6.18.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, and welcome to Women's World on RADIOI. As a reminder,
Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
to read printed material. Today I will be reading from
Better Homes and Gardens magazine dated June twenty twenty five,

(00:22):
and other publications as time allows. Your host today is Rosemary.
Newspaper and magazine articles presented in Women's World are for
general information only. RADIOI does not endure that recommend any
of the subjects mentioned. We start with the editor's letter,
Color Me Happy. There's an interesting phenomenon called nose blindness,

(00:48):
characterized by your sense of smell temporarily tuning out a
scent that has gotten used to a similar effect occurs
when we become immune details that we often see in
our homes, no longer noticing flaws or dulness. Then something
will happen that causes us to see a space with

(01:11):
new eyes. I remember some time in the fall of
twenty twenty sitting at the little desk in my guest room,
where I'd been working from home for the past seven months. Suddenly,
the utter boringness of this room struck hard as I
stared at my zoom background. Its bones are lovely, and

(01:33):
I was likely to have a space to myself with
windows on three sides looking out on our woody backyard.
But the scene inside was let's just say, less than inspiring.
Off white walls, dingy white trim, and ceiling white blinds,

(01:55):
a cream linen headboard. Not that shades of white when
layer dwell can't be beautiful. It just wasn't that. I immediately
ordered a stack of large peeling stick paint samples and
absolutely genius invention and set about planning ways to inject

(02:16):
some much needed life into the space. And by life
in this case, I mean color. Aside from that one
celery hue I picked for an old bedroom that turned
out to be more of a blinding highlight or yellow.
I have never been disappointed by adding a doze or
three of color to a room. A new set of

(02:39):
cobalt and coral block prim shams for the bed, the
tangerine whirls of Chantha cloth thrown tucked over the back
of our brown leather sofa, A shaggy purple and red
Moroccan rug pepping up the den's gray wall. To all,
every one of these editions has made me quite happy,

(03:03):
not just at the moment of execution, but really every
time I walk into the space and those brushes of
color catch my eye again. In this our annual Color issue,
you'll find dozens of happy making ideas for adding more
color to your life, particularly from the talented bunch of

(03:25):
designers and creatives who made this year's list of Color Stars.
Here's to living vibrantly. That was the letter from the
editor ohm My Blaze Ford, Senior Executive Editor. Three other
editors give their opinions on Hugh Cars. From Lauren Bennington's

(03:50):
Senior market editor, my home follows a consistent neutral palette overall,
but my favorite room is painted head to toe in
vibrant terra cotta. It's a moment of big time drama
and doesn't go overboard. From Caitlin Soul, the Associate editor

(04:12):
edit director, my bedroom scheme is fairly simple because hello,
serene sleeping space, but the drum pendence in green and
blue circus stripes keep the look interesting. And finally, from
Monica Eyer's Senior Home editor, I added a splash of

(04:34):
color to the tucked away spaces in my home, enveloping
the dining room, powder room, and pantry in chalky shades
of blue green. Next bookmarked, Spotted, loved, and saved. Ionic
Hellerware Colorful, stackable, durable, and instantly recognizable. The these humble

(05:00):
dishes from the nineteen sixties have major staying power. You've
probably seen it invented shops or in your cool ant's
kitchen or at modern major retailers. This stack of bull
melamine dishware was introduced in nineteen sixty four and one

(05:21):
it's Italian creators, husband and wife architect designer team Layla
and Massimo Vanilli, the prestigious Composso de Oor Award for
Industrial Design. But the pieces fell out of production by
the end of the sixties, and that's where the Heller
name comes in. Designer Alan Heller spotted the dishes at

(05:46):
an exhibit and tracked down the Vanelles to reintroduce the
line as the first product from his new company, now
commonly known as Hellerware. It's been a mad staple ever since.
Next from the b News Chef Dawn Burrell's juneteenth Jubilee

(06:11):
Houston Chef Don Burrell's annual Ticket to Dinner June twentieth.
This year is the celebration of freedom and an opportunity
for the Top Chef alumni to highlight the work of
other black chefs. My motivation is to continue to raise
awareness about black history and to offer a place for

