"Mexico is not beige!" is a defining quote from one of Mexico's hottest new designers. Maye Ruiz is an interior designer, creative director of Maye Estudio , and one of the designers selected for the AD100 México & Latin America list, which recognizes the most influential designers and architects in the region. Her work stands out for its bold exploration of color, materiality, and visual storytelling, creating spaces that blend tradition, modernity, and a unique chromatic palette. Maye has ...
Apr 26, 2025•58 min•Season 4Ep. 30
If you've never walked into an interior which caused your jaw to drop then you haven't witnessed the overwhelming effect a built environment can have. There are few of these places extant and even fewer here in the United States. I'm lucky to live just a few miles from one - the hilltop home of the Hudson River School painter Frederic Church, Olana. Perched on a mountaintop overlooking the Hudson River, it's sited facing southwest to take in the views of the Catskill Mountains to the west and th...
Feb 27, 2025•53 min•Season 4Ep. 29
We welcome back former co-host Amy Woolf to discuss the 2025 Colors of the Year and other design trends percolating right now. Which interior colors are the rage, what exterior paint colors are the most popular and what's new in furnishings and decor.
Dec 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 28
Imagine the tagline for a new paint company "Paint your walls with rock instead of plastic." If that doesn't pique your interest I don't know what would. Meet Maya Crowne and Price Latimer, the entrepreneurs who conceived of a safe, plastic free interior house paint made from natural materials with minerals for pigmentation. It's a fascinating story about two women who never dreamed they would become paint manufacturers one day trying to change the way the world paints, one can at a time.
Nov 05, 2024•36 min•Season 4Ep. 27
Think about the skills needed to create a paint color which matches a cat's fur coat. Now think about those needed to transform the look of a big city transit hub. That describes the color chops of Architectural Color Consultant, Eve Ashcraft. She came to NYC after attending RISD and with her unique color skills became the creator of Martha Stewart's original paint line as well as the color-guru of Moynihan Train Hall in NYC. Through the decades, her prowess in the field and her client base grew...
Aug 07, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 26
What do Barbra Streisand, The LA Dodgers and Larry David have in common with one of America's most revered companies? Did you guess? They were all born in Brooklyn! In 1883 The Moore Brothers released their first coatings product and the paint world hasn't been the same since. Benjamin Moore's products and colors are perceived as the pinnacle of good taste and quality. Their color lines have expanded over the years to include almost 3500 colors adding a world of choice which delights and sometim...
May 31, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 25
While this episode began as an interview based on a book about kitchens, it became something much more - A treatise about how we live in our homes, how to make a kitchen your own in ways which acknowledge who you are, how you live and what you love. Sophie Donelson is a former Editor-in- Chief of House Beautiful Magazine. She is a design journalist, speaker, and strategist whose work celebrates the connection between people and their homes. Her 2023 book Uncommon Kitchens: A Revolutionary Approa...
Apr 18, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Think about jazz, communism, Dracula and wallpaper. Any commonalities? Tune into this episode to hear how they all converge. My guest is Stefan Ormenisan, the founder and creative director of one of the most unique lifestyle brands, Mind the Gap. Conceived in Transylvania and sold all over the world, MTG offers wallpapers and textile patterns spun from tales of folklore and global cultures. Their products are a color lover's dream. Learn how this amazing company got off the ground and became who...
Mar 21, 2024•38 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Ever walk into an art museum and find yourself just as mesmerized and transported by the color of the exhibition walls as you were by the art? Well, that wouldn't have been the ultimate goal of the exhibit designers but it does speak to the power of wall paint color, even in a museum setting. My guest in this episode is Kathleen Morris, the Director of Collections and Exhibitions at The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA and the Curator of Decorative Arts there, as well. Kathy shares her de...
Feb 08, 2024•37 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Think there's nothing more to a color than whether it's blue, red or green? If so, hold onto your hat. On this, the first episode of our new interview based format, Architectural Color Consultant Amy Krane introduces our listeners to trained Color Consultant and Interior Designer, Ellen Divers, who has spent the better part of the last decade studying how humans perceive color. Her findings will change the way you choose colors for your space forever.
Dec 15, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 21
There are so many functional and aesthetic factors to consider when designing color for non-residential interiors. Your color choices must support a range of branding, comfort, productivity, and /or way finding goals, to name a few. Tens, hundreds or thousands of people may be users of this space and the color decision makers can be a plurality of people. Done well you can soothe an anxious patient, inspire a creative maker or focus a leader. The list goes on... All achieved by the thoughtful an...
Oct 03, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Is the modern farmhouse style exterior a trend or is it more entrenched in our collective mind as the epitome of what "home" is now? What are the architectural elements that define the modern farmhouse? Why did it come about and can we use those elements on other exterior house styles? We discuss this and more. The modern farmhouse. Are you yay or nay?
Aug 20, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 19
Join Amy Woolf & Amy Krane ( and our dogs) begin an engaging conversation which will span multiple episodes about bringing color into your decor. We never stray too far from wall color which rears its head in almost every facet of the conversation. Should your wall and decor color tie into the architectural style of your home? Should you repeat an interior color on the exterior? How about how different should each room be? We cover all of this and more! Tune in.
May 25, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Sometimes neglected, your basement might get the least love in your house but it doesn't have to be that way. Paint color is the final touch but before that we need to think about the fundamentals when designing this room. What are you going to be doing down there? What's your floor and lighting all about? Are you thinking about finally finishing your basement? We walk you through it all the way to the finish line with paint color!
