Pink and Red

Do you have colour prejudices. or issues, colours you avoid or just plain can't stand? When I was a little kid growing up in the 1970's, I didn't have a clue, I thought 'anything goes!' One day I had a very rude awakening. My friend Heather looked me up and down  and said 'do you see what you are wearing?' Glancing down at myself I said 'yeah.'  'Well. it doesn't go together!' I was gob-smacked, it rocked my world that a stripey jumper didn't go with a spotty blouse, that I wasn't 'colour matched.'

After that, I paid more attention to what goes with what and what definitely does not. Blue and green, 'not fit to be seen' or was that red and green? Anyway, you never wear pink and red together! My beliefs were seriously challenged again at the end of the 70's, by my history of art teacher. She was talking about some Impressionist painter who put pink and orange together, and how she rather liked that combination. Well I was completely horrified, PINK and ORANGE, are you mad!!

Pink, red, orange, lime green WOW!  Photo from here.

Then there was that whole 'magnolia' thing with interior decorating, where the whole house was painted in magnolia, with great debates about who's 'magnolia' was the best. Then everyone went colour crazy, with mediterranean blue walls in the garden, with 'hot pink' planting, and yellow and terracotta colourwash everywhere. Then we turned all neutral again with the 'cream', 'white',. 'stone', and now 'grey' phases. It is totally bewildering, what's a girl to do? It is all 'marketing' of course, and even though I know that I fall into the trap like most everyone else. I was out shopping with my husband and daughter a couple of weeks ago, and a certain chain store had their new interiors stuff in. Yellow was everywhere, a lovely sunny, sunshiney springlike shade. Well, it was just the tonic after all that awful rain we'd been having. Yellow is one of those colours that I have trouble with. I spent too many years painting everyone's kitchen, hall, living rooms and furniture, varying shades of the colour, and so I was rather sick of it. I even avoided it in my garden. However now the spell has been broken, the 'marketing' people have won me over, and I purchased a bright yellow whistling kettle (I need that like a hole in the head). Of course once I get it home, it doesn't go with my lavender things, but that's a whole other post!

Back to pink and red. I now have decided that I rather like these colours together, perhaps not to wear, but as a combination of colours for decorating my guest bedroom. When combined with white I think it is so fresh and lively a mix, that it will give the guest room that much needed va-va-voom. I will keep you posted on the guest room's makeover.I used these colours for some little posies I was making also.See below.

I would love to know what you think about 'colour' and if you are influenced erroneously or otherwise. Have a wonderful rest of the week, love Linda x.