(06:33):
black culinarians to shine. Can't make it to Houston. We
snagged Don's recipe for Hibiscus watermelon coolers, her take on
the traditional red drink served for Juneteenth, and the recipe
for the June teenth Jubilee drink. The Hibiscus Watermelon Cooler

(06:58):
hands on time t twenty minutes. Total time four hours
in twenty minutes plus freezing. The ingredients are one medium
seedless watermelon, one cup sugar, one club cup hibiscus flowers
rinsed and dried, a handful of fresh mint, torn and crushed,

(07:22):
plus more for serving and ice. Cubes in the directions
are remove and discard watermelon, ride in white flesh, dice
half of melon. Place cubes in a single layer in
a parchment lines contain reusable storage container. You can stack

(07:45):
cubes with parchment between layers, but don't let them touch.
Freeze overnight. Meanwhile, cut remaining melons into chunks. Combine melon
and sugar in a blender, cover and blend to a
liquid state. Strain through a fine massieve. Discard the pulp,

(08:08):
transfer to a gallon sized pitcher and chill in a
medium pot. Heat one half gallon water to boiling. Turn
off heat. Add hibiscus, steep for four hours, strain through
a fine massieve. Add tea and mint to the pitcher,

(08:31):
stir vigorously. Serve over ice, frozen watermelon cubes and additional
mint leaves in a tall glass. And the recipe makes
twelve to sixteen coolers. That was the recipe for the
June Teeth Jubilee, Hibiscus and watermelon coolers. Next, Color Stars Meat,

(08:58):
our complimentary Colours Stars Decorating isn't the only domain or
color rains. This year, We've expanded our honorees to include
dynamic pros who confidently wield color literally and figuratively, and
other important areas of our creative lives. Because whether we're

(09:20):
attracted to neon brights or rich neutrals, we all want
to live in full color. And the highlight is on
Rick Martinez of James Beard Award winner and best selling
cookbook author. Jeff Rick Martinez lives on the Pacific coast
of Mexico, where he co hosts a podcast, teaches cooking classes,

(09:45):
film videos, and writs, including his latest cookbook, Salsa Daddy,
from his wildly colorful home. The kitchen is blue and pink.
These colors are energizing and engaging. When I enter my
kitchen and I'm surrounded by color, I want to get cooking,

(10:06):
he says, noting that colorful food has the same effect.
Cooking with color adds flavor, energy, and vibrancy to your plate.
It enhances your mood, It excites you. Next star is
Gray mallin the sky is always blue in Gray Island's

(10:29):
fine art photographs of iconic destinations like cake cod or
Capri windows into a sun kissed, carefree world where summer
never ends. His colorful photos have also been known to
kickstart entire decorating schemes. For example, his photo afternoon cruise

(10:53):
Nantucket hangs in his kitchen, sparking a palette of blues
and their complementary to corals. Among the most colorful destinations
he's photographed, Palm Beach is a very colorful place. The
palette there is a soft palm leaf green and coraly beige,

(11:15):
and some yellows and definitely pinks and blues, he says,
and our last Star Jenny Kane, the Queen of California.
Casual fashion designer Jenny Caine is known for her effortlessly
elegant styles in wearable neutrals. She glides through the world

(11:39):
in understated tones of cream and beige, punctuated with colorful
accents or unexpected accessories. Texture and layering are key when
working with neutral, she says, a neutral palette doesn't have
to be flat, It's all about how you layer and

(11:59):
mick materials. Some of her go to ways to add
interest include vintage silver jewelry and combining contrasting fabrics like
silk and linen. Next BHG Color Stars, the Class of

(12:20):
twenty twenty five meets this year's honorees, the designers andreate
creatives who give us the inspiration and the know how
to travel over the rainbow and embrace color in all
its gradiations. Follow their advice for bringing the full spectrum
to your world, and you'll soon agree there's no place

(12:44):
like home. A rainbow of hughes Sasha because with a
background in fine arts, this New York designer takes inspiration
from her travels, nature, artwork, and anything else that moves
her to create exuberant yet sophisticated spaces. And this is

(13:10):
in a question and answer. Question and answer format. The
question what's the secret of combining colors? And the answer is,
in order to choose bold colors from the beginning, you
need an inspiration. A lot of times the bold colors

