Bittersweet Symphony of Color and Design

image via http://2.latest.listmist.appspot.com/

The day returning to work after a full and relaxing weekend can oftentimes be described as “bittersweet.”  All things happen in time.  Playtime is over.  Work needs to be done.  Coincidentally this notion is also the current featured color of the day.

You didn’t know that bittersweet was a color you say?  It’s ok.  Neither did I prior to this article.  Let’s jump into a time machine to find out a bit more about this rogue color.  Don’t fret- our flux capacitor still works.

Bittersweet was a color available in a box of Crayola Crayons from 1949-1957. It was introduced in 1949 as a shade of orange.  

On the four color process model (also known as CMYK) it is a combination of the magenta and yellow values with a slightly higher value leaning on the magenta scale.  Do you need more explanation about CMYK?  Stay tuned for an article later this week when we explore it more.

When combined with other colors bittersweet can look drastically different.  Both Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have versions of the color available within their product lines.  Let’s take a look at those colors in action.

Benjamin Moore’s Bittersweet Chocolate is a dark spin into bittersweet.

Sherwin Williams’s Bittersweet Stem is a much lighter spin on the color was used as the primary feature in this San Francisco home entitled the “Cow Hollow Residence” designed by the Amoroso Design team.

Are you looking to potentially redesign your bedroom and want to add a touch of bittersweet symphony to your home?  Which way would your symphony lean?  Would it be more true to its roots and go towards orange or magenta?  Would it be a delicious Benjamin Moore version bidding Willy Wonka to step in?  Or would it be something a bit more “greige” like Sherwin-Williams?