Today we are interviewing a budding interior designer with an eye for style and a love for interiors. Make sure to check out her interior design blog and portfolio at HOP Interiors. Ok, let's get started.

First up, why don't you tell the community a bit about who you are, what you do, how long you have been doing it, and your background.

Hi COLOURlovers ladies and gents! I am Mary-Ellen Paul, Editor & Founder of HOP Interiors. My creative interiors blog is my platform to share my thoughts, personal style and design aesthetic.

(Me with Interior Designer, Potter, TV Presenter Jonathan Adler)

What past experiences do you think have contributed the most to where you are now?

My passion for interior design has been an immense contributing factor. When you have the passion you are more likely to take the bold risks needed to succeed. Through my passion I am continuously seeking to develop my knowledge of interior design, taking risks with colour and exploring its effects.

What colors do you think we will see a lot of in 2012?

I think that bold strong colours will push through this year such as cobalt blues, bright yellows and fiery oranges and tangerine. In a contrast to that, pastels will start popping up, lots of sugary tones of pinks, greys and blues, will be coming through this year.

(Image credits – Main: trendenser.se, Top: etsy.com, Middle: farm6.static.flickr.com, Bottom: savedbythesouthernbelle.tumbr.com)

What patterns and trends do you think will be big in 2012?

There seems to be a lot of the iconic zig-zag Missoni style print which has segued into the interiors stratosphere. Simple prints with both bold and subtle colours will shine through too.

 Which colors, patterns & trends are you personally most excited about?

Cobalt and Navy blues are my favourite colours but I always enjoy designing with colours I’m not used to – taking me out of my comfort zone.

When you are feeling stumped, where do you turn for inspiration?

When I’m stumped I tend to take a break from it. I go through loads of magazines, tearing out anything that fits into my idea and then build upon that.

What is your favorite website or app right now?

At the moment I’m addicted to the Pintest app. I also adore decor8 as Holly is immensely inspirational. I use housetohome.com for inspiration for images for a particular space, be it the living room or the bedroom.

When decorating your home, what are the top three colors you turn to for the space?

What is your favorite paint color?

When decorating a space in your home it’s vital that you assess the space for its size and the amount of light it receives. The more light it receives, the cooler the shades, the less light it receives the much warmer the colour may be used (interior design 101). The colours I tend to use most are Night Jewels, Velvet Truffle and Cocoa Blush – colours from the DULUX paint range. However my fabric choices for my last interior project did encompasses rich reds and lush silver tones.

What's the best home design-related advice you've ever received?

If in doubt, always go back to the brief. The brief is the central core to any interiors project. When designing a space in your own home try writing a brief, detailed statement of what you want and don’t want to include in the project. This will be your blueprint to refer back to. There may be times when your eyes go into interior overload with so much choice out there, but if the products and colours you choose do not relate to the brief or the ethos of the scheme then it’s a no-no.

For someone that is just beginning down the rode to create a better home, what resources or advice would you give to them?

One of my mantras is that ‘a room must not only look great, but feel right’. The room must be right for you, it must be comfortable and feel just right for you. There are so many fads and trends but instead of going with the flow I would advise going for that is right for you and your home. When embarking on a better home or a redesign I would advice taking it one step at a time. It’s easy to get carried away and so my advice would be to slow down and take it room by room. If you are unable to do a complete redesign you can always add a few little changes to make a room appear brand new. For example, you can add a new splash of colour to your room or a change of colour to your fabrics and textiles. My blog will give you a lot of handy tips on making changes to certain rooms in the home.

I was on the hunt for about 6 months looking for the perfect color for my bedroom. After such a hunt, I realized there probably isn't a perfect "Robin's Egg Blue" that fits each and every room or piece of furniture.

Many people in the blogosphere have talked about their quest in finding the perfect paint color. I checked out every single one of those blog posts and tested every single one of those colors. Unfortunately for me, none seemed to fit just right. So the search continued and I finally found the perfect color.

Source: Nursery, Bedroom

I was looking for something like the bedroom above on the right or something like this bookcase below. To me, this color is a warm blue tone that is subtle yet inviting. I was coming across either icy colors, baby blue colors or just bright blue tones which I didn't want. Since I wanted something warm, it needed a hint of green to soften the tone up just a little.

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Centsational Girl talked a lot about finding the perfect Robin's Egg Blue paint color, and I must say, she did a lot more research than I did! I mean, check out all those paint swatches!

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Red Bird Cabin suggested "antiguan sky" from Benjamin Moore.

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And now, it was time to try all of these samples on the wall.

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I choose tried 4 different paint colors. As you can see, some were not quite what I was expecting when I opened the can. None the less, I tried them all on the wall to see the results.

The runner up was "Bird's Egg Blue" by Benjamin Moore. It was a tiny bit too blue for me, so I decided to jump over to the next swatch which had a little more green in it, "Antiguan Sky" from Benjamin Moore. This ended up being the perfect color for the wall!

The room isn't done being decorated yet, but check out the overall color on the wall. It is the perfect mix of blue and green and offers a warm feel in the room.

