Colour Focus: Purple

The colour purple (and I'm not talking about the book/movie) has been used throughout the ages dating all the way back to 500 BC and is symbolic of magic and mystery.  Purple has been associated with royalty and aristocracy and what better way to get in touch with your inner-royal than by sporting this regal colour.


Purple is a very flattering colour and can easily be incorporated into your wardrobe.  Varying shades of purple is what lends this colour its versatility - from lilac to plum, purple is certainly a colour worth investing in.  You can add purple by diving head-first into an all-purple sheath or by adding little hits of purple here-and-there in the form of separates or accessories.  Purple in the form of shoes, bags, tops, scarves, belts, bracelets, rings, etc. but no matter what, I recommend this colour as an essential in all wardrobes.

If you're not comfortable with the thought of wearing purple as the dominant colour try selecting a print where purple is the main colour but not the only colour, this way you'll get that hit of purple, but you'll also get the best of both worlds!  The BCBG dress above best describes the use of purple in a print that is primarily purple but also includes other colours; in this case cream, black and pink.


In the case of home decor, purple is a colour that you can go big with or use sparingly.  In the case of decking out your home in all-out purple you could easily get away with it if you start with a very light base and gradually build up the depth of colour.  But if you're not inclined to start painting your walls in a pale lilac then why not opt for hits here and there.

As you can see from the items above, purple can be integrated in varying forms, in art, textiles, lighting, accessories and even in furniture.  The options are limitless and it really is all about the fun-factor with this particular colour.  Just be careful not to go too dramatic otherwise your place may end up looking more brothel than you had hoped for!


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
Banana Republic
Aldo
BCBG Max Azria
Nine West
Danier
Pier 1
Structube

Colour Focus: Pink

Women have a love-hate relationship with the colour pink, most of us tolerate it while many of us refuse to have it in our lives.  There are societal norms associated with the colour pink, that it symbolizes femininity and from a very young age girls are exposed to this colour in all of its pepto-bismol glory.  But pink doesn't have to be avoided for women in their adult years.  This colour in varying hues from soft petal to bold fuchsia can be quite spectacular when used in a woman's wardrobe and if pink is too much for you to handle you can always sport a glossy shade on your lips.


For the more daring of us we will opt for a bright pink in fuchsia or watermelon in a stunning sheath.  And for those of us who would prefer to integrate pink in softer more muted hues we might opt for a flowy blouse paired with a light coloured cardy and slacks.  Either way you shake it pink is a go-to colour, this hue can add colour to your face when chosen in more saturated tones and soften complexions when used more subtly.  Just remember my rules on saturated versus pastel colours (February 2011) when trying out various shades of pink.

A soft pink-hued shoe can lend itself very nicely as an accessory in your wardrobe and can be used with more combinations of clothing than you'd think.  For example, if you have on a grey coloured pencil skirt with a soft green/yellow cardigan the soft pink shoe will act as a subtle enhancer to your outfit, and if you have flesh-toned/pinkish skin the shoe will also act as more of an extension to your leg.  Bright pink shoes, if you dare, can work wonders with a turquoise dress or as a sexy pop to an all black ensemble.  The options are endless.


Now you might call me crazy, but you can incorporate pink into your homestead, and no I'm not talking about your little girls room, I mean the main rooms in your home.  Some will be more daring with larger pieces of brightly coloured pink while more of us will settle for a hint of pink here and there.


If you want to add pink in more subtle tones try selecting objects that have pink alongside other colours, this way if you decide you want to be bold and add a trio of pink candlesticks you already have a way to tie them into your room.  Another way to introduce pink is to add freshly cut flowers and this way you can always change the hues from light pink to bold and bright pink.  This is an easy solution if you are unsure about adding pink into your decor.

As you can see, pink is easily adaptable when selected for decor.  This colour is nothing to be afraid of, in fact lets embrace pink and add a splash of it in some form tonight!  


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
Antropologie
BCBG Max Azria
Danier
Banana Republic
Nine West
Crate and Barrel
IKEA
Pier 1
Pottery Barn
Structube

Colour Focus: Red

Red, the colour of heat and passion is a colour that has transcended through the ages and has been thought to have special powers to evoke a sense of lust and desire.  This powerful colour has an effect on the eye as it draws you in, and what better way to enhance your presence than by wearing it.  Chris de Burgh wrote a love song "Lady in Red" and boy did she steal the show when she walked into the room and this could not be closer to the truth ladies (and gents).


The colour red is easily incorporated into one's wardrobe and although I wouldn't recommend wearing this colour from head-to-toe, adding in clothing and accessory pieces here and there is definitely the way to go.  I would recommend wearing a red dress (like the lady mentioned in Chris' song) but wouldn't opt for say, red shoes or a red bag, this is what I mean when I say head-to-toe.  In the case of a red dress you could be safe and add a black bag/shoes but why not try out green (just avoid looking to much like Christmas) or blue or metallic.  Red and white are always good combination as is red and black, but depending on the hue of your red you can wear brown with burgundy or an orange-red with tan for a more bohemian look. 

Red as you can see above is very striking and when used as your feature piece can work very well.  Christian Louboutin is famous for adding a red sole to all of his beautiful shoes and is a wonderful way to add a punch of red to your wardrobe, as is when adding a hit of red in accessories.  Play it up and you'll have loads of fun with this vibrant and exciting colour!


