Madre (Mother) by Joaquin Sorolla, Museo Sorolla, Madrid It’s hardly surprising to note that Farrow and Ball are eager, wherever possible, to supply the background wall colours to the walls of this artists exhibitions.
‘Sorolla’s brush was a beam of solar threads that left no opaque matter on the canvas, but only pure radiations. Sorolla painted the unpaintable.’ Ramón Pérez de Ayala.
I cannot think of a higher praise for an artist. Painting is of course a visual art and as light enables us to see, so the two are inextricably intertconnected. The legacy that Sorolla left is an immensely positive one which is possibly why I feel so drawn to his life’s work and find it so profoundly inspiring. Furthermore he was set, at the beginning of his career, on becoming one of the art world Greats. He achieved this with international recognition in his lifetime winning many of the most coveted prizes awarded by the art world over a 10 year period. Admirable indeed.
The importance of light holds the same weight within great interior design, and is not something that should be left to chance. For this reason I believe it better to come to a project embracing the idea of architectural interior design. Consider first natural light and then electrical lighting. Neither light forms are surface fixes. Rather both should be considered at the architectural stage of the project and designed into the build of the home.
But let’s look back to what we can learn from Sorolla. He was a master with colour. This is true because he used it almost purely to describe light. He understood that different colours have varying opacities and light reflecting values. He saw colour as a means of describing light and therefore shape and form. The same is true when we appoint colour to the surfaces of our homes – we modify the light intensity of a room and thereby it’s tone. It is entirely possible, therefore, to change the atmosphere of a room with the colour we choose. That is good to know.
In summary, when considering light in Interior Design:
- Be sure to consider your light sources.
- Appreciate the significance of colour, it’s tone, saturation and best colour partnerships.
Here at LRI we offer a highly effective Colour Workshopping Service. If you are feeling a little intimidated about where to start with the wonderful world of colour we would simply love to help you.
