In one of those interesting instances of blog synchronicity, Imogen posted about colours just after I listened to a fascinating segment on colour phobia on the radio. The premise was that we (white Anglo-Saxon types, I think he meant) are afraid of colour in our lives (homes and clothes particularly) because they express emotion; and yet we love colour when we go somewhere else (think India, for instance). The presenter also points out that women have been told so consistently that black is slimming that many urban outfits are all black. Although I do love black, I wear a lot less of it than I used to.
I have to admit that I'm a fan of white walls, because in my house the colour comes from books, paintings, rugs etc. Likewise, although I often buy clothing basics in a very muted palette (grey, taupe, denim, navy, black), I will also occasionally buy something hot pink or bright green because the colours sing to me. Then, of course, I feel a bit self-conscious wearing them ... I think that's part of our colour phobia too, the fearing of screaming 'look at me'. There are some colours I won't wear (yellow, some blues, some purples) but I can still love them in context (in nature, for instance - or on someone else!).
3 comments:
Thanks for posting this Tiffany - I'm going to have a listen.
I have a friend whose house is painted in a myriad of colours, and I love to go there, but I just don't think I could live in it.
When I lived in Bristol (UK) the flat I lived in had 2 yellow and 2 blue walls in my bedroom, and 2 yellow and 2 orange walls in the loungeroom, it wasn't too bad - but it does restrict what else you put in the room (the lounge also had purple skirting boards and pistachio green carpets - which was a bit too much colour all in one space).
Blacks a big staple in my closet, but I do enjoy colour as well. Like you there are some colours I won't wear -- I love ochre, for example, so sophisticated, imho, but I can't even think about wearing it.
At home, I'm all about colour -- our walls our dill pickle in the main living areas with terra cotta tile and dark blue accents. Upstairs is a robin's egg blue. I find it very comforting and enlivening, and after five or six years of the green I still haven't tired of it.
Imogen, I really enjoyed it when we were volunteering in Peru and lived in a house with rooms in all sorts of wild colours ... The only time I've managed anything of the sort myself was my first office, where I had two apple green walls and two beetroot walls. I loved it!
Mater, I think robin's egg blue is divine - that's one colour I could imagine in a house. Also I have seen some gorgeous greens, especially for dining rooms ... Perhaps moving into a new house will give me the guts to try something. I've been trying to convince the kids to go a bit crazy! And I'm determined to have a RED front door.
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