All Color Matters

Not unlike many parents I, too, have been guilty of tirades that try to ground my child with economic realities. When I was young I often heard, “...when I was your age, we used our imaginations when listening to the radio ...so use yours...and pretend it’s in color.” When I was young, black and white TVs were called “consoles”, and the remote control was the youngest family member jumping up-and-down to change channels. Owning more than 1 TV, even color, seemed unfathomable. In the U.S. today, the average household has 3 TVs in their home—a mantra repeated by my 11 year-old who feels this evidence is enough to rally support for one in her bedroom–NOT! In the 1960’s, only the well-off kids could afford a color TV in my neighborhood. If a family did commit to buying one, the decision was never considered frivolous. (The average income in 1965 was $6,600/yr. A TV manufactured by RCA had a starting cost of $399.99). Often encased in fine wood cabinetry (to match your decor style), c...

Whenever a painting project in our household deems the close examination of a new hue, marital bliss always gets tested. Finding agreement with my husband can be a monumental accomplishment since we both make our living in the visual arts. To try and keep the creative peace, an excursion is made to the nearest big box home improvement store for 2 dozen paint chip samples. Word to the wise: never buy a can of paint based on what the paint chip looks like in the store! To circumvent any missteps and encourage a democratic approach, color chips are taped individually inside the room to be painted. We live with them for several days under different light conditions—insuring that the color won’t be hated after being permanently affixed. Many a curious visitor to our home has seen this technique, and often feels compelled to offer their take on the selections too (often tipping the balance for a vote to the opposing side). Even if agreement is finally made on a color, we’ve gone the ext...