Barbara Hulanicki

When it comes to decorating, the number one fear for many people is color. Hulanicki believes in bright and bold colors and she shares how to use them to create vibrant and inventive spaces:

• The cutting-edge style of Barbara Hulanicki is a look that's been talked about, admired and often copied. Her style was set by years of success as a fashion designer in the '60s. She then moved from creating clothes for celebrities to designing homes for them and one of her most exciting inventions is the look of the landmark Kent Hotel in Miami's famous South Beach.

• The hotel's look is part retro, part modern and 100 percent unique. In the lobby, a rainbow of colors leaps out from the moment you walk in. If the acrylic accessories, toys and the red computer station makes this room look like an adult playground, that's the point. Hulanicki wanted a theatrical experience and this colorful space definitely accomplishes that (figure A).

• Hulanicki believes that large spaces are made more intimate with intense colors and that bright accents lighten peoples' moods. While her designs look pretty wild, it's surprising how practical some of the ideas really are. Any hotel lobby withstands heavy wear and tear so terrazzo floors and washable plastic surfaces make the Kent's entry durable and easy to keep clean, while furniture on wheels (a Hulanicki trademark) gives people freedom. Colored cubes and coffee tables that roll along with armchairs that swivel enable people to interact. The walls are bare except for one exceptional design element--the image of a clock that's actually projected on the wall. It's a showstopper that can startle people as they come through the door because of its luminosity (figure A).

Inspired by Barbara Hulanicki to make your home a little bit more colorful and adventurous? Here are five easy ideas to try:

1. If the idea of a color overhaul is scary, try starting on a smaller scale by bringing in bits of bright color into a room--a few pillows or a brightly colored stool will do the trick. This adds punch and can help you decide whether or not you can live with the color choice.

2. When you decide to use color, make sure to tie it in to something you own. In this home, every color choice was inspired by, of all things, the billiard balls from the client's pool table (figure E).

3. Hulanicki says to paint the ceiling along with the walls to create a box of color in a room.

4. Materials make all the difference and sometimes it's hard to find fabrics in the colors you like so don't be afraid to experiment. She used faux suede on the chairs and couch in an apartment that's actually dress fabric. It's less expensive and just as sturdy as the faux suede you would find in a furniture store.