Tangerine Tango, Pantone’s 2012 Color of the Year, is the “spirited reddish orange” shade that will be brightening up cosmetics, fashion and home trends this year. Design Expert Dawn Kail of overstockArt.com advises that it’s easy to brighten up your home design with the color Pantone describes as being “reminiscent of the radiant shading of a sunset.”

“Decorating with vibrant shades of orange, like Tangerine Tango, adds a playful, lively energy to the home,” said Kail. “In feng shui, the color orange is often called the ‘social’ color and is used in areas of the home where you want energy that promotes lively conversations and good times.”

Kail advises to start small when decorating with such a vibrant color, “I wouldn’t advise you to repaint every wall in a room or purchase all new furniture in tangerine tango, use the color to accessorize and accent your home. Doing too much will leave your room looking like a pumpkin patch.”

Enliven your home decor with five decorating tips from Kail that make it easy to incorporate the color of the year into your look:

1. Color pairings – Traditionally an autumnal shade, Tangerine Tango can last all year when it is paired with popular neutral tones like white and gray. The reddish-orange color pairs well with other vivid shades of red, yellow and fuschia. You can also tone down the look by offsetting it with shades of mint and modern shades of blue. Add a sense of sophistication to your look by adding hints of gold.
2. Home décor – The easiest way to introduce the color of the year is with home accessories. Soft linens, like pillows, throws and bedding, in the bright orange shade will quickly add spice to a room. Vases, candleholder and even cabinet knobs and drawer pulls can be used to brighten neutral color schemes. Displaying vibrant pieces of art featuring the playful color quickly livens up a room. Either go with a piece that predominantly features the orange shades, like Paul Klee’s masterpiece “Head of Man.” Or display a piece with pops of the bright color, such as Gustav Klimt’s sensual painting “Water Serpents II.”
3. In the kitchen – For a dynamic burst of energy in the kitchen, incorporate Tangerine Tango colored appliances, like KitchenAid’s signature stand mixer in the hue. Add a bright splash of color to your walls and backsplashes with fine art. Hang a painting or try a textured ceramic art tile. Fine art trivet tiles featuring the shade, like Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Oriental Poppies,” can decorate your wall and your table.
4. Walls and windows – Brighten up your entryways, hallways and rooms by painting a wall in this vivacious orange. Or paint your front door in this welcoming shade. Wallpaper has returned, so why not add a punch of color to your walls with wallpaper that highlights this juicy hue. Or add a small burst of the brilliant shade to drapery panels and curtains.
5. Home furnishings – Add key pieces to a neutral room, like a vivid armchair or side table. In the bedroom, custom headboards in the bright shade or nightstands add a playful look.

“The orange color trend isn’t meant to dictate your home’s color scheme, it is more a directional suggestion,” said Kail. “All you have to do is add a splash of Tangerine Tango to add a fresh and fun spirit to the look of your home.”

See more of Kail’s suggestions for incorporating Tangerine Tango into your home on the overstockArt: Tangerine Tango Pinterest board.

Winter is a magical time of year; beautiful snow touched scenery and uplifting holiday cheer bring a certain ambiance that’s tough to achieve throughout the year. Fortunately, when the winter season does arrive, it’s a true pleasure to capture that same feeling within your home. All it takes is a heartfelt approach, and your own personal touch.

Being that winter beauty is due in part to cold temperatures, more time is often spent within the home. This makes the benefit of creating a seasonal home atmosphere through careful decoration even more rewarding. When it’s 15 degrees outside, curling up next to the fire with a book never seemed so enticing. And doing so while surrounded by a collection of wonderful winter artwork makes for an even more cozy refuge.

This is the one component of your winter decorating plan that is important not to overlook, that being your winter artwork. In order to fully capture the spirit of the season, and to fully tie together your other winter decorating schemes, featuring winter artwork is a must. Winter landscape artwork is natural choice, and very popular at that. Winter landscapes oils are breathtaking, and the seasonal connection is easily distinguishable to both yourself and your guests.

That being said, don’t be afraid to display artwork where the winter scene is more subtle and personal. After all, it is your art to enjoy, so use your imagination and go with your gut when choosing the right winter artwork for your home. Warm cottage scenes featuring fireplace smoke and log cabins may remind you of your yearly winter ski retreats. A lighthouse facing a storming ocean may remind you of childhood memories in Main. When choosing the right artwork for the winter season, personal connections are a good thing to keep in mind.

When selecting your winter decoration artwork, also be sure to keep placement in mind. Family themed artwork fits well when decorating the living room or den for it appeals to the strong family relationships we celebrate during the holidays. If you have a fireplace in your home, this would be a great place to start your winter decoration efforts, for you’ll most likely be spending a lot of time warming up next to it, and few other fixtures remind us of the winter so strongly. When picking out artwork to accentuate your fireplace, be sure to keep the room’s existing tones and accents in mind. A good tip would be to imagine how the flickering light of the fire plays off the oil painting itself.

Overall, when decorating your home for the winter, do so in the spirit of happiness, tranquility, and family. When you look back on your life, try and single out those moments you enjoyed most, a good majority of them can be tied back to the tranquility and happiness you experienced while spending time with friends and family during the holidays.

As time rolls on, it’s important to both commemorate those moments, and prepare for the creation of new memories. Having the perfect setting certainly plays a role, so take an active approach and enjoy the fruits of your effort for years to come.

It’s that time of year again to start thinking about a new look and all the things that we can do around the house to make our home more fashionable and trendy.