(13:31):
and the combination are already right in front of you,
For instance, in a carpet, painting, tapestry, or printed fabric.
One client was really inspired by their garden and I said,
let's formulate a color palette that's like a bouquet. Each
room ended up being inspired by a different flower. Next question,

(13:58):
what's the easiest way to add color to a room?
Her answer? Through the carpet or rug. It's really easy
to find an area rug that's colorful, doesn't necessarily break
the bank. It's pretty easy to install in ship and
covers a lot of area. Next are there unexpected ways

(14:21):
you like to use color? Her answer? There are all
of these small, intimate, private moments within a house where
you can add color and you can get that ooh
ah moment when you're living within the space. That could
be a powder room, it could be a closet, it

(14:42):
could be shelves or inside cabinets. I did a project
where the kitchen was all white oak and the walls
were cream, but you opened up the pantry door and
the whole pantry was painted tangerine. Next star is Alvin Wayne.

(15:03):
This New York based interior designer is known for creating
spaces that are as bold and appealing as his own.
Outgoing personality, thoughtful repetition and use of neutrals keeps his
rooms calm and inviting the question to him, what's your

(15:26):
best color advice? And his answer, don't be afraid of color.
A lot of people think, oh, the whole wall has
to be this, or the whole home has to be that.
It doesn't. It's about how you use color. There are
many ways to interject color into a space that are

(15:48):
not overwhelming. You can use color as a neutral and
play off of that. And always it's out with black
or white? Why black or white? Is the next question
and his answer, When you add any shade of black
or white, your eye has somewhere to land. It automatically

(16:11):
grounds the space and doesn't feel like a circus. Next question,
how do you land on a palette? And his answer,
I ask clients about their lifestyle. If someone says I
love to be on the beach, I pull colors based
on that. Maybe it's blues with tans or the color

(16:35):
of sand. Next, it's about how they want to feel.
If they say I want to feel energized, I go
more saturated. And if it's I want to be smooth soothing,
I go for more muted tones. How do you thread
those colors through a home is the next question. His

(16:58):
answer in the living room, those colors may be in
the rug. In the bedroom, they may be the wall
color in the kitchen. Maybe it's through accessories. When you
walk through the space, you have that sense of continuity.
What's your go to paint finish and his answer, I

(17:20):
love an eggshell or matte finish. When it comes to
using color rather than a gloss because color absorbs light.
I don't want the paint to be reflective. I want
you to see the true hue of the colors. And
the last question, what are the easiest ways to add

(17:41):
color to a room? And his answer accessories, flowers and artwork.
You can be flexible with them. Next color Star Landed Interiors.
Linn cloythm of Landed Interiors, which has studios in Berkeley,

(18:04):
California and New York City is all about that base
color known for her in nostagic esthetic kloythan as Up
keeps things cohesive by combining hues that have common muted undertone.
And the first question to her, what's your color philosophy?

(18:27):
Her answer, I'm attracted to muddy or dusty colors, things
that are not as bright or intense. It may be
an intense yellow, but it has a kind of dirtiness
to it, like a pink would become a dusty rose.
They're easier to use together if they all have this

(18:48):
ruddy base. The nice thing is that they all look
worn a little bit, so they just look good next
to each other. Next question, and how do you harmonize
colors in a home and her answer, The goal is
that there's a thread that runs through I talk about

(19:10):
undertones because of blue can be more purple, or can
lean more green. A teal is very different than a
corn firl blue or a navy blue. If we were
picking a bunch of blues and our palette has a
green undertone, then that helps eliminate colors that don't have

(19:31):
that base color. Next question, how do you approach white,
and the answer, We're always going to use color. Even
if we do white, there's usually a background based color
to that. It could be a pink white, it could
be a green white or yellowish white. We can go subtle,

(19:54):
but there's still going to be color. The next question
the quickest wave to add color? Her answer pillows definitely,
and we love to bring in artwork that can be
a nice jumping off point for bringing in even more color.
We generally start with artwork early in the process because

(20:18):
it can set different directions for the palette. And her
final question favorite place to use color and her answer
definitely trim and mill work. If you don't want your
painter your walls, it's a great way to bring in

(20:38):
color without much labor. Next Color Star Courtney Bishop. This Charleston,
South Carolina based designer draws color inspiration from the neutral environment,
but that doesn't mean her contemporary coastal decor is all

(20:59):
sky blue in sand doomed tan. Her modern organic approach
leans into nature's nuances, from seafoam greens to terra cotta reds.
And her first question, what's the secret to making a
room work with a view out a window where I'm

(21:21):
incorporating environmental views. I choose colors that complement that environment
and avoid colors that might distract from it. Next question,
how do you flow those colors through a house? Her answer,
My approach is tonal. I start with a neutral wall color.

