A Study in Color

I have been away traveling a bit, and before that, I had a ton of work on my desk, so I have not had the opportunity to blog.

But, now that I am back, I wanted to touch base on COLOR.

Before I left I was engaged in choosing some new interior colors for an apartment complex we are refurbishing. Every year, an official board of color publishes the "in" colors for the year to be used by interior designers, fabric and furniture suppliers, etc. This is how the market keeps people buying. You want to have what is current, what is in style, what is the new thing.

You would think this is a current phenomenon, but it is not. The "in" color goes back a long way. Sometimes it is a political thing, sometimes a cultural trend, sometimes it is created by rebellion, or what is accessible, or suggests class distinction.

For instance, in ancient Rome, the color Purple was used by the wealthy, or status-conscious. Purple was hard to come by in natural dyes, and so only the few could afford it.

For our concern, in the 18th Century, a kind of Bluish-Green, maybe Aqua, became popular. When I visited Mount Vernon, President George Washington's estate, I saw this color in his formal dining room. It was considered most fashionable, and I remember taking particular note of it. Supposedly he loved the color green, and added the striking "verdigris" green in 1785, believing it was ease on the eye, and the best color to aid in digestion. His words described the color as "grateful to the eye", and less likely to fade. he added a glazing coat over it to intensify the color. By the way, his personal family dining was an even more intense green! What do you think?!

Recently, when I was at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, I saw this particular color again. The V&A is the premier museum for decorative arts, and contains rooms that are set up with furniture and furnishings from several historical periods. It's fun to walk through, and picture yourself 'back in the day". One room I entered featured 18th Century décor, and this Aqua color was on a mantelpiece.

Also, many pieces of Wedgewood porcelain sport the typical classical white figures against the green background. These pieces are known as Jasperware, inspired by the Etrurian works of ancient times that were being excavated from ancient sites. In 1789, Josiah Wedgewood developed an acceptable reproduction of this pottery, and it became the rage. Once you notice something, you see it everywhere! 

So it's not just our modern world that has an interest in their surroundings. People from all ages want to live comfortably, with their favorite items displayed in their favorite ways, and that includes COLOR!

Once you notice something, you start to find it everywhere!