Apr 02, 2023•26 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Putting a paint color on your walls is deeply satisfying but if you want to kick it up another notch (or 10) add pattern to color and you've got the recipe for extraordinary walls. In this episode the Amys talk all things wallpaper. Where can you put it? How do you use it? What patterns are hot right now? Who is selling unique and stunning prints? Tune in to hear us talk wallpaper. And thanks for listening.
Feb 13, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Specifying exterior color for multi- family dwellings is a wholly different animal than for single family homes. The ownership, the goals, the sheer size of the complexes offer a completely different set of challenges. When done right the outcome can be stunning, increasing property values and the joy of home ownership. Proper color application for built environments enhances the human experience. Join Amy and Amy as they discuss the ins and outs of how to do it.
Dec 27, 2022•26 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode we return to the important subject of exterior house color but examine it on a more granular level with an eye towards the different architectural styles prevalent in the United States. How was the earliest house paint created and how did that influence the types of colors available to use? What types of color palettes were the norm for different architectural styles historically and has that evolved over the centuries? Tune in to hear more color wisdom from Amy Krane & Amy W...
Nov 30, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Every year around this time, the major paint brands launch their Color of the Year. It's a marketing event that's awaited by many, and ignored by others. The two Amys discuss the newest COTY's. How relevant are these? What do choices like these mean? And do we even like them? We let you in on how we've used colors like these in the past and how you can too. All this with a lot of good cheer thrown in for good measure.
Oct 19, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 13
So you have a space that has little or no natural light. What to do? Complain to all that will listen, ignore the situation, paint it white? No, no, NO! That's the MOST common mistake. Tune in to hear how to handle a dark room so that it does not end up a room ignored or reviled.
Aug 25, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Choosing paint color for a child's bedroom, be it a toddler or a teenager, poses a somewhat different set of considerations than for adults. Should they be involved in this choice or not and what if they are? Certainly most kids gravitate towards different kinds of colors than many adults do. Tune in to find out how to tackle paint color for kid's bedrooms with Architectural Color Consultants Amy Woolf & Amy Krane.
May 31, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh, hi! We were just catching some shut eye. Ok, no we weren't, but in this episode we’re discussing appropriate colors to paint a bedroom for adults. What's the goal? For all the activities we conduct in a bedroom the number one is to foster sleep so functional color is paramount. We all know how grumpy we can get without the proper rest. So tune in to hear the how-to on choosing bedroom colors.
Apr 01, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this episode Amy and Amy explore how each landed in the world of color. Coming from another profession then having an "aha" moment directed each of them towards Architectural Color Consulting. This happened at different times in their lives but was a second career for both. Coincidentally, each studied Economics and Business in college but also had a lifelong interest in fine art: studying it, admiring it and creating it. From New York City to Sarasota Fl, from Upstate NY to Western MA, these...
Feb 26, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Who you are choosing paint colors for should play an important role in what you pick. If you're planning to sell your home or rent it out for short term rentals your goal is to appeal to others. What's the secret to making it work? Tune in to hear color experts Amy Woolf and Amy Krane let loose their tried and true tips for choosing paint colors to sell your home.
Jan 20, 2022•26 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Tackling paint colors for a whole house at once might seem intimidating. There are so many things to consider and a lot of false information out there. Where and how to start is the big question. This episode is your primer, Color 101 : how to choose a color palette for your whole interior. We walk you through what not to do, what to consider and how to tie the colors together.
Oct 18, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
"Neutral" is probably the most bandied about color description there is. So often we hear about this year's "new neutral". Is that all marketing blather or can there be a "new" neutral? Is the definition locked with those hues already established? Join Amy Woolf and Amy Krane debate what a neutral color is, how they should function and the best way to use them in this episode of Let's Talk (paint) Color.
Aug 24, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 6
You've finally settled on the paint colors for your walls. What a relief! Think you're done? No! What about the trim? So many people end up with white trim almost as a default- they just don't even think about the options. But it's not your only choice, by far. There are so many ways to handle the color for your millwork. Tune in to hear paint color specialists Amy Woolf & Amy Krane discuss the ins and outs of choosing paint color for your interior trim. Whether it's wood stain, off -white o...
Jul 08, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Whether you're working from home and want to update a home office, having zoom meetings in some corner of a room or are in charge of choosing the decor for a shared office in a building, knowing how colors affect our ability to focus and create is paramount when picking colors for a work space. Learn what colors are known to increase concentration and creativity and what types of colors not to use. Architectural Color Consultants Amy Woolf and Amy Krane tell all, including what types of backgrou...
Jun 08, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 4
A kitchen renovation is a major endeavor and an expensive proposition so you want to get the kitchen color right the first time around. Open kitchens especially make choosing colors tricky. There are many finish decisions to be made: cabinets, countertops, backsplash, appliances, walls....The list goes on. Let Architectural Color Consultants Amy Krane and Amy Woolf walk you through the color decision process so in the end you've created the kitchen of your dreams. Learn common mistakes and how t...
May 07, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Of all the possible paint colors, choosing white paint confounds the most people. There are hundreds of whites to choose from and finding the right white paint is a mystery to many. Learn: how to see what's different in each white, how to decide what works for your interior or exterior, which white paint colors we like best and how to avoid common pitfalls with Architectural Color Consultants, friends and colleagues, Amy Woolf and Amy Krane.
May 07, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Painting your home's exterior is a very large financial investment. It needs to last at least a decade so you really want to love your exterior paint color choices. Learn how to select exterior paint colors: what to consider, what looks best and what's trending now with Architectural Color Consultants Amy Krane and Amy Woolf, friends and colleagues in all things color.
May 07, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 1
