Paul Smith
Romo
Lotimena.com
Lotimena.com
Stella McCartney
Chez Moi in Provence
Colour has a huge impact on our emotions, our physical and spiritual well being. Our colour choice in clothes, as well as in our home, define who we are, offering a playful form of self expression. Bold and vivacious, or understated and demure, colour and texture can create an evocative atmosphere that has the power to soothe our mood or uplift our spirits.
Jane Wachman
For the last few years neutral colours have dominated the colour palettes. Good news now, as vivid colours are back on-trend. Grey has given way to a rainbow generation. Of course, white, neutral, and soft pastels are still around, but we now dare to mix them with bold primaries, offering endless possibilities.
The WARM TONES
Red, Yellow, Orange, Hot Pink and Mauve, are often frightening colours to use. They are associated with sun-drenched hues, fire, exotic spices … They evoke energy.
RED HOT
Red is the colour of blood and fire. It represents passion, lust, and desire.
It is associated with:
Lipstick
Wine
Tomatoes
Roses
The red carpet
And also:
“ In the Red “
“ Seeing Red
“ Painting the town Red “
“ Red herring “
” Red flag “
Vreeland in her Park Avenue apartment in 1979. The designer, Billy Baldwin, was given the brief to create ‘a garden in hell’
HOT SPICES
Cayenne, Turmeric, Saffron, Cinnamon, Ginger, Paprika …
If you are nervous about these colours, try using small accents first, such as a cushion, a throw or a rug. A splash of strong colour will warm up a room, exude rich opulence and create drama.
YELLOW
Van Gogh room in Arles
Claude Monet’s kitchen in Geverny
YELLOW, the colour of sunshine, symbolises hope, energy and happiness
Think:
“ Yellow ribbons “
“ Mellow Yellow “
“ Les Gilets Jaunes “ have been front page news in France in recent
months (not so happy)
Lemon, Grapefruit, Bananas, Sun Flowers, Daffodils, Mimosa, Lichen, Mustard …
MAUVE
The COLD TONES
BLUE
Yves Klein Blue painting
BLUE represents the sky and the sea. It is associated with peace and tranquillity. Therefore it’s especially suitable for rooms to relax in. Cool arctic blue offers a simple, understated feel, while rich tones of inky indigo and cobalt create a dramatic ambience.
The Simple Life
But, blue can be easily warmed up, mixed with warm materials – a wooden floor, a brick wall, a velvet sofa or a leather chair.
Because it visually enlarges a space, it is often especially recommended for small spaces, like bathrooms, kitchen, loos, attics …
For drama, use a warm colour as contrast – burgundy, red, shocking pink, orange, sharp green, yellow, turquoise, or soft pastels.
BLUE associations: See my BLUE post
GREEN
Lotimena.com
Chez moi in Provence
GREEN radiates life, nature, renewal, and energy. Unrivalled by any other colour, it inspires a vigorous environment that encourages a feeling of tranquillity and serenity.
Green is understood to be the most restful and relaxing of all colours.
Blame the climate crisis or the carbon footprint, but Green has been a hot topic recently, and fashion is always a reflexion of what’s going on in the world, be it politics, art, culture or commerce, and interior design trends often follow fashion trends. Green is cool.
Different shades of Green:
Emerald, Sea Green, Forest, Apple, Olive, Lime, Mint, Chartreuse …
Meanings associated with GREEN
“Green fingers“
“Green pastures“
“The grass is Greener“
“Green Revolution”
“Green room”
“Green with Envy”
“Green Parties”
“Green Card”
“Green Salad”
PASTELS See my post La Vie en Rose
Molly Goddard
Pastel hues embody serenity, restful and a calming haven
COLOUR COMBINATIONS
Andy Warhol
Opposites attract one another. But keep a palette of no more than four colours in a room, and make sure that one of them is white, neutral, or black, which will provide a balance to the others. Also remember, it is easier to associate a warm colour to a cold one than two hot colours.
