When you notice something once—a teenager with hair so white it's grey, a lettering style on the front of a small business, a kind of tree with leaves that turn leathery and purple come fall—and then can't seem to stop seeing it, the feeling is even more intense than one-time déjà vu. In New York City, this happens constantly, and is probably wrapped up in the non-science of how trends perpetuate themselves.
Take the colors we mentioned having seen on repeat at last week's NY Now Gift Fair: rust red, pale pink, minty greens, deep ocean tones, and mustard. Flash forward a few days, and I can't seem to quit stumbling upon them.
The above and below are shots from the interior of the Viviane Restaurant at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills, designed by the one and only Kelly Wearstler. Described as the "presiding grand dame of west coast interior design" by the New Yorker, Wearstler's luxurious interiors, no-holds-barred use of color, and coy playfulness have indeed defined so many of California's high end interiors—and spread the gospel of that look well beyond the borders of California.
The palette of this hotel has to be one of her most playful, decidedly beachy and defined by resolutely midcentury lines. In fact, the use of our newly favorite color scheme in this space made me realize that it's actually a throwback palette: Colors like pinks and teals and mustards are kind you might find in the bathroom of a house that you're planning to renovate from the ground-up.
At Viviane, the colors are right at home because of the history of the space: Since the Avalon was originally built in 1949, Wearstler's recreation of an Old Hollywood vibe with matching modern furniture and color palette are fitting for how it might have looked in its initial heyday.
So. Our favorite new color palette has midcentury, even Californian, roots and has found its way as far as snowy, grey New York City. The colors are cheerful, classic, soft, and outdoorsy—easy to choose from and adapt to the hues already in your home. Consider yourself a moss green person? Bring in a yellow chair. Addicted to nature tones, from blues to beige? Try incorporating a dusty red to enrich the scheme. Paint your moulding a light, minty green. Or hang a piece of art with all these colors in your otherwise neutral entryway. For those of us who can't quite call on Kelly to glam up our living rooms, there is hope yet. (It won't be the last time you see this palette in passing, anyway.)
What are your favorite colors you're seeing everywhere these days? Let us know in the comments.
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