This year has seen a veritable smorgasbord of trends, so many decades are trending that is is almost a free-for-all. Almost. This post will take you back to the eighties where Bold and Bright Colors were part of the opulent and effervescent decade perhaps best personified by the film, Wall Street, by Oliver Stone.
While this decade is very different than the eighties, today we reach back to times marked by optimism, perhaps as a reflexive gesture of hope. I am wearing a velvet dress here in the current Pantone Colors of Marsala, and Cadmium orange, and gloves the color of Pantone’s Biscay Bay. A furry vest in Cadmium, yes a statement piece, not for the feint of heart. (Nor is this week’s stock market plunge)
Since fashion does not exist in a vacuum, I wanted to refer to some stunning rooms with similar colors and textures. In my outfit, I express my “exuberant and colorful” style, and you see references that home designers are going for the same eclectic vibe.
The room above from Elle Decor boasts a sitting room by Cynthia Frank. It has the irregular notes of organic in the lamps and wooden Objet d’art, offset by harmonious notes of geometric accord, in the Greek Key pillow and the orderly tile pattern in the rug. The painting in the lower left, is of course, Rothko.
Yet, it is the abstract abandon in the painting, the controlled chaos on the coffee table, where the day’s newspaper looks at home on the perfectly appointed glass surface. This is the vibe that underscores the mood of this room. The luscious chairs are wide and inviting, and warm in the sunset-hued plush velvet.
The key piece of my outfit is a velvet dress of Marsala and Cadmium houndstooth, a graphic print of these colors: squaring off in warm, verses cool. Below, a photo of a dining room In Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, featuring art deco chairs, and art from Peyton Gallery. The room is by Marks and Frantz, a design company I fell in love with at the Holiday House Show House. You may remember, I did a photo shoot in their stunning gameroom. The same two colors are here too, complementing one another in a way that defies formula.
I love the warm Marsala with the notes of tangerine, gold, and pink. The organic texture of the grapes and branches adds dimension. I admire this touch; the nail heads on the white chairs, little beads, like jewelry over a swath of neutral eggshell.
The details of my outfit, the cool, almost-teal gloves, the bold houndstooth, and the Asian floral scarf have overtones of this room.
More pictures from the shoot:
I found the best round-up of bold colored ensembles at styleblueprint.com. You will see these vibrant looks are also punched up with the texture of fur and faux fur, graphic prints, embroideries, and the shimmer of silk satin in sleek pleats below. Photos courtesy of Style.com, Elie Sabb, and Vogue. The links can be found at styleblueprint.com.
These opulent and deeply saturated hues are a defining trend for this winter season. You can find similar styles at any price point, and make this look your own. You can decorate your house with these colors and textures. Fur, faux fur, and plush velvet for the home is so on-point, and so cozy.