The Colour Orange

Orange – the colour between red and yellow – the transition between summer and winter –  a mellowed red.

It represents the change between seasons; the hours of day; your state of mind.

It stimulates emotions, ideas, conversation.

It spices up life. It warms the cockles of your heart.  It gives you relief when things get too serious!

Tropical with vibrant green; psychedelic with pink; fresh with white.

Orange is the colour of creativity; sensuality; vibrancy.   It symbolises hope and survival in The Life of Pi.

“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow” – Wassily Kadinksy

Those Blue-Green Colours

Those blue-green colours, and what to call them – aqua; turquoise; cyan; cerulean; teal; duck egg blue; blue-green-grey; pastel blue-green; blue-green or green-blue……  Some languages have the same word for blue and green.  I love the complexities of the colours available in paint today.  As in nature some of these paint colours appear more green than blue on some days, and on other days more blue than green.  There is combination of calm and freshness about these colours.

On this day the Rakaia River looked a serene blue green

…. which is why I chose these colours for their calming effect in the Under 2s area of The Acorn Day Care Centre

A dolphin at home in the deep blue green sea

…. perfect inspiration for this fabric from Decortex e famiglia

More green than blue… on an island in Fiji

.. as in this industrial table from The Boiler Room

even in the deep stillness of The Huka Falls before the water gushes through.

Moving into the blues with this rug at Forma, Auckland

and these chairs from Jimmy Possum in Sydney.

Plum – colour and inspiration

Plant – Euphorbia characias ‘Tui’

Paint – Resene ‘Falcon’

Brown Dog Called Chocolate

Inspiration for colour can come from anywhere, anything, anytime.

Patinas

Embrace the aging process, everything doesn’t have to be new, look around at what time has given us.

From a wall in Parnell, a beautiful vessel from Artedomus, to the stairs at Landreths in Ponsonby.

Hot Colours

Purples

There are many shades of purple in these flowers. This striking plant ‘Tibouchina granulosa’ with it’s velvety green leaves and mauve purple flowers in Autumn is an uplifting addition for your garden. Purple is made up of the warmest and the coolest colours, red and blue. A balance of the stimulating red and the calming blue.

Fiona Small, Sienna Design – Garden Design and Planting Plans