Bargin of the week (or month)

I have decided I have to share with someone/everyone some of the bargins I come across while on my regular shopping excursions. These will be things that I think are too good to be passed up and if I can't buy them then someone I know should. I will attempt to do this at least once a month or as soon as I see something so you can go ASAP to check it out. Some items may be related to interior design but some may not.

So today I was in Tuesday Morning in Broomfield,CO (so I can't vouch for the other Tuesday Mornings) and I saw a slew of BUILT brand laptop cases. You may have seen them touted recently in several trade magazines as being stylish and affordable at $40 a case. These were priced from $10-$15. They are very contemporary with fat zippers, hip shades of neoprene- like paded material, and cool pouches for accessories.

 I tried to quickly calculate how many teachers, students, and family members I know have laptops. I shallowly realized how I could impress a few 20-somethings with such a gift and grabbed a handful. There were also other BUILT products at Tuesday Morning you might like for amazing prices. Let me know what you think or if you have an amazing bargin of your own to share.

Color for 2011

Are you ready to think about the color palettes for 2011?

Benjamin Moore is. They just rolled out their 2011 forecast and I am passing it on to you. You have seen these colors before but the tones and combinations have been given a modern mix with contemporary patterns and materials.

There are four categories or color themes; The Farm, Order, Escape and Tribe.

The Farm embodies eco-chic, colors found in fields and barn yards. Patterns for the farm include cow prints (known as bovine design), fat knits, quilt styles, gingham, and tea stained fabrics. Textures include feathers, leather, egg cartons, hemp, and weathered wood. Color for the farm includes vegetable brights (think corn, peas, carrots, and tomatoes) combined with grays and browns and tans. Pumpkin orange and salmon are thrown into the mix.


Order looks at less as more, a modern approach with an organic twist. The colors are black, white, grey-scale, with red and the other primary colors. A pink taupe is added as a balancing neutral. Patterns of the Order theme include cubes, stacked cubes, faceted-fractal webs, outlines, stripes, dots, and geometrics The textures are lacy, plastics, and wire and wood.


Escape idealizes the stylized feminine looks of the 50s. The colors are chalky, pearlized pinks, pale & iced green, rosy pink, lavender, dark camel, and carbon black for contrast. The patterns are gauzy, cloud-like, round, and puffy shapes, graded color, watercolors. The textures are pearl, glycerin, steam-like, shimmery metallic’s, and include the use of embedded electronics.


Tribe evokes local and tribal traditions, the idea of interconnectedness and the communal table. The colors for Tribe are camel, saffron, cinnamon, paprika, dark berry, tangerine, amber, honey, bronze liquid gold, and teal. The patterns include figures, pod shapes, African, Bedouin, and Animal prints. Textures in Tribe are tortoise, snake, and alligator, animal hide prints, beading, and embroidery.


You will see these color stories and themes over the next two years, first in fashion and then they will trickle into home furnishings. Cutting edge furniture and fabric designers have incorporated these trends already but the average consumer will not see all of these palettes realized in their local retail stores for several more months.