Welcome To The Crystal Palace

9 May 2024

Inspiration comes in many forms. Some are tangible - a cherished painting, scrap of vintage fabric or beautifully glazed pottery. Others are more suggestive - a calm sea, summer sky or deep forest. But every once in a while, it’s simply a feeling - a vibe.

Just before lockdown in 2020, I spoke with a client looking for a new bathroom color. There had been some water damage repaired, and she was taking advantage of the opportunity to move on from the previous owner’s less-than-sophisticated discernment. It turned out she was my neighbor, so on the appointed day, I went home, grabbed my bag of tricks and walked down the street.

I was greeted at the door by a petite auburn-haired, green-eyed presence in a softly-colored flowing gown & stiletto-heeled sandals. The air was redolent of Feu de Bois and candles glimmered around the room. The ornate mantelpiece and small coffee table held an array of crystals in all forms & sizes.

That’s where the beauty stopped.

What on earth was this glowing aura doing plunked down in the middle of this drab, sparsely furnished, decidedly gray apartment ?
Color me intrigued.

She showed me the bathroom, in all its 90’s glory of heavy-handed travertine & a rather fleshy off-white on walls & ceiling. I opened my color book & pulled out Slipper Satin No. 2004, placed it above the wainscot & against the trim. I explained why it was the best choice to play well with the less objectionable undertones of the tile without exuding a sallow, exhausted pallor. I didn’t feel the need to show her anything else & she didn’t feel the need to consider other options.

So, after 15 minutes (10 in conversation, 5 in color selection) we were done. I off-handedly asked if there was anything else I could help her with (I really wanted to get my hands on what I could see was a gem awaiting cut & polish) & she said, Well, what would you suggest if I wanted to repaint the whole apartment?

Carrot dangled.

My filters don’t always work so well, so I just said what came into my head, This could feel like an apartment in Paris.
Her response, That’s exactly what I want. Tell me more.

A palette quickly came together in my hands. The seemingly contradictory elements required actually helped narrow down the field.
What I was looking for had to be
sophisticated but whimsical
joyous but restrained
pastel but, well, not pastel.

I decided to start at lavender but not advertise it. Walls for the main living area in a lovely, changeable, grayed shade, Peignoir No.286, to be applied from the baseboards to the crown moulding.
Ceilings in a softly pink white, Great White No.2006, to provide an easy transition from the walls. The short hallway & vanity in the same soft white. Moving into the bedroom, I placed the living room wall color on the ceiling & a deeper, slightly muted rose tone, Sulking Room Pink No.295, on the walls (again, applied baseboard to moulding). This made for an easy transition into the more intimate space.

In the kitchen, I did damage control on an unfortunate 90’s renovation by simplifying the white to the cleaner, cooler Strong White No.2001 & grounded the space with a deep charcoal, Off Black No.56, on the lower cabinets.
Finally, to play up the lovely classical proportions & feel of the apartment, all doors were done in the same charcoal black.

(All colors are Farrow & Ball.)

She was so happy with the transformation, we ended up working together on further interior design projects including renovations on both her kitchen & bath. There is, I’m happy to say, no longer any trace of the 90’s to be found.

More importantly, we connected on a personal level & began a collaborative friendship that is still going strong. It’s a real gift.

Sometimes, you just get the vibe.