Due to his rapid rise to prominence and his fearless application of colour Patrick Mele has become the designer to watch. Mele is not afraid to make bold statements with colour schemes and rich hues. He steers away from the muted and tertiary colour options in favour crisp blacks and whites. According to Mele, “Crisp colours are ideal for making those overall colour statements.”
So what exactly are we talking about and how does this apply to your living areas? We were allowed a special informative insight on one of Mele’s latest projects. Here, the master designer provided us with copious insights on colour choices from room to room, which we will share with you.
1. Consider Colours as Part of a Family
When you first enter the home you will be met with what seems like cacophony of colour, but as Mele points out the subtler effects, it is easy to see the tight colour selection at work. The final effects were achieved with plenty of white and a select amount of blues and oranges. The big trick is to select specific hues and tones from within each family. There is cobalt, delft, navy blue and turquoise in the blue family, while the oranges feature grapefruits, tangerines and corals. All of these are rich tones not muted.
2. The Magic of Blue and White
Blue and white is a pattern that expert designer Patrick Mele swears by. “It’s just like that classic white shirt and blue jeans or deep blue blazers with a white shirt, this combination will never get old.” In the same way, this classic combination can be applied to your interiors to dress them up or down as the situation calls. Mele applied a denim-like grass-cloth to the walls of the living room for a base colour and texture. This also helps to silhouette the bright crisp whites in a field of blue. The final look will be classy yet casual. The blue and white combination is the more charming version of black and white and sets a welcoming tone. Even commercial decorators in London will know how blue and white can really help an interior design.
3. Pick a Palette, and Repeat
Using a streamlined palette allows the designer to achieve a cohesive effect and allows for seamless transitions from room to room. When standing in the most central room you can get a glimpse of the other rooms of the home and a great perspective of the colour families at play in the adjoining rooms. For example, say the same blue applied to the family room is also applied to the breakfast space, only this time it has been painted and juxtaposed with bright orange upholstery that helps to ground the final look.
4. Play with Percentages
Here is a genuine expert tip on getting the most from your somewhat limited family of colours. Use the same tones that play minor roles in other rooms to the front stage. For example, Mele used the orange family to make a major statement in the music room, while the families of blues and white were relegated to a single armchair. “This element is important because it maintains cohesion with the blues elsewhere in the home,” says Mele.
5. Use White to Freshen Things Up
Mele extols the practice of painting things white, like classic pieces of furniture. “White adds a modern and fresh appeal to the space,” says Mele. “Many people shy away from applying granny’s old furnishings in their home, but these items are timeless and add rich forms, when painted white, they also add a more contemporary appeal, like a breath of fresh inspiration.”
6. Find that Vital Colour-and-Pattern Compromise
If you will be increasing the output of your patterns, consider reducing the volume of your colours to reduce the conflicts and create a soothing tone. To illustrate, Patrick chose a bold Matisse-esque pattern as the foundation and began selecting colours, or the absence thereof, from this point. “I want that pattern to reflect everywhere and not interrupted by opposing colours and patterns”. Therefore, Mele avoided the vibrant colours applied to the rest of the ground floor when choosing tones for this room. “When using a less than quiet fabric, it is important to achieve a calmer effects through colour selection.”