Finding meaning in colour – especially in an emotional, soothsaying way – is nothing new. From tenuously occult (colourmancy) to kitsch and faddish (mood rings), colour as a mode of self-expression has been around since the ancient Egyptians decorated their mud huts with animal skins and painted urns.
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More recently, and more personally, I can relate to that. From a communist-red dorm room as a student to sage in my late twenties (way before it had its big ‘now’ moment, I might add) to my current, Nancy Meyers-approved home with swirls of cream and tan (perhaps an outward manifestation of the need for calm and quiet). And that is half the fun, isn’t it, trying to decode our colour journeys?
But more than just a litmus test for our current moods, colour – and art – are brilliant ways to set the tone for our spaces, to influence and direct not just our psyches but those of every visitor. In this issue, we look to the designers who have mastered this skill with panache. From the decorative and detailed (Anna Spiro in Australia and Sophie Ashby in the UK) to the bold and eccentric (Ben Leavitt in Canada and Crystal Sinclair in the US) to crafted and curated (Karen Newman in SA), each project is a master class in directing colour to achieve vitality and newness.
Speaking of new directions, we have got a fresh addition to the design section of House & Garden from this issue – H&G It Yourself. Born from an in-office conversation that House & Garden needs more practical, expert-led content for homemakers who are not ready to shell out for a decorator just yet, or who want to tackle a project hands-on – and so, our take on DIY (that is: decorate it yourself). The concept has existed on our website for a while now and has been wildly popular, so it only made sense to give it life in print.
Functional, sometimes even emotional – but never boring – I hope this issue inspires you to take a bold stance on your interiors, wherever the mood may take you.
