The Black and White of Colour
I wrote previously that I could write a whole blog post on my dislike of pure brilliant white (PBW).
So I decided I would.
I’m all for white and some spaces demand it, but I’ve joined the metaphorical club of never wanting to use it again.
Ever.
To start, this is not a scientific clarification of black and white and the definition of a ‘colour’… I will leave that to google.
What is my dislike for PBW all about? My issue is, there are literally thousands of ‘white’ and ‘black’ paint colours out there. I don’t know them all but I do know that there are likely 10’s of better whites to use than PBW. For any and every project.
The biggest thing it has going for it - and I appreciate it’s an important factor that we can’t ignore - is it’s more reasonable price tag, compared to almost all other paint.
My argument is; I don’t think it does ‘what it says on the tin’ anymore. It quite simply doesn’t look brilliant, to me.
Compared to the many other options out there now, brilliant means something different to me now. Paint is an investment, it’s likely going to be adorning that wall or woodwork for many years (even when you say it’s just going to be for a year or so until you find a colour you like).
It’s clean, easy and goes with everything, you cry. That’s the point of it’s existence - you argue. And in a world of a million paint colours, I understand it feels overwhelming to pick one. Just one, magic, all-fitting colour. It can seem overwhelming. Maybe it feels like not having to make a colour choice by picking PBW, and that’s half of it’s appeal.
I am here to burst that bubble.
Like the famous scene from Devil Wears Prada where the editors assistant; Andi (Anne Hathaway) gets a dressing down from Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) about her indifference to colour choice, you are indeed making decisions, even when you feel you are not.
Opting for the easily reached PBW over anything else is opting for clinical. It’s institutionalising in it’s effect on a space, and whilst *some people may find this comforting or comfortable, I’m wanting more than the feeling of visiting a hospital for my pot of paint.
Black also now has many a shade to choose from. Personally, wearing black makes me look unwell, so charcoal is as close to my skin as black can get and I’d say I have a similar approach to black in my interiors.
But, like white, black packs a punch when used well and it’s many available shades makes basic black look as ill-used as a bright colour in an episode of the Kardashian’s.
For me, black and white are workhorse colours; they’ll always be reliable and they have handy tricks up their sleeve for space minimising or maximising, but they’re not the centre of attention anymore. We’re entering an era of colour and pattern, again, and I enjoy getting lost in floral fabrics and whimsical wallpaper as well as the new colours coming in to paints (I am particularly loving red-based paints, at the moment).
The existence of the Millenial will ensure that French Grey isn’t going anywhere, but the addition of a smidge of yellow or red is not to be feared, they’re creating some amazing hues. No need to give shade anymore.
I love working with colour and there are various ways to work with colour to create harmonious palettes that give a sense of feeling without overwhelming the senses. I think black, white (and grey) have been loyal friends to our interiors for years, and they’ve always got a place, but I am looking to give them more time off now as the myriad of colours, hues and scales become available to enhance our interiors.
