You may find the format familiar, which happens to be inspired by something seen on one my own favourite blogs design*sponge, but transformed into something more meaningful to my own interests. This format will take a single theme realized for something personal, then expounded to apply to a location or home design, and again to a cultural or artistic application. Person. Place. Picasso.
If you can't be completely original at least be cleverly derivative. N'est-ce pas?
So without further ado, here we go with our first installment: A Splash of RED
PERSON Want an instant confidence boost? Try wearing red shoes. I mean beyond the instant gratification of admiring one's own strut painted red as you keep pace through the day, your approval ratings will also instantly go up. You may doubt me, but try it yourself. It's hard not to feel right chuffed when even total strangers keep paying you spontaneous compliments.
Mind you this same trick can be applied to myriad accessories: bag, bangles, bouche. Why do you think people wearing red lipstick always look so pleased with themselves?
PLACE See above advice now apply to a room. Insert single red throw pillow, vase, lamp, and TaDa! An instant makeover to a doldrums space, or facelift to your entryway when you decide to repaint the front door.
Red is the ultimate neutral accent, in my books. Contradictions in that proposal aside, my point is that red looks good within virtually any existing colour scheme, either through contrast or concentration of similar hues into ultimate vivacity. Nothing compares to red for punch.
PICASSO Hey artists: Want to instantly increase the worth of a painting? My main takeway from a keynote address on collecting art featuring the head of the Canadian branch of one of North America's largest auction houses was that a piece of art's final price and overall saleability is frequently affected by one tiny detail: a spot of red.
He told a few stories in support of this point, but the one I remember went something like this:
"I have this painting I'd like to auction."
"Groan, we just got a bunch in by that artist, but describe it to me."
"Well, it's a landscape of a snow scene."
"Okay, go on." (snowy landscapes are big sellers apparently)
"And in it is a sled being drawn by a horse."
"Well that is interesting!"(add a horse in a landscape and the value ups again)
"And I forgot the mention, the sleigh is red."
"Snow scene. Horse? Spot of red!? What are you waiting for, bring it in!!"
This is of course my crude recall of what may (or may not) have actually occurred, in fact I think he quoted an actual amount that each check on the list typically increased the final sale price, but you catch my drift. The painting in question sold for a pretty penny. It may sound like a cheap trick but momma's gotta get paid sometimes, right?
Well there you have it. I'm sure you could go on and on about chromatic associations, the psychology of hue, and the fact that I am running contrary to the Pantone Institute's advice for the year, but you don't need a bunch of analysis to tell you that red is simply a money colour.
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CRED: PERSON Photo by yours truly. PLACE Photo via thefeteblog. PICASSO Detail of painting by Cornelius Krieghoff, Winter Scene with Horse and Sleigh, 1855 --- a Canadian painter most known for his winter landscapes of our fair country.
