just as Purim celebrates hidden miracles, the now colorful halls of Hillel Torah celebrate the joy of discovering the rich Jewish culture and history behind its classroom doors.
With the addition of wonderful color and texture, a refreshed spirit is in the air that breathes life 
into the school. Go ahead and try this as a gift to yourself. Breathe some life into your own living space with warm colors and materials that sing, something I felt like doing when I stepped into Hillel Torah last week!
And, as always, if you need some guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Interior Designer Agrees: “Color Changes Everything”
I walked into Target the other day and was immediately greeted by a wonderful sculpture hanging from the ceiling that declared:
“Color Changes Everything”
Wow! First, I was struck by the bold beauty of it, but mostly about those words. Color DOES change everything. In fact, this statement is one of my mantras that I say to my clients whenever we work together.
Keep in mind that color isn’t just about the paint on your walls. Yes, a quick fix is to paint an accent wall in your living room a bolder color to create an entirely different room. But color is also about everything surrounding you in your interior design, from the fabric on your couch to the finish on your floors, to the tile on your kitchen back splash. And, these areas must be well thought out as part of the overall “color impact” of your space. (more…)
2012 Color Of The Year – Use Tangerine Tango in Your Interior Design
Leave it to FLOR, one of my favorite carpet resources, to incorporate Pantone’s Color of the Year 2012 – Tangerine Tango — into their new product line. Pantone is the world renowned authority on color systems and spans across several design industries. Orange became a color trend several years ago and has become a classically bold color. Its warmth and playfulness still prevails over bland neutrals such as beige and taupe. Orange can be a tricky color with which to work. If it is too pale and not saturated enough, peach results and feels dated and uneasy. A warmer and denser orange can be soothing and energizing at the same time.
Throughout my years specifying paint colors, I have rarely encountered a client who does not like orange. Yellows and Greens have often been met with aversion, but orange seems to appeal to everyone. Combined with magenta/hot pink or aqua blue, orange will pop off of its canvas and sing.
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Dentist’s Office Interior Design Not Only Calms You But Takes You Away
I don’t know a soul who’s ever said that going to the dentist is a pleasurable experience. I would be the first one to tell you that going to the dentist would be the last thing that I would WANT to check off my To Do list, but know that I have to. Going to the dentist is one of those things that we all have to do, but dread. BUT, there is always the exception to the rule.
My kind and gentle dentist, Dr. Phil Finkel of Dental Professionals of Old Orchard recently moved his practice down the hall and created the most beautiful medical office I have ever laid my eyes. My phone snapshots do not do it justice, because the color scheme is a soothing, seafoam green and pale beige. The color scheme is light and airy, yet I still feel warm and comforted.
As soon as I walk in, I am washed with a feeling of calm. Upon my entrance, I am greeted by my 
first name by the warm and friendly staff. There are huge textured porcelain planks on the wall in front of me, and to the left a glowing glass beaded material graces the wall. I pass the homemade chocolate chip cookies on my right and sink into a chair in the waiting area. Glancing up at the flat screen TV that is displaying an aquatic fish tank I breathe deep. You know what, maybe it’s not going to be so bad after all.
How To Change The Mood Of A Space With Color
Everyone knows that color makes a huge impact on our mood and how we react to the space we are experiencing. The White Tiger Krav Maga gym
in Wheeling, Illinois is an excellent example. This gym is my second home, where I drive to as often as possible when I have the time to train my mind, body and spirit. So when my instructors asked me to select a paint color for the gym I leaped at the opportunity. Originally the walls were all white. A huge part of the training is honing your focus skills – living in the immediate moment and pushing yourself to your physical and mental limit. Therefore, white walls were a decent backdrop for what was happening in this space. The blue mats and high ceiling evoked high energy and intensity which is what we want to achieve when we train. (more…)
