My Links, A & B

As you see to the right, I have a number of inspiring links (not to mention my favorite people's blogs - plug plug plug!), which I figured I’d explain. Today, I’ll do A&B.

I was lucky enough to be employed at ARTnews for a few years, and truly think their magazine is a great combination of snooty-but-groovy high art and People-Magazine-type LCD readability. As much as they’re a major part of the art world, they still maintain a ‘can-you-believe-this-piece-sold-for-ten-million-dollars-let’s-find-out-why’ attitude in their writing. I saw firsthand that some readers complain about their occasional gossipy style, while others complained of their esoteric articles, but it’s a beautiful magazine and they’ve really improved their Web site in the past few years.

The Benjamin Moore Color Makeover site was incredible. My only dorms/apartments have all been rental institutional-white and I never changed the stark walls and Venetian blind scheme in any of them. So after we signed our contract, I submitted photos of five spaces in the new place (foyer, LR/dining area, office/2BR, kitchen, and MBR) to Benjamin Moore; wrote 500 words about me & D.; reassured them that the photos were taken with the sellers’ lavender walls, heavy wood blinds covering the amazing bay windows, and mint-green kitchen, so they did not need to try to match those; paid them $54; and then, ten days later, received two color-schemes for our new place! And they definitely got it right. One scheme was great – though not so much our style – and the other one was perfect. I secretly wanted a red kitchen, and D. really wanted one blue room. We didn’t tell them this at all, but they came back with beautiful taupes for the foyer and LR, a French blue for the office, a Tuscan red for the kitchen, and the most beautiful warm green-gray for the MBR. I don’t think I ever would have found any of the colors by myself, and we’re going to go full-throttle and paint the entire place in the suggested colors (for those of you who know me, this is very un-me to give over control like this). The colors all work with each other, D. and I agree on the scheme, it reflects a mix of our tastes, and they even include a ceiling-white that goes with all the colors. I’m assuming this will happen in January and I look forward to posting photos then!