Do you like the final color? Are you in search of the perfect Robin's Egg Blue color? Which ones have you tried?

An influential designer that I would like to shine the spotlight on would have to be Jessica Helgerson of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Several years ago I stumbled across her work, which I found to be organic as well as aesthetically pleasing. Looking through her impressive portfolio, you can see where she is very versatile as opposed to sticking to just one style or look. Also, the fact that Jessica works in an environmentally conscious fashion does not hurt either.

Being able to work with a wide range of styles,  being earth friendly at the same time, while executing such timeless and tasteful spaces is a skill in itself and is something that should be commended.

The wood that is used for the floors and cabinets of this bathroom are of reclaimed tobacco-barn oak and the

color palette was inspired by the surrounding land of this beautiful home.

Dining room and living room done in Jessica's signature organic style. A combination of whites and browns were

used in this palette.

Loving the use of orange to add a nice taste of color in this bright and airy kitchen that was inspired by Swedish design.

A dining room with great large windows that allow plenty of natural light to come in while that are great for viewing that serene ocean. Greens and beiges were used, definitely inspired by the nearby beach.

Source: All photos by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

A serene living room with a charcoal gray fireplace and smart built-ins.

What do you think of these bright and fresh designs? Is this your style or would you go for something a bit more bold?

I posted one of Andy Gilmore's pieces on the COLOURlovers Facebook page a few weeks back. While digging deeper into the site, I found myself in awe over every single piece. I don't have enough space to feature them all on this blog post, but I would highly recommend checking out his entire collection of work if you are as impressed as I am by this small feature.

Creating magazine covers is nothing new for Andy. He shows plenty of them in his body of work. I do however remember this Wired issue which I thought was great when I saw this. Opposite of Wired is the cover he created for the New York Times Key Magazine.

Here are a series of excellent pieces using bright colors and some very modern shapes.

Source for all images: Andy Gilmore

What do you think of this art? Would you use these patterns on something fun such as your iPhone case or throw pillows? Let us know what you think.

Uniting all dish towel lovers for this post. If you're not a fan of awesome dish towels, it will suffice if you are a fan of really cool patterns printed on textiles. If you haven't checked out the online shop Leif, make sure to do so. They have some incredibly unique and really cool stuff on their website from decor accessories, paper, candles, and much more.

I found a fun collection of items that are sure to spruce up any kitchen quite fast. The paint chip placemat is a perfect addition to any table. And, it comes in different colors, so you can mix and match or just play it safe with one color all around.

Leif definitely covered all the popular patterns of the moment in their textiles section of this online shop. Houndstooth is becoming an increasingly popular option, and I think this design and color palette would surely brighten up any room, don't you?

Cityscapes! Talk about a different take on a cityscape. Great addition to my tea towel collection.

I love the bright colors in this lattice design. This might just be my favorite, if there was a way I could choose a favorite.

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And just for fun, I love their take on bottles that we have all the time in our home anyway. These vases were created from dish detergent and yogurt bottles. Awesome.

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Which pattern your favorite? And do you love these vases? Now it is your turn, create some fun palettes from these cool dish towels.

Comment to let us know your thoughts and make sure you pin your faves!

Today we are featuring an awesome artist and giving you all a bit of an insight into the creative process behind his pieces of art. Each piece is bright and vibrant and  each tell a story.

This talented artist started small and kept, all the while he gained more and more traction in the blogosphere and now you can see his art work featured all over. The artist behind it all is Adam Sidwell, AKA The Skid. Check out his Tumblr for lots more pieces are art that are not featured here, you'll definitely get lost in the great color palettes and pieces he has created.

First up, why don't you tell the community a bit about who you are, what you do, how long you have been doing it.
I was into illustrating as a kid. In 2010 I started doing weekly drawings of pop culture, started taking requests, and would post one online each week. The blog started gaining traction after some time and I started freelancing.

What past experiences do you think have contributed the most to where you are now?
Growing up as a kid in the 80's, playing video games and watching movies like rambo and terminator, that had the most influence on me in terms of content.

How do you choose your color palettes?

Generally I kind of stick to 6 colors. I primarily use green, yellow, red, orange, purple, blue. I usually use a lot of complimentary colors in the same series. As long as the colors are bright and vibrant there is really no method to the madness to the way I choose colors.

What colors do you think we will see a lot of in 2012?
I started out using very traditional colors but I like more neon and vibrant colors. I did a series of video game box posters and the way those colors blended together are my favorite colors of any piece.

What is your general design process?
I stick to thumb-nailing and sketching. Then I take it into photoshop and I usually redraw the image because I don't use a wacom board the first time around. I like to get the feel of real pen and paper. I print out the wacom board drawing on water color paper and watercolor it, then rescan it then touch it up. Then the color palette comes to form and I start creating from there.

As an artist, what is the best advice you have ever received?
There is always going to be someone more talented than you but you can always work harder than them. I'm from the midwest, hard work ethic is what I grew up with. I was a part of a blue collar family and it is transformed to the digital sense.