Red is a great colour to add warmth to your home.  This colour can be incorporated in a number of ways and will work with a lot of colour schemes/palates - more so than you think.  I personally have a deep red love seat and sofa in my living room and they work brilliantly with the white/off-white and blue palate I have working in there.  You can be quite daring and go with red furniture or play it closer to the chest and opt for accessories to add into your space(s).  Red decorative objects, artwork and textiles are simple ways to add red into your room without having to go overboard.  Red when found incorporated into objects such as artwork and textiles are good ways of adding and tying in your room together.

As you can see from the objects above, red is easily adaptable and adds a punch of colour to any scheme.  Be daring with red and try not to go too overboard and trust me, you'll thank me for giving you this necessary push!


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
Le Chateau
Aldo
Anthropologie
Christian Louboutin
Crate and Barrel
IKEA
Structube
Pier 1
Pottery Barn

Colour Focus: White

Hot time, summer in the city and what better way to stay cool (aside from jumping through a sprinkler) is to wear white.  The colour white is at the extreme end of the colour spectrum in terms of shade and hue and is thought to be associated with purity and cleanliness and is found throughout nature.  But what makes the colour white so appealing is its contrast to black - both of which are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  The combination of white and black has been a classic pairing throughout the ages and is especially pleasing to the eye when draped on the body.


The colour white is a universal colour (as is the colour black) which can be paired with any combination of colours because it acts as a base.  This cannot be said for any other colour due to its position in the spectrum which is what makes this colour so very appealing.  There is nothing more poetic than pairing a crisp white linen trouser with a stunning turquoise shell and candy apple red handbag for a twist on the nautical or to provide a sense of the tropics.  Or a clean white button down blouse with a navy pencil skirt suit for a classic silhouette.  And who's to say that you cannot go head to toe in a flowing white maxi-length dress with a wide brimmed straw hat and big movie star sunglasses for a cool and refined look.  Your options are endless with the colour white.

With the colour white don't be afraid to punch it up with florals, prints, stripes, bold and bright colours because this base colour can take it.  As you can see with the selections above that head-to-toe white is just as beautiful as it is when you introduce a hit of colour so don't be afraid to take a risk and a leap of faith, you'll love it!


White is also a good introduction into your home decor as well as it is on your body.  You can go daring with an entire room decked out in various hues of white from off-white to bright white to create a dreamy effect, but for the less daring, accessorizing your home with collections of pieces can create a similar effect and helps to ground your decor.  


Adding white into your home decor with large pieces of furniture is a quick way to gain large-scale impact, but don't forget that you still need to tie in these large pieces.  For example, if your living room is mostly wood-tones and naturals and you introduce a white sofa it will look pretty yes, but you will need to add white hued accessories to the remaining decor in order to tie everything in together.  The addition of a group of white vases, or ceramic fruit in a bowl alongside a large sofa-sized print that has a white background and lamps with white shades all do the trick to tie the room together.  And remember proportions, this is critical in any room decor scheme, if you have smaller objects group them together to create the illusion of scale - just something to keep in mind.

White in your home can range from ultra modern to sleek and sophisticated so the look you want to achieve is entirely up to you.  Be sure to play around with textures and hues so not to leave yourself with an entirely blank canvas (so to speak) with white walls, white furniture and all white accessories.  Play it up a bit and most importantly have fun while doing it!


Happy Shopping!!


Courtesy of:
Le Chateau
Mango
BCBG Max Azria
Crate and Barrel
Structube

Colour Focus: Blue

As I mentioned in my previous post I'm going to be writing a few topics on specific colours in reference to fashions, accessories and housewares.  The first in this series on colour is tailored to the colour blue.  Blue is a colour that suits the vast majority of people and ranges in depth from navy to sky with all the yummy variations in between.  


The colour blue is considered to be a cool colour and this colour in particular invokes a sense of calm, reminding us of the sky and the ocean.  Colours also represent certain meanings and with blue the attributes are strong, peaceful, intelligent, important and friendly.  Blue is a universal colour that can be combined with various other colours on the colour wheel in order to create contrast or cohesion, and this trick is achieved by using various shades of blue in combination with other colours such as: yellow, white, red, green, orange and purple.  For example:

As you can see from the clothing articles above that blue in various hues works well with the shades of red, yellow, neutrals and white.  Nautical and Boho are big themes for this spring/summer and nothing in my opinion goes better with these themes than the colour blue.

Blue in the home is also a refreshing addition and can be used all-out on the walls and in larger furniture pieces as well as introducing hints of the colour throughout using accessories.  The key to integrating blue into your home is to introduce it in varying hues and textures.  If you just want to add pops of blue and not achieve an entire overhaul this can be accomplished through the use of accessories such as pillows, decorative objects and artwork.  If you want to achieve a more bold approach, paint a focus wall, hang wallpaper, or add furniture in a shade of blue.  Just remember that you want to tie the room together so make sure that you don't use the colour too sparingly!

So go ahead and inject various shades of blue into your wardrobe and in your home, this is a great way to update your look and you may just have a new found respect for this calming shade brought to us by nature!

Happy Shopping!

Courtesy of:

Le Chateau

Smart Set

Mango

Anthropologie

Crate & Barrel

Pier 1

IKEA

Pottery Barn