Nature’s perfect palette
Sometimes nature knows best, but who’d have thought it also holds the answers to home decorating? Looking to the skies and the changing colours of the landscape is the newest (and highly welcome) alternative to struggling with perplexing paint charts, and it’s the method used by one of the world’s leading stylists.
Hans Blomquist, renowned for his work as an art director with major home brands, including Ikea, Harrods, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Zara Home, reveals that looking up to the skies – whether sunny blue, stormy or rain-lashed horizons – as well as noticing the seasons, is his perfect inspiration for winning interiors.
“It’s easy to take colour for granted. We forget to appreciate the amazing, dazzling world that surrounds us, full of a million different shades that have the power to lift our spirits or soothe our mood,” says Hans, whose beautifully illustrated book, In The Mood For Colour: Perfect Palettes For Creative Interiors, is a guide to seeing colour in a completely different light.
“Nature is my starting point for any project. For my job, I’m lucky enough to travel the world and colour surprises me wherever I go – I’m often transfixed by the different colours and lights I’ve experienced in different parts of the globe.
“Most of my inspiration comes from the colours of the natural world. There is beauty to be found nearly everywhere you go and nature always inspires me with its wonderful colour combinations.”
The perfect palette is out there just waiting to be seen, he says, and the easiest way of finding out what appeals is to take photos on your phone, of whatever catches your eye, over a period of time.
“Next time you leave your house, whether you’re passing through familiar landscapes or visiting a different country, look around and marvel at the variety of colours that surround you.
“You’ll end up with a collection of pictures which display a wide range of different colours and textures that will be a rich source of inspiration and help you refine your taste.” you a sense of summer all year round, and you can add warmth with natural objects and colours,” he enthuses.
“Denim blue, greyish blue, duckegg blue, shades of blue that veer towards green, and anything in between are all favourites of mine.
“There’s nothing more comfortable to wear than denim, and it’s just as comfortable to live in a moody blue interior. Shades of denim can range from the deepest indigo to the palest, soft grey-blue.”