I was just meeting with a savvy interior designer who, about five years ago, chose a uniquely powerful shade of violet blue to incorporate into her firm’s working identity package – i.e., logo, business card, and letterhead. Though she’s contemplating changing her graphic image, letting go of this particular hue is not on the table. It has become a signature, currently recognizable on a local level, but soon to be seen nationally. Not only is this strong shade one of her favorites, but it conveys her firm’s energy, as well as its passion for color. It clearly – and continually - communicates a message without saying a word.
Coincidentally, just this past week I ran across this article on the Dallas Morning News online component, GuideLive.com, by media critic Tom Maurstad: “Colors Could Soon Be Corporate Property.” (If the link doesn't work, you can download a .pdf version of the piece here.) The gist is this: In our media-saturated world, brand colors create the fastest, most focused message possible. Ex: Target red, UPS brown, Sprint yellow, and - the most successful illustration in history - Tiffany blue.
When I have worked on corporate design projects, some clients understood this branding concept and some, sadly, did not. As Judith Ingalls, VP of Style and Design for Fortune Contract, a commercial carpet manufacturer, wrote in her white paper relating to color: “Commercial interiors symbolically convey meaning by creating a specific dynamic around corporate image - conservative, trustworthy, high-energy, casual, upbeat, etc. The successful use of color in a commercial interior is the most vital element in establishing the visual order that gives a space its identity.”
So whether global, national, or local, in commercial ventures or personal applications, find strength in color. Allow this silent communicator to speak for you.
To bridge the gap between the student / educational community and the professional / manufacturer community of the interior design world, and not to die of boredom while we do it.
Shop Through Us
When you enter Amazon through our humble little website, a wee portion of your purchase – no matter what you buy – helps to keep PLiNTH & CHiNTZ up-n-running. The best part: It doesn't cost you anything extra and it helps us keep your access to PLiNTH & CHiNTZ free.
Benjamin Moore is pleased to announce their Annual HUE Awards, which honor interior designers and architects who masterfully and innovatively use color consistently throughout their work. Each of the honorees in the four categories will receive a HUEY sculpture plus a $5,000 cash prize. There is no fee to enter, and submissions will be accepted between April 15, 2013 - Friday, July 12, 2013. GO HERE to learn more and to enter.
Enough Said T-Shirts
Created by a couple of Milwaukee interior designers with a quirky sense of humor, a healthy dose of sarcasm and a heaping serving of caring. Check out Enough Said to find fun t-shirts with a message.
Home 
Going Public 
It has become a signature, currently recognizable on a local level, but soon to be seen nationally. Not only is this strong shade one of her favorites, but it conveys her firm’s energy, as well as its passion for color. It clearly – and continually - communicates a message without saying a word.
