DesignNJ-Dec23Jan24-Digital Issue

editorinchief | LETTER
I always seem to be more aware of color
this time of year. Even though spring and summer overflow with sherbet shades, the fiery
reds, oranges and golds of autumn warm my soul. The cheery combinations of red/green
and blue/silver that follow in December bring back treasured memories.
Perhaps I notice the year-end colors more acutely because I dread the coming grays of
mid- to late winter. Or perhaps it’s because at this time of year, those of us interested in
home fashion are inundated with Color of the Year announcements. It all began when the
Pantone Color Institute announced its first Color of the Year — Cerulean — for 2000.
As more and more publishing outlets reported each successive year’s color — often with
the fanfare once reserved only for Academy Award winners — other companies jumped
on the bandwagon. Today, paint, fabric and home furnishings companies are among those
that hope to capture consumers’ attention by choosing special colors. The accompanying
graphic shows some Colors of the Year for 2024 (Pantone’s choice was scheduled to be
announced after the deadline for this issue). At first the array of colors may seem confusing
and divergent, but in the end, it’s more descriptive than prescriptive, more about colors to
consider than colors you must use. As the Pantone Color
Institute says: “We wanted to highlight to our audience how what is taking place in
our global culture is expressed and reflected through the language of color.”
Often these days, we deploy color in our homes in quiet ways to ease the visual
stress that comes from being attached to digital devices all day. Examples of subtle
colors abound in the homes featured in this issue. Against a neutral background,
designer Danielle Palmadessa chose a navy-and-white-patterned wall covering in the
foyer of Kristin and Ryan Fox’s Saddle River home, along with charcoal wallpaper in
the dining room and tweedy rose pillows on the family room chairs. Diana Andriotis
amplified those colors with holiday décor that includes fuchsia and navy ribbons (“Time-Honored Tradition,” page 38).
Proving that subtle color can also be dramatic, designer Veronica Pluta chose a soft gold geometric wall covering
for the stairway leading to a “Gatsby-esque” lounge she created for Carly Fink-Kamens and husband Seth Kamens in
the basement of their Franklin Lakes home. The geometry continues on an accent wall of charcoal with metallic gold
fretwork in the billiards room. Pops of deep blue add even more interest (“Chic Retreat,” 44).
Subtle colors, many of them in shades of blue, lend a serene vibe to a Short Hills home designed by Karen B. Wolf.
The home reflects the owners’ spirited aesthetic as well as their respect for craftsmanship (“Precise, Yet Playful,” 54).
Also in this issue, tour a New England-style farmhouse designed by architect Michael S. Wu in Monmouth County
(“Triple Play,” 28), read about a small mudroom with plenty of storage by Alison Nifoussi in Morganville (“Tiny
Footprint, Big Impact,” 62) and prepare to cross names off your shopping list with our “Holiday Gift Guide” on page 15.
We hope these pages will give you a moment of pleasure in this busy season, and we wish you the happiest of
holidays and the best for 2024.
REN MILLER, EDITOR IN CHIEF
rmiller@designnewjersey.com
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12 December 2023/January 2024