I always look to Pantone to provide the best overview of color inspirations for each fashion season. Those of us know that fashion dictates the palette for interior design as well. Below are the colors for Fall 2010 as presented during the shows last February. Now that summer is officially over, I am looking to add splashes of these hues throughout the kaarskoker studio with, of course, a change of candle covers!

In my kitchen the handmade pewter chandelier has been graced with several patterns of kaarskoker candle covers.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, a new (old) rug was purchased for the seating area in kitchen, which required the light fixture to be muted but still distinct. Check out how cool the unfinished gray pewter looks with the kkSOLID Gold sleeves. The contrast is striking but the colors of the piece overall still read neutral.

One of the best parts of owning and managing kaarskoker is seeing the products of some of the best creatives out there. I follow them (interior designers, graphic designers, photographers, chefs, florists, etc.) on twitter, read their blogs, pour through magazines but sometimes they come to me. Interior designers LOVE kaarskoker candle sleeves for all the reasons I dreamed up the collection: to better a light fixture, create a truly unique design element and keep clients thinking, “WOW!”  Melodie Rubin of House of Ruby recently submitted her use of kkBASKET in Silver & Navy with an iron chandelier and pleated ivory silk shades.  The textures created by the sleeves plays with the eye to lighten the heavy chandelier and the results are a more sophisticated ensemble.  The iron chandelier paired with plastic sleeves takes away from the significance of the material of the light fixture and dripping wax candle covers adds to its vintage aesthetic.  Melodie’s client in California appreciated the updated look the sleeves offer to complement her classic yet contemporary dining room!

Thanks for the submitted photographs, Melodie. Beautiful work!

A popular print for years and originally from Scotland, houndstooth derives its name from the singular motif which is repeated to create the precise geometric effect: the canine tooth.   Houndstooth is a classic pattern found on the runways and has made its way into fashionable interiors.  From the classic tailored suits of the 1950s to the contemporary look seen so often in Elle and Vogue, houndstooth is a classic pattern found on the runways and has made its way into fashionable interiors.

In choosing the final colorways for the kkHOUNDSTOOTH collection, black-and-white was first up and quickly followed by Holiday Houndstooth, a classic pattern paired with traditional holiday colors.   Red, Dark Chocolate and Orange filled in the kaarskoker candle sleeve collection.  Red-and-white is as classic and doubles as a holiday print; dark chocolate mimics the custom blazers on which the print looks best; and orange for those looking for the whimsical.

*Images courtesy of Lindsey Thornburg cloaks, Simply Sneakers.

Everywhere I look I am so inspired by what is happening in fashion.  Love the floral prints and bright colors of well-crafted and executed looks.  I definitely think a home is never ‘done’ but I do think our bank accounts and full schedules can demand we say, “Uncle!”  For my own home, I have taken a cue from today’s fashions to quickly and inexpensively update my tabletop for parties (so many at the moment!) and my entry hall.  Take a look at some trends and how kaarskoker speaks to the au courant.

HOT PINK! Redbook was on this trend when they featured kkPEACOCK in Pink for the March issue.  I Love the 80’s, no?

BLUE!  As you may have guessed from the amount of blue offered in the kaarskoker collection, I am a blue freak.

BRIGHT + GRAPHIC COLOR COMBINATIONS!  As with everything in life, can there ever be too much color and patter?  kkZIGGURAT from the kaarskoker Collector Series is all about playing with serious color.

kkCLOVER has proven as the most popular kaarskoker pattern.  Its versatile as it works well in a traditional, transitional interior and the motif is so graphic that lovers of the contemporary embrace it as well.  This motif was first documented in India c. mid-1800s and originated from the lavish designs of the intricate and detailed fabrics  often seen in Indian culture. The motif is prevalent in mehendi- or henna, and the sari and Indian jewelry.  The Indian culture is rich with beautiful art and luxurious prints that have a long history of influence on European/Western design.  You would be surprised by home many motifs, colors, fabric prints have been adopted from India and stylistically reworked within the Western palette.

The colorways of the kkCLOVER were inspired from wide-ranging influence.
Red & Gold: A regal pairing that evoked a palette traditionally used in a dining room.
Pink & Silver: I am a sucker for the color combinations of the 1950s.  Love a pink lame (la-may) dress and designed a sleeve with this in mind!
Blue: If you cannot tell I have a soft spot in my heart for blue in any shade.  kkCLOVER is a style deserving of a sharp blue colorway.
Chartreuse & Silver: My favorite plants in my garden have shocking green leaves: baby tears, Irish moss and thyme in chartreuse are to die for and are veined among my stone walkways.  The bright stripe of a spider plant is equally as coveted as an accent color in my garden and indoors as well.  Perfect for a kaarskoker candle cover!

A Hickory Chair quatrefoil chair upholstered in slate blue dupioni.

*Images courtesy of decades and Hickory Chair.

I thought the time had come to spill the beans on the styles that make up the kkCOLLECTION.  There is little doubt that many of the patterns are familiar to many of you formal/informal students of design.  I chose classic patterns for the first collection because the object which the patterns adorned was, well, a bit obscure. No need for everyone to have to wrap their minds around both a new design detail (did you know what a candle sleeve was called before kaarskoker?) and a new motif. Classic Makes Perfect, no?

Every Tuesday, we’ll explore a different kaarskoker pattern: its origin, contemporary applications, inspiration for color palette.  kkY-KNOT is a moniker I thought fitting and is often described as the David Hicks pattern.  While Hicks popularized this pattern in the 1960s, the earliest source I have found is 14th century China.

As far as the color palette,  the more prevalent colors in Chinese arts include tones of pale blue, pale pink, and pale green.  My inspiration for Y-KNOT’s 4 colorways are as follows:

Jade & Silver: A 1960s MG picture I saw in an issue of World of Interiors
Periwinkle: The prevailing color scheme in the early 2000’s of NYC interior designers DiamondBaratta.  A quick browse through their portfolio speaks to a love of periwinkle.
Sahara & Gold: A 70’s infused neutral a la ‘Ciara’ perfume.
Navy & Gold:  I love this combination and thought the pattern lent itself well to the pairing.  Actually, quite Hicks.

This is MG is not the exact inspiration but gives a sense of the bold color.

David Hicks fabric pictured above. Incidentally, both David Hicks textile and wallpaper collections as well as DiamondBaratta’s textile collection are available through LeeJofa.

*Images courtesy of DiamondBaratta, Revlon, Lee Jofa.

Thanks to Redbook for including kaarskoker as 1 of 6 instant makeovers for your home in the March 2010 issue!  kkPEACOCK in Pink shines on a white fixture with globe bulbs.  Love the other suggestions such as hanging a rug on a wall, colorful dustskirts and bold tile in the kitchen!

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I chose my current favorite kaarskoker kkCANDLESTICK ensemble.  Having just introduced the kkCOLLECTOR’s EDITION, the Purple Sky Ziggurat paired with an April’s Blue kkSOLID is true romance. These colors work better with hydrangeas than red roses so I redefined tradition.

I recently attended the Atlanta Gift Show (and LA and Seattle) and loved walking through the showrooms of my favorite lines. While visiting Currey Lighting, I was inspired to put my novice Photoshop skills to work and apply kaarskoker candle sleeves to the classic designs of the collection. Here are a few before and after.