Here are some of my favourites colour combinations:
Yellow/ Turquoise
Valentino
Green/ Blue
Mixing Green, Blue and Turquoise together represent nature, calm, and tranquillity.
Pink/Red/ Yellow
Chez moi in Provence
Dare to mix Red, Orange, Yellow, or Hot Pink together to bring drama to a room.
Pairing Pink to Terracotta and Brown adds strength.
Pink with soft Grey, Silver and White becomes dusty and romantic.
Blue / Red/ Yellow
Valentino
Pink / Red
Zandra Rhodes at home
Givenchy
I love Pink and Red together. It has an exotic feel.
Navy Blue and White create a nautical palette, associated with holidays by the sea and sailing.
But the list is endless. There are no rules. Try various combinations. Be daring and the end result might surprise you.
PANTONE
What is Pantone?
PANTONE is the worldwide leader for the supply of colours, for selecting, presenting, specifying, and communicating colours.
PANTONE is the most widely used system for colour communication in the arts industry, as well as fashion, textiles, architecture and interior design.
Whether you are a designer, a manufacturer, a consultant, or simply a client, PANTONE can be used to communicate precise colour to any corner of the world.
Happy Decorating!
This is a GREAT COLOUR BLOG
of a wonderful assortment of colour that has lighten my day
Congratulations on a great Blog
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Wonderful blaze of colour and hope on a grey wintry English day. Many happy memories of your salon and providing me with so many wonderful garments – many of which are still hanging in the wardrobe – and they still fit. xxx
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Roland what an absolutely spectacular breathtaking presentation. You have never ceased to amaze me with you endless talent over the last 50 years of knowing one another. It was a honor with great memories of working with you through two decades. Remain well and continue to contribute your talent and share it with all of us. Fondly Casey
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Absolutely wonderful!! I’ve been wearing wild colors and bringing more color into my home to give myself a lift. It works for others to see this HAPPY statement. Color is a delicious gift!
Thank you!
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What a brilliant way to prove that there is still a life to be lived and joy to be found… Roland Klein has always been and continues to be a genius. An unerring eye, coupled with a joy for life, once again captures our interest and spurs us on to a be positive for each day of our lives. BRAVO and thank you Roland.
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Love it!
We indeed need more colors in our life.
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Hello
Tout cela est très beau. Ca fait rêver et voyager après une longue journée de travail sur zoom.
Bises
Sylvain
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Gorgeous colours and inspirational combinations! I love the mustard yellow with turquoise… Thank you for sharing some of your creative wisdom 🙂
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Roland, what a lovely ‘up’ edition! Colour, rather than the ubiquitous greys, a welcome change. Does it denote that Spring is lifting UK spirits? All the best to you.
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What a delight! Great inspirational ideas, looking out on a bleak March day – time to get the colour back into our lives with all this expert guidance
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A good post – some great examples of colour.
My favourite being “Different Shades of Green”.
Does that say something about me?
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Congratulations Roland. This is a beautiful and inspiring site. You have covered so many aspects of living with colour. Thank you for sharing your superb taste.
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Love ‘colour your life’ …….Pantones for the soul ! …really creative and uplifting, thank you June x
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Cher Roland
Colours and colour combos to make the heart sing. Really ravishing. Trust you to provide the exact thing we desperately need at this ‘grey’ time. Your blog serves to remind us that there will be Life After Covid where we can all sing and ‘zing’ again!
Lin x
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Love it! What an uplifting inspiration in these dull times. Congratulations on a beautiful blog. 🌻
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Interesting read thank you! I’m just about to move house so I am doing a lot of thinking about what colours I want and this was inspiring!
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Quelle belle leçon de vie avec « Color your Life » et un ravissement.
Notre ami Roland est une source d’inspiration.
Tous les tableaux sont beaux et créatifs. A nous de jouer avec les couleurs…
Grosses bises
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Amazing n very colourful 😘
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