My Moroccan Influence - Yves Saint Laurent

More-is-more sums up my  Moroccan influence - pattern against pattern, hand-done embroidery and vibrant colour.  A single photo of the late Yves Saint Laurent, seated, with his muse, actress Catherine Deneuve standing beside him became my inspiration for a new interior.  This particular photo I came across was taken at Saint Laurent's vacation home in Morocco, and in it he was completely surrounded by lush fabrics and large, intricately-patterned pillows.

I had a big problem though, I thought.  The ceiling in this home had been treated with an ugly, frothy, white stucco, and I wanted to cover it.  I did this by creating a tent of blue-and-black-striped fabric, gathered and loosely draped over sturdy bamboo poles.  With the old brass light fixture hanging through to light up the sheen of the fabric, it resembled the night sky.

I had a footstool upholstered with a family heirloom piece of needlework. Then I covered the accompanying, but not matching bergere, with a fabric in the same colours, but repeating the geometric elements in the room.

 

The take-off point for my theme had actually been an antique, Indian, ivory-inlaid chess table, bought at auction years before.  The bright blue, cream, red and pink kilim it rests on repeats the grid pattern of the chess table itself.
On the sofa is a collection of hand-embroidered, woven or crocheted pillows, each telling a story of its own.

The dining room fixture cannot strictly be called Moroccan, but its 3 gilt, wood, carved arms ending in gold-coloured glass shades with bulbs that resemble flower stamens adds an exotic feel to the bright red dining room walls.

Yves Saint Laurent found beauty and inspiration in Morocco, and here is where he was most relaxed and happy in his vacation home with his partner, Pierre Berge.

Yes, more-is-more can be beautifully done.  It is important, however, to go to the opposite end of the spectrum in pattern when using similar or same colours - too close, or not far enough won't work.  But when done right, you will retain a feeling of calm and harmony because overall, the composition will show congruency.

Marsala: Pantone's Colour of the Year 2015

Marsala is a complex colour, a brown-red, often with undertones of blue.  Pantone has named Marsala "The Colour of 2015," and it is a huge departure from the pure hues that have been and still are in fashion.  Take a look at the new work being produced by young artists today, and compositions in saturated colours are the norm.

In the 80's we were using complex colour.  I, more than almost anyone, used it on all the walls, especially in older or historical homes.  You will find it extremely difficult today to use a pure hue on more than one wall.

In this kitchen pantry I designed in the late 80's, a grey-green laminate on the pantry doors and matching floor tiles set off the Marsala of the kitchen walls.  Grey-green is not a pure hue either.

These are 3 colours I have chosen from Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection.  From top to bottom, they are named "Whipple Blue," "New London Burgundy," and "Louisburg Green." 

"New London Burgundy' is another name for Marsala. 

As you can see the other 2 colours contrast with it in a pleasing way.  "Louisburg Green" is like the green I used for my kitchen pantry.

But the main point is: all 3 of these colours are not pure hues, but complex colour mixes.





The top colour here is again Marsala or "New London Burgundy," but it will complement rather than contrast with (as the colours above) "Georgian Brick." Again, both are from Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection, and they are complex colours, not pure hues.

I have used this brick colour on the walls of this solarium, again with light, grey-green floor tiles.






It's my prediction that, because artists will continue to use pure or saturated colours for some time to come, there will be confusion and some sort of disconnect when Interior Designers attempt to begin using Marsala.  The result of this will likely be that you will see many variation of "Marsala," some "purer" or less complex than others. 

This is a small room in Le Chateau de Digoine, a manor and national heritage site in the style of the ancien regime, situated in southern Burgundy, France.  As you can clearly see, the more pure hue of the burgundy or magenta on the chair is matched in clarity by the light aqua of the panelled walls. (Architectural Digest - December 2014)

So the principal is simply this: create colour groupings that share the same strength or saturation, or clarity of colour.  Here, and as in my first picture of my kitchen pantry and wall behind, a wonderful effect can be created by using a tint opposite on the colour wheel to your more intense colour.  But if you do this, the colours must share the same complexity of colour or, on the other hand, purity of hue.

Tonight I'm going to the Opening Party of the Artist Project, a huge, indoor art exhibition at Exhibition Place, Toronto.  I plan to wear my new draped, Marsala dress from H & M.  I'll take my Nikon too, and hopefully have some good pics to show!