So what’s hot for decorating in 2008? Think affordable luxury with a wide variety of styles and flavors to suit any Decorator!

As the wheels of fashion turn, so do the wheels of home décor trends, observe the coming of Neo-classic art back into modern décor in the year 2008. Luckily, it’s never been easier to create a luxurious home to suit your lifestyle with these simple decorating tips:

1. Eco-friendly decor – The focus this year is on organic and the natural artifacts. In the past, eco-friendly or what is now termed Green Design could be summed up in one word: ugly. That isn’t necessarily the case anymore. Eco-friendly design has met a stylish interpretation proving that earth friendly decor can at the same time be elegant, beautiful and exciting as well as Green.
2. Contrasting color combinations – Contrast colors and textures like smooth against rough add a touch of the unexpected to your décor. Pair up accessories or furnishings for that special feeling and spark to lighten up your décor.
3. The ‘X’ factor – X is everywhere, Find it in furniture and accessories. It was first spotted at the Highpoint European Show and has since been making its way down the trend ladder to almost every trend seeking home in America.
4. Beautiful Design is simply not enough – For today’s multi-tasking, on the go lifestyle, home décor needs to be multi-functional as well. Home Décor shoppers want utility as well as sheik in their furniture and accessories. Look for furniture and decorative accessories that will make your everyday life easier and more organized. It’s time we demanded more from our décor!
5. Expect to see the softer side of leather – Earth tones on smaller pieces of furniture with contrasting more feminine like colors.
6. Art that Inspires Luxury – 2008 is all about the Classics of luxury. Add elegance via home decor, and specifically wall decor. Shop for hand painted art reproductions of famous works of art. Hang a hand painted Impressionist masterpiece like a Monet or a Van Gogh. Like David Sasson, President of OverstockArt.com says: “It is sure to bring many admirers…”
7. Whites – From pearl white to ivory, the white color family will be on display in 2008. From your furniture to your wooden frames. Adorn your home in soft whites.
8. Make a dramatic Impact – Oversized décor for a dramatic look. Shock your friends and add one focal point piece as a jaw dropper. Imagine one huge work of art in your living room that would leave everyone in awe.
9. Gray tones and Metals – Add a touch of steel to your design with elements such as Silver, brushed nickel and aluminum. Recycled would be a preference (remember to think green!).
10. Feng Shui – In this hectic and fast pace world we all want a bit of piece and tranquility in our home. Let your design and furnishing make you feel at ease. Add the Feng Shui elements and embrace piece on earth.

Have more trends to add? Post your comments and hopefully we can all create the right environment for growth and exploration in our homes in 2008. I wish you all a fabulous and enjoyable year full of joy and successful decorating endeavors.

The oil painting The Engaged Couple painted 1868 oil on canvas by Pierre Auguste Renoir reminds me of how great it is to go to the theater.

The couple side by side, a beautiful woman, in a long formal dress with elegance, blossom in her hair and corsage.

Her companion a man dressed in black formal attire with handkerchief in his hand enjoying a wonderful event.

There are numerous couples that attend Broadway plays who are season ticket subscribers to Broadway productions tickets ranging from $20.00 for standing only to over $150.00 for plays such as Wicked.

From my experience, it doesn’t really matter what the play is about when it comes to Broadway (they are all excellent!!!) what makes a play enjoyable is the feeling you have attending such a pleasant and intriguing event with the one you love.

When was the last time you dressed in formal attire with a spouse or friend and attended a play? What a wonderful opportunity to take in the mood formal attire puts you in.

Theater is an opportunity to meet people before the play or during intermission while having cocktails or refreshments. When thinking of the grand oil paintings of Renoir with the beautiful big hat’s the woman wore and beautiful elegant table settings it makes me want to dress-up and go out on the town!

The next time you see an advertisement for a Broadway play, become Renoir’s couples and don’t forget to dance the night away…

The glamorous Hollywood stars are continuously re-inventing the definition of style… trying to out-ritz the rest of the stars is not an easy task.

One creative visionary has re-defined the meaning of a Hollywood getaway by completely renovating and redesigning a massive majestic abode – a wooden dome home in the heart of Southern California’s retreat – Big Bear.

The home is an architectural marvel and located in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

The beauty of the exterior is surpassed by an exquisite decorative interior, spot lights illuminate the central living room shinning light on over a dozen hand painted Impressionist oil paintings – reproductions of Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Gustav Klimt, Pier August Renoir, Pablo Picasso and many more…

The Impressionist Dome Home is a one of a kind retreat that the wealthy and the famous of La La Land will be standing in line for many years to come…

See more of the Dome Home: http://www.bigbeardomehome.com/

Office fluorescent lights, blurring computer screens and entirely functional, dull office furniture give the impression that you’re living in mono? And when you get home, does everything go where it should?

In short, is your decor lacking in the unusual, inspiring, extraordinary department?

Wassily Kandinsky, the Russian born Father of Abstract Art – helps me get inspired with lines, colors and geometrical shapes.

Bright, bold and tickling to all the senses. Kandinsky makes you feel good as you go about your day, ads sophistication to your space as well as your life.

The Throughgoing Lines express well, whatever you like, from Music Symphony, to a Culinary masterpiece in the Kitchen. And while the news of the world may be bleak, that’s no reason for you to sit at home and moan. The oscillating music wave design of Kandinsky’s Art adds rhythm to your space, even when your radio is turned off.