CMG Swatchbook

The 1960’s:

1969: Beatrice West was elected as CMG’s first female President. After studying architecture in the 1930’s, Beatrice charted her colorful career path by consulting with builders on the use of color in postwar tract housing, whose color palettes helped to sell more than 100,000 homes in 36 states*. In the 1960s, she collaborated with manufacturers, including Caloric and American Kitchens, to release mid-century iconic color styled kitchen plans. From her passionate service as an original CMG charter member to serving as President, she ultimately received CMG’s highest honor in 1981, the Forrest L. Dimmick Award, a recognition of revolutionary, dramatic, or exceptional contributions to the field of color marketing.

“Color is design. It is also a means of expressing individuality. Never underestimate the power of color—for better or worse… The right colors can make a small house look big or a big house look just right. And just as easily, the wrong colors can make a small house appear smaller and a tall ungainly house taller… One nice thing about color is that it costs no more to put on the right one than it does the wrong.” *