Apologies for the radio silence. I’ve been super busy the last few weeks getting things ready and setting up a new space in a retail outlet. All very exciting.
The 1986 film Pretty In Pink became a formative part of my teenage years. Yet, the colour pink in the home has never really done it for me. Well, not until recently that is. I confess to being a complete convert!
Pink in the home can be used in so many different ways. You can introduce subtle pastel pink hues or go full-on saturated in-your-face-pink, or somewhere in the middle. Whole walls can be painted or just well-chosen accent pieces… There is huge scope for experimentation. Combinations that work well are pink and copper, pink and black, pink and concrete, and if you’ve really got guts, pink and red. You can introduce colour through artwork, paint just a door, throw in a vibrant rug or some cushions. If you feel cautious start with soft furnishings as they are straightforward to change. Pink can be sensual or cosy, dramatic or subtle.
So if you are like me – basically turning my nose up at the thought of pink in the home until recently – feast your eyes on these visuals and hopefully you too will see the potential of pink!
Pink trompe l’oeil. (tinekhome.blogspot.dk)Deep, saturated cerise used successfully in a kitchen couple with concrete. The combination stops the pink being too frou frou! (bloglovin.com)Take inspiration from this truly stunning restaurant interior. The Pink Gallery at Sketch in London // pink dining room with retro chairs and chevron floors. (thecarelessblogger.wordpress.com)The Pink Studio, 1911 by Matisse. (TOPofART.com)If you can pull it off, go big and bold and transform the facade of your home with pink! (reifhaus.tumblr.com)Why not look to existing belongings to determine the colour of your walls. Here seashells have been the point of reference. (chintz-of-darkness.blogspot.com)Pale pink, but done with aplomb. Who doesn’t love an embossed wall. (1stdibs Introspective on Frank de Biasi / 1stdibs.com)Pink wallpaper punctuated with vintage frames. (boho-weddings.com)Creating a bold statement hallway using salmon pink, and black and white. A combination that definitely works. An eclectic collection of artwork, a vibrant rug, and monochrome stair runner all help pull this strong look off. (domino.com)Introduce pink through fabric and soft furnishings. This Art Deco fabric (1920–1930) would look incredible as curtains. Think sophisticated pink… (pinterest)In the pink. (flickr.com)A pink accent chair. (lisasaysgah.com)Not for the faint-hearted! Pink living room in the home of designer Solange Azagury Partridge – Photography by Neil Gavin (wmagazine.tumblr.com)If you’re going to go pink, go pink… I love the combination of pink and yellow kitchen units. (ilovepolkadot.blogspot.no)I just love this image. (theleoisallinthemind.tumblr.com)Pink and copper. And a tolix chair. What’s not to love! (ideasmag.co.za)Be bold and brave… combine pink and red for a truly dramatic look. (pinterest)Or create a mediterranean roof-dining experience and give the exterior of your home a lush pinky colour wash. (pinterest)Pink doesn’t have to overpower. Here it is used effectively with a combination of seemingly clashing patterns to great effect. (pinterest)Another kitchen. The pink works as a powerful backdrop to a very personal collection of belongings. (pinterest)And to finish, a gorgeous pastel pink geometric artwork. (pinterest)
In the face of the devastating terrorist attacks that took place in Paris on Friday evening, The Maximalist is paying tribute to the people of Paris with a simple, photo-led celebration of the three colours: red, white and blue.
Leviathan by Anish Kapoor – a series of giant interconnected womb-like orbs in the Grand Palais, Paris. dezeen.comImage from pinterest.Abigail Ahern for Debenhams. (pinterest)Image from pinterest.Henri Matisse ~ Large Red Interior, 1948. (pinterest)Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.Image from pinterest.
boudoir. (ˈbuːdwɑː; -dwɔː) 1. a woman’s dressing room, bedroom or private sitting room or salon. [C18: from French, literally: room for sulking in, from ‘bouder’ to sulk]
Now the weather is turning decidedly autumnal how about creating a warm and relaxing sanctuary in the home where you can snuggle up with a good book, a hot drink and some cake, or luxuriate in a roll-top glass with some tunes and an indulgent glass of bubbly… I’m in!
For me the boudoir look is all about opulence, texture, pattern, drama, deep rich colours, and some female charm. Lighting is key too. This is a fantastic look to work with in a bedroom, dressing room, powder room or snug. If you are not a fan of bright colours you can always adopt a more sedate palette of nudes, creams, sorbet pinks and chocolatey browns.
A page from my scrapbook.Getting that boudoir feeling. Another page from one of my scrapbooks.Photographer: Miss Aniela. Series: Surreal Fashion. Model: Faye Shearwood Stylist: Minna Attala. Dress: Busardi. Feather cape:National Theatre Costume Archive. Hair: Doubravka Marcinkova. Make-up: Rhiannon Chalmers. Stylist’s assistant: Becky Smith. Photographer’s assistant: Tim Charles Matthews.More Miss Aniela gorgeousness.Photographer: Miss Aniela / Model: Kim Davis / Dress created by Kirsty Mitchell Photography / Stylist: Minna Attala / Hair: Anne Veck / Makeup: Grace Gray / Photographer’s assistants: Greg Sikorski, Matt Lennard, Ian MearsSomewhere to recline with a glass of fizz. (image from pinterest)Grab a book and doze in this delightful space. (pinterest)A dressing room fit for any discerning boudoir fan. Loving the lampshade by Zoe Darlington. (Image from Pearl Lowe’s Vintage book/pinterest)Matisse’s ‘Seville Still Life’. (google images)Matisse’s ‘Reclining Nude Back’. (google images)Sumptuous lighting design by the extremely talented Zoe Darlington. Lush! (www.zoedarlington.co.uk)More yumminess from Zoe Darlington. (www.zoedarlington.co.uk)The Bluebell sofa from sofa.com.Waterblooms Crewelwork Rug by anthropologie. (www.anthropologie.com)Inject some colour into your scheme with the Maud Deco by Mols & Tati-Lois. (Photo by Chris Gatcum)The Club Tartan from Mols & Tati-Lois. (Photo by Chris Gatcum)Pineapple wall sconce from http://www.abigailahern.com.Anthropologie’s Nature Table Dessert Plate… perfect for eating cake off. (www.anthropologie.com)Elegant perfume bottles are a must. (fredmiranda.com)The bubbly is beckoning… so let’s get supping. Enjoy. (pinterest)
The work of the extremely talented artist/photographer, Miss Aniela, encapsulates the boudoir look perfectly in my opinion and she adds a healthy injection of attitude. A very modern boudoir I would say.
Think lush fabrics such as velvet combined with sheers, fresh flowers releasing a heady aroma, ornate mirrors, furniture to recline on (sofa.com has some beautiful customisable sofas), pattern clashing, flamboyant lighting (visit Zoe Darlington, she rocks, and of course Mols & Tati-Lois), beads, tassels, fringing, dark corners, rugs, throws, cushions, arresting wall art.
There’s so much scope with this interior style so let your imagination run wild.
The Maximalist 