Recently I’ve been flicking through the wonderful book COLOUR. by Abigail Ahern, since we’re a massive fan of her work and her shop, it was a bit of a no-brainer when it came to doing a book club feature on her.
The book is a colour bible of sorts, but it’s not your basic how-to guide that you see on the shelves. Instead it’s more of a motivational and inspirational push in the right direction for all the scaredy-cats or colour novices out there!
Ahern takes you through her story of colour from her youth to the present, she remembers, “[her] mother, an artist would choose shades for our walls in the same way that she would select colours for her paintings: instinctively, from feeling and observation”.
It’s all about creating an impact, and turning your interiors into a place of joy and creative sustenance, to use colour to your advantage and to create an atmosphere that is both effective and affective.
For Ahern, one colour with the upmost importance is black, she recalls how she played around with shades of white and grey before taking the plunge and going black, “The day I did, magic struck. I fell in love. The intensity was transformative”.
COLOUR. has the perfect balance between the gung-ho ‘throw out the rulebook attitude’ and interesting tips and ideas to help make the most out of your space. For example, using a devilishly bright colour on the inside of your cupboard to create a pop of excitement like above.
The imagery in the book is all the inspiration you need to want to throw a huge dollop of paint over those plain walls. What’s more it gives you an idea of how to play around with textures, layers, patterns, and various tones hues of simple colours, so even if a bright splash of colour isn’t your cup of tea you can still create an exciting and affluent interior. As Ahern remarks, “the best news is that boring old magnolia is losing some of its attraction, with more people willing to experiment with different hues, from dark to bright”.
The imagery in COLOUR. are from interiors that have personally inspired Ahern, and are ones that she believes are the best of the best when it comes to colourful walls, floors, ceilings and everything in between.
I think there is a common misconception that bright and bold interiors that retain a sense of glamour and style are often unattainable or very hard to replicate. However, with good taste, steady guidance and patient attitude it’s certainly possibly to create your own private colour haven that oozes with style and grace.
“You do need a dose of confidence when it comes to colour”, says Ahern, but when you have mastered the craft of colour, there is an overwhelming sense Ahern continues, that “colour has given me a home that I never want to leave”.
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