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From robin's egg blue to dusky lavender, Sarah Richardson's paint palette echos spring hues
Sarah Richardson’s designer palette from PARA Paints is all blossoms and blooms
Spotted this week: a smattering of pink on tree branches in Stanley Park in Vancouver. Huh? Is spring approaching already?
Yes, things are starting to transform outside. And inside? It’s time to think about freshening up through the transformative power of paint.
For a good dose of spring, there’s the Sarah Richardson Designer Palette from PARA Paints, the venerable almost-century-old Canadian company.
Launched last April, the still-very-fresh line is a cheery mix of colours like Bloom and Citrine, seen here in the designer’s bedroom. Her inspiration: The colours of blossoming flowers, of course!
Paint is the easiest way to freshen up a space; all it takes is a couple coats and a few hours’ sweat equity. And it’s easy on the wallet.
Next season you can spend another few dollars on another can of paint and do it all over again. As Sarah Richardson says, “It’s a lot easier and less expensive to repaint the chimney breast than it is to get rid of a bright-green sofa!”
Richardson herself pulled together the 75 colours in this collection. There’s the aptly named Spring (a recharged kelly green) and Robin’s Egg (is there anything that screams spring more?)
These bright colours are used along with subtle lavender shades (Dusk and Gown) in the designer’s own living room scheme. Here, lavender is definitely not girly; it’s a neutral that morphs with the light, from grey to the palest purple.
Introducing a fresh infusion of colour is straightforward with Richardson’s ready-made combinations. She pairs colours of the same intensity that range from bold accent to neutral.
In Richardson’s bedroom scheme, the most daring hue—rosy Bloom—is limited to the wall behind the bed. It’s like an extension of the headboard, making a statement without overwhelming the room. And to balance the Bloom accent, the other walls are painted the equally vibrant but contrasting Citrine.
Find inspiration anywhere. Look outside your window as the magnolia buds appear and crocuses emerge. Or lift hues from patterned fabric.
A kaleidoscopic pillow makes a cool accent piece, but its colours can also be starting points for a bigger statement. Like the pink and blue in the Central Park Citrus Pillow (available at The Cross Décor & Design).
A good match might just be an evocative shade from Richardson’s collection: Smooch (a pucker-perfect pink) or Blue Box (think Breakfast at Tiffany’s). And if not, there are 73 other colours to choose from… Get those rollers out!
The Sarah Richardson Designer Palette is available at the Westcoast Décor Centre, 763 Terminal Ave., Vancouver, 604-662-7272.
Get a peek at how Sarah Richardson designed her own home.
Barb Sligl is a Vancouver-based freelance writer and editor for a variety of publications. She finds inspiration everywhere, whether travelling the world or exploring the local scene and style trends.
