Photo taken by me during recent trip to NYCI never know when inspiration will strike...Oftentimes I am pleasantly caught off guard in the case above with the photo of the striking lipstick red tudor style doors juxtaposed with the slightly worn green grass peeking through the honeycomb stone pavers. I didn't know exactly why I was drawn to this building as I peered through the iron gate...but more than likely, it was because of the exciting contrast between two colors: red and green. The hues, red and green are complementary colors, meaning they are positioned across from each other on the color wheel and when mixed together (as in pigments), they make gray. Enough Color & Light education! Complementary colors like red/green, blue/orange, and purple/yellow create such a marvelous tension because of the contrast and excitement they exude. Red and green typically illicit thoughts of Christmas decor, tartan plaids, stodgy hunt clubs, or dated tawdry interiors. One of the most difficult color pairings to wear without looking like an elf (in my humble opinion) is that of red and green. However, red and green combine beautifully in nature and can be just as successfully created at home in an interior or wardrobe ensemble with the training of a skilled eye, an open mind, and a red hot passionate heart that loves making others green with envy.-BH
Succulent plants have some extraordinary colors ranging from burgundies, reds, pinks and greens, to plums and dusty gray tones. The range of colors is breathtaking and inspiring.
I love the mix of this Strawberry-Basil Bubble Tea w/tapioca pearls on bottom. It's sounds just as delicious as it looks!
Elf? I see no elf here! I see a lithe model in a Hugo Boss red and white one-piece bathing suit, lime green silk skirt by Danielle Scutt and fierce tasseled armpieces by Mark Fast. Candy striped cotton canvas boots by Bruno Fissoni add to the camp and circumstance of this pairing!
Speaking of tassels and tiebacks - interior design and fashion do mimic one another from time to time especially in these unique color combinations.
This room works not just because of the photography and lighting, but because the hues of the sofa, walls and rug are in the same value as the handpainted green Chinese wedding cabinet.
Regardless of Rainbow Brite's magical stairway, the purity of the green painted floor and ceiling in contrast the to bright red framed art along with the scale of the red and green floral wallpaper harmonize this space and make it electric.
Hot pink trim gets cozy with the lime green door and floral wallpaper. Colors that vibrate so intensely as those above need a dose of white as in the mirror frame and the background of the wallpaper to rest the eye.
Minty greens, pale pinks and tomato reds create a color palette that would make Dorothy Draper proud! The varying saturations (how pale, weak, pure or stong) of the colors make this bedroom not garish but glorious and surprisingly calm.
The washed-out painted red with the avocado green checkerboard floor serve as a timeless color composition.
Finally, the crimson headdress is the focal point on a subdued olive green paneled wall. The sophisticated green tames the intensity of the ornamental headdress.Image Credits:
From top - succulent plant, "Hardy Succulents" by Gwen Moore Kelaidis, Photography by Saxon Holt; drinks - Veranda Magazine,July/ August 2009 "Beyond the Potomac" story photographed by Howard Lee Puckett and recipe by Chef Patrick O'Connell ; model - Harper's Bazaar UK July 2009, "Miami Heat" story photographed by Mari Sarai; tassels, Interior Design Magazine, April 2009; chinese cab/sofa, rainbow steps, and pink and green door - The World of Interiors Magazine, July 2009, "Blind To Beige"story photographed by Eric Boman; bedroom - House Beautiful August 2009,pg. 76, Interior Design by Joe Nye, Photography by Roger Davies; last two images from www.jjlocations.co.uk and www.shootfactory.co.uk, respectively.
