Tea at Trianon: How to Find Your Happy Colors

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, February 16, 2024

How to Find Your Happy Colors

From Veranda:

Color is at the heart of all Natalie Papier’s decisions. The Charlotte, North Carolina, designer has a reputation for “unapologetically out-of-the-box designs” that emerge from her use of colorful wallpaper, eclectic art, and funky textures. These bold, eclectic rooms make her clients—in a word—happy.
Most of the time when people don’t like a color, Papier believes it’s because they’re thinking of it in the context of an eight-crayon box from kindergarten. She encourages her clients to imagine a bigger crayon box. “When you start out with a few primary colors and you graduate to a box of 64, you realize there’s more than just purple. There’s wisteria and lavender and eggplant,” she says. “You get a better understanding of the colors you’re drawn to.”
For Papier, that color is yellow. “The color of sunshine and hope. Marigolds that feel warm and buttery. The color of cheer and a pop of happy,” she describes. “From bright to light, that golden glow will forever be my mood-lifting color.” (Read more.)

Wallpaper. From Martha Stewart:

If you're looking for a unique way to bring some personality into your space, consider adding wallpaper instead of paint during your next redecorating project. What paint lacks in visual interest and texture is made up tenfold with the myriad options you have with wallpaper. Graphic patterns, delicate textures, and bold hues will instantly liven any space. Let these wallpaper ideas inspire you to go bold with your next project—we promise you won't regret it. (Read more.)

Painting your bathroom. From ArchDaily:

Below, we have gathered a series of bathrooms that employ different approaches to enhance the space. Whether painting all surfaces in a single color, incorporating geometric shapes, utilizing tile patterns - which may even include colored grout - or unleashing creativity on the walls, these examples showcase that a well-designed project can completely transform a small space through colors, textures, or finishes. (Read more.)