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Originally published in STIR®

We ask four creative professionals which Sherwin-Williams paint colors most closely reflect their philosophy and what room they'd use them in.

They design gown silhouettes for Hollywood's A-list and clothes with a kick for expectant mothers, they create exotic patterns for apparel and accessories and plan book-inspiring gardens – all in spaces that spark their artistic side. Here, four creatives take time away from their sketchbooks, fabric swatches, seed catalogs and keyboards to share their wall-color selections and inspirations.

Material Girls

When Pamella DeVos examines the more than 1,500 Sherwin Williams paint colors, it's with an eye toward women's fashion. "I like the paint colors that are similar to what I'm using in my fall 2011 collection," says Roland, designer and president of PAMELLA ROLAND collections. Her comfortable and stylish eveningwear, which has become a favorite to socialites and the cocktail party set, boasts lush fabrics in vibrant hues. Angelina Jolie, Kim Cattrall, Jennifer Aniston and Eva Longoria are just a few celebrities who've worn Roland's designs.

"With Positive Red (SW 6871) you might get good luck and happiness," she notes, as this is what the Chinese culture believes. "The color pops and is strong and exciting," she adds. Roland also likes Chamois (SW 6131), a "wonderful neutral that goes with everything and is a timeless, staple color."

When she looks at Jargon Jade (SW 6753), the designer muses about glamour and the "red carpet." "This jewel tone would glow on that carpet," and of course on any wall, she says with a smile. Roland, who does most of her design work from an at-home studio in Ada, Mich., prefers neutral-colored walls for her studio. "To personalize my neutral, I'd go with Bauhaus Buff (SW 7552). It has a complimentary, warm rose tint to it."

While Roland likes reds and jades, clothing designer Liz Lange is dipping her paintbrush into aquas and pinks, at home and on her design board. The founder of Liz Lange Maternity and creative director of Completely Me by Liz Lange for the Home Shopping Network, Lange designs for the confident woman, adding vacation-wear fun to the everyday wardrobe.

"I love bright, happy colors in my home office and public rooms – they inspire and energize me," says Lange, a self-proclaimed "Pollyanna" who lives in Manhattan, N.Y. Partial to turquoise blues, sunny yellows, lime greens and shades of pink, Lange pairs these brights with white for a crisp look or with black for drama.

Lange's favorite Sherwin-Williams paint colors include Synergy (SW 6938), Tempo Teal (SW 6947) and Exuberant Pink (SW 6840). Something Blue (SW 6800) is tempting, she says, "for my office or living room."

When not designing, she prefers calmer colors. "I need serene colors so that I can turn off and sleep (not easy for me!)," she says with a laugh. 'Breaktime (SW 6463) would be great for my bedroom. I might use it with Classic Light Buff (SW 0050) or Light French Gray (SW 0055)."

Janie Schoenborn, another lover of bright, candy-colored hues, leads the creative direction and fashion design for one of the planet's most colorful apparel companies – Lilly Pulitzer. In her home studio, lively wall colors inspire delicious designs.

Schoenborn's love affair with Lilly Pulitzer started at a young age. Coming from a family of Lilly wearers, Schoenborn coveted a Lilly shift that her grandmother wore. Behind the door of Schoenborn's Colonial-style Philadelphia home, she spends a lot of time in her sunroom-turned-art-studio, which has blue and white walls with shots of hot pink (Schoenborn likes everything to have a pop of pink). "I'm dying to paint my foyer Zany Pink (SW 6858)," she says, "with a leopard stair runner. I want my ceilings to be Reverie Pink (SW 6856) – that color makes you look like you're being lit by candlelight." She's even thinking of painting the interior of her closets Azalea Flower (SW 6576), "for a surprise when you open them."

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Blooming With Ideas

Speaking of azaleas, expert gardener, horticulturist and certified arborist Melinda Myers reflects on the colors in her Milwaukee office: "It's awash in a color similar to Buttercup (SW 6681)," she says. The happy color teams with an accent wall color that's close to Frank Blue (SW 6967). "The combination is fun and playful and brings out my inner child," says Myers, the author of more than 20 books on gardening, including Can't-Miss Small Space Gardening, the Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide and Jackson and Perkins' Beautiful Roses Made Easy: Midwestern Edition. "The colors evoke the environment I wanted to create – calm but creative."

In this room, the green-thumbed Myers also creates "Melinda's Garden Moments," which airs on 50 network television stations throughout the United States. In addition, she writes scripts for her host position on "Great Lakes Gardener," which airs on PBS stations throughout the nation.

Myers will soon be unearthing new colors for her home. "Like my office," she notes, "I need to use colors that better reflect my personality." She's pondering the clean Rice Paddy (SW 6414) for her living and dining rooms, where she spends a lot of time with friends. Rice Paddy is warmer than the stark white walls I have now," she says. "But it's still neutral enough to show off all my artwork."

The gardener wants to bathe her upstairs hallway in calming Indigo Batik (SW 7602). (Read a related story about Indigo Batik.) It lends the perfect vibe for a passageway to "places of work and rest," she says. Not to mention that the color is from the Restless Nomad collection of the Sherwin-Williams colormix™ 2012 color forecast. "I like to travel and my work takes me to many wonderfully exotic places," she says, "so the Nomad colors seem fitting for me."

Check back next month for three more creative professionals' take on their favorite Sherwin-Williams colors.

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