Color Me Spring with CLARE
Photo Credit: Sean Katz taken in Central Park 2020
I am extremely fortunate and have Central Park right next door. During this pandemic, Sean and I have been paying more attention and spending more time with city nature. I can’t tell you how much I love spring and how special it is to see the naked trees from the winter bloom into this luscious, colorful, and natural wonderland. It’s stunning to see all the vibrant colors literally flourish overnight.
Photo taken by me in Central Park 2020
Color is SO SO SO IMPORTANT and EXTRAORDINARY! Imagine if our lives were like the 1998 movie “Pleasantville” and we only saw the world in black and white. Imagine if every fashion show or environment was only in black and white or that things like flowers and crayons were only in black and white…. I mean look, B&W can be great and I am a sucker for things like: black and white stripes, black and white cookies, a simple black dress, white linen, and even the store Black House White Market. But I am so grateful to not be color blind and get to enjoy color.
Image sourced on: https://beforesandafters.com/
One woman who knows the importance of color is Nicole Gibbons, founder of the new paint company CLARE. Elle Décor demes her “the sexiest new millennial paint brand.” Her vision began when she saw a huge disconnect between traditional paint brands and consumers. Gibbons wanted to bridge that gap and make the experience of home painting easier, pleasurable, and less overwhelming. So, she redesigned the paint shopping experience with designer-curated colors, technology to guide you, mess-free paint swatches, and the highest-quality paint and supplies, delivered. Personally, I cannot paint my apartment because it is a NYC rental and I have 14 foot ceiling heights, so getting that tall of a ladder has been impossible. BUT, if I could paint my home I would definitely use CLARE.
Image Source: The every girl
Image source: Clare.com
Image source: Clare.com
For starters, Nicole noticed and highlighted that even paint company names were traditional and male dominant. I never noticed but yea! Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Dunn-Edwards…. In her Elle Décor interview Gibbons says, "I intentionally wanted something that sounded more feminine, friendly and approachable" she says, "I wanted a name that we could build a personality around." So she went with CLARE, the Latin word for “brilliant.” I say bravo! I think that is…. “Clare” ;)
What also sets CLARE apart is that similar to Pantone, the paint brand curates their colors through imagination, story, and vision. For example, pink shade “Pop”:
My Inspiration board for CLARE color Pop
Of course, after I did my Clare Color Genius quiz, this was the first color it chose for me and I love it! But other colors whose hue, name, and story stand out to me are: Fresh Kicks, and Lemonade. Here are some of my inspiration boards from the inspirational paint brand CLARE.
My Inspiration Board for CLARE color Fresh Kicks
My Inspiration Board for CLARE color Lemonade