Source: All Photos by Adam Sidwell

When you are feeling stumped, where do you turn for inspiration?
Tumblr, but it is sort of  bad because I get stuck. I don't explore that much outside of that.

What's one thing you tell designers that are just starting out?
I feel like a lot of people take things too personally, whether it comes to critiquing or posting and not getting likes then giving up. I started out and my friends at work and my mom were basically the only one's following me. I kept at it and the blog gained footing and things took off. That never would have happened if I just gave up. It is kind of hard receiving negative criticism. I see artists start up and get discouraged and though they are creating awesome art work they give up. Basically, just keep going and going.

As we become more aware of how things affect our environment and about earth-friendly living,a huge focus has been geared toward non-toxic paints. Being an Interior Designer, I am by any means not a paint expert, but have done some research and have come across some very interesting tidbits that everyone should be aware of, if they are not already.

I have learned that the majority of paints have a degree of toxicity, only egg tempera can really be accepted as completely non-toxic if using non-toxic pigments. Egg tempera is basically pigment paste and egg yolk. The benefits of non-toxic paint are that they are ideal for those with allergies, have a low-odor and are ultimately better for the Earth.

A soft color palette of organic paints by ECOS Organic Paints.

Benjamin Moore's Natural Paint Colors.

Image from Mythic Paints room visualizer page.

Yolo's Boho trend colors.

Anna Sova's food paint.

Spring is upon us and with that comes the need of much more color in your life. One way to add more color into your home is by finding the most colorful and creative rug to fit your home. This dose of color will brighten up any room and will definitely brighten your spirits along with it.

Whether you are looking for a solid color or want to add a little extra pattern into any given room, there are so many different styles and ideas that you can sure to find something fabulous to fit in with your current palette.

Source: Rug, Rug

This colorful rectangle rug is made of felt balls. Genius huh? Such great colors and a pattern made among colors is perfect for a welcome mat or even as the focal point in the living room.

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Here are a few different takes on color and patten when it comes to rug shopping. Both are completely unique and would definitely get noticed where ever you chose to lay it down.

Source: Rug, Rug

The thing I love about this next photo is how the piping on the chair matches the colorful feel of the chair.

Source: Anthropologie, Baby Room

These colorful rugs all offer something fabulous to a space. You can easily spruce up any room, mundane or not, with these awesome rug designs. And these definitely aren't your grandma's rugs. These are modern and hip and create the space definition that everyone needs in a room.

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Looking for something geometric to fill the space? Any of these pieces would fit perfectly to give your room that awesome colorful glow in a modern way.

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Rugs are a great addition to a room because it creates that great definitely in any room. Whether it be under the kitchen table, in the living room or practically any other space in your home. And these colorful pieces would spruce up any room and any attitude with a lot of color. Which are your favorite pieces? Where would you put these in your home?

Hello everyone! Chloé from Plenty of Colour here again.

I am a major fan of art installations, especially when creators turn an everyday object into something breathtaking. An example of making the mundane magical is this beautiful piece called “Capturing Resonance” by sculptor Soo Sunny Park and composer Spencer Topel.

Featured at deCordova Museum, the colourful and iridescent installation feels like a work of exquisite glass. In fact, Park created the undulating textile by inserting thousands of acrylic squares into chain link fencing. As “Capturing Resonance” was created in a window-filled space, different lighting makes the piece a constantly evolving palette of colour, shadows and reflection. The installation also features an audio element as composer Spencer Topel created an dreamy, elegant composition that is activated by motion sensors so the sound is ever-changing and layered like its iridescent muse. “Capturing Resonance” showcases that any material, no matter how industrial or mundane it may seem, can become a gorgeous piece of art.

(photographs by Michelle Aldredge and Peter Harris via gwarlingot)

Every clock will tell you the same thing, but how you want it displayed is what can very greatly depending on your style and even your creativity.

Telling time in 3D is not yet something that is common in every household, in fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't common at all. The Manifold Clock hopes to change that. "Time repeats itself, yet it is ever-changing. It's like watching someone climb spiral stairs - if you look from above you see him going in circles, but if you look from the side you see him advancing."

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Here are a few clocks that you can easily DIY to spruce up your home. This first one is made of magazine pages, such a fun and very simple DIY to undertake if you are looking to spruce you your current clock situation. Below is a paint chip clock and a clock made out of books.

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Time can be told in many different ways, colors and designs. This simple clock simply has color swatches which lends itself to a piece of wall art as well as a clock.

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A colorful clock made with CSS & JQuery. Here is the tutorial if you want to build one for yourself.

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The Present Clock offers a completely different approach to telling time. The idea to to tell time throughout the year to hopefully enjoy the moments you have instead of breaking them into minutes, hours and days. The Present is not available just yet to purchase but I can't wait until it comes out so I can grab one.

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This is a pretty cool way to tell time. Of course time wouldn't always come out like this, but when it does, it looks pretty awesome.

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Whether you want to DIY something or just want to add a little more color to a room, a clock is a great dual-purpose way to do so. What are your favorite designs when it comes to telling time?