Allison Kettlewell on color

On Friday we introduced you to Allison Kettlewell, who's designing the textiles of Suzanne Tucker Home. She's pictured on the right, with her collaborator Vera Vandenbosch, who also works with Suzanne, and just happens to live up the street!

How awesome is this string ball wreath? It was hanging high on her wall, another example of the myriad examples of textiles that fill the studio.



We were dying to know how a designer conceives of color -- especially when there are so many possibilities. We've sprinkled in snapshots of some of the best-sellers. Here's what Allison had to say:



"Suzanne is so specific -- in a good way -- in her color sense. She absolutely loves color, especially pinks and lilacs."


"Most designers are still too fond of beige and neutrals, in my opinion."



"One color you'll never see here though is teal. Suzanne has a very specific blue she loves, it's between Wedgwood and robin's egg with a touch of aqua. Recently I found myself in an inky blue period." [Which is evident on her inspiration board].


"We're now at just 52 fabrics total in the line -- which is a number some houses would introduce every few months. But we know what we're missing–stripes for sure—and we're working on new prints."


"I'm hoping that Suzanne and I will plan a visit to India, where I know we'll find plenty of inspiration."



No doubt they'll also come back with suitcases full of antique textiles!



Be sure to see the collection in person at Thomas Lavin at the PDC and Holland & Sherry at the DDB.