(21:45):
Then I use my foundation throughout the house. Then choose
two or three accent colors that play off the environment,
the view, and also play within the organic materials of
the home. I use those tones on cabinetry, interior doors,

(22:07):
and accetting trim details in a room. And the next question,
what is your color myth busted? Her answer, people think
when the whole house is creams and beige, it will
feel serene and organized, but the reality is that it
feels depressed. The biggest gratification I received recently was Wow,

(22:33):
you can really brighten up the day when you put
color into play. And the last question, how should we
pair paint and wallpaper? And her answer, I would encourage
people to pull color out of the wallpaper and apply
to the interior door trim, window trim and ceiling. Really

(22:57):
wrap that room, give it that punch. It really does
make a difference. The next color star Drew Michael Scott.
He calls his brand Lone Fox Home, But Drew Michael
Scott is all about colors playing together, especially layers of

(23:18):
inviting neutrals punctuated with contrasts. And the first question, what's
your approach to neutrals? His answer, I lean more into
warm tones, and I definitely like contrast. I love mixing
black into a lot of my designs. I like how

(23:39):
that edgy industrial kind of touch adds to a space,
and even if it has a really pretty base. Second question,
how do you make neutrals feel inviting? His answer, playing
around with different textures and scales of prints and patterns.

(24:00):
If you have a large scale rug, add smaller scale
patterned pillows to the couch. It's still neutral, but it
adds interest. Little details like striped piping on a neutral
chair is also a nice way to make a space

(24:20):
feel intriguing. Next question, any tips for choosing paint? His answer,
test out different shades. There are so many options. I
always suggest getting one a little bit warmer and one
a little bit darker. Next question, easy non paint color hacks.

(24:45):
His answer, pick a pattern that incorporates some colors from
it in a chair or some other upholstery. If you're
going to do all light accent the room with a
few dark vas that act as a focal point. And
next question, best colored decision. His answer, I painted the

(25:11):
ceiling in my bedroom ochre and it always feels really
warm and like the sun is in the room, which
I love. And the last question calculated risk and his answer,
I love color drenching, doing a full space in a

(25:33):
certain color and vearying the tones of that color. I
just made a room in my house into a makeshift
movie theater and I did a color drenched burgundy tone
in there. Consider doing this in a fun color in
a room that's behind closed doors. You can close it

(25:56):
off when you aren't using them. Next Color Star Avery Cox.
This Austin based designer is not afraid to go big
on color, whether she's washing a room in a single
hue or peering complimentary colors. Her first question, what's your
best color advice? Her answer, I talk a lot about

(26:21):
changing the white balance of a room. When we wash
a room in a color, we are just establishing a
new neutral for the space. It doesn't feel as scary
when you understand that color doesn't mean chaos. The best
rooms go all in on color from walls and trim

(26:43):
to ceiling and milkwork. This makes them feel immersive and
other worldly. Where do you start with color? For me,
it's all about the architecture. Smaller rooms tend to work
better in the darker hues, while all larger airy rooms
work better in lighter colors. What's your secret weapon? Tonality?

(27:10):
I love the look of an all blue or green
or pink room, and it's an easy way to start
playing with color, choosing hues that are close to each
other on the color wheel as opposed to jumping across
it and your favorite color combo variations on red and

(27:32):
green always not earthy and classic, whether you go with
rust or hunter or stay in the realm of vertigree
and cherry, And the question what's your game changer? A
lamb shade is such a fun way to add that
little dose of color that makes everything else seen. The

(27:54):
default white shade can really mess up your palate. This
concludes Women's World for to day. Your reader has been Rosemary.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this program,
please call us in our Lexington Studios at eight five
nine four two two six three nine zero. Thank you

(28:17):
for listening, and please stay tuned for continued programming here
on Radio I