ISSUE no. 1

thoughts and reflections on colour

Hello “new normal”!


Today is day 200 and …? (I can’t remember) of the new normal!

Welcome to my blog and the launch of my new website!

Lockdown has had its obstacles and challenges for us all. On a personal front one good thing that has come out of these turbulent times is that it has given me the opportunity to ….SLOW RIGHT DOWN!

Like most, I have been forced into pushing the proverbial, reset button. The recognition of how consumed I was by the burdens and responsibilities of life that it took the forced ‘break’ of lockdown to face fears, examine anxieties, assess career directions and generally look at how to ‘be’ in this ‘new world’.

Without undermining the turmoil and disruption that this pandemic has caused, the excess amount of ‘free’ time made me look at what I have and how I choose to move forward.

In fact, this time has ignited my passions again and set the stage for me to ultimately thrive.

Let’s get back to the website and the launch of the new BONDTHRUCOLOUR brand.

I thought it was essential to pair the launch with the sharing of knowledge and love of colour. The perfect way to start this journey is to explain the colour choice for the website and to give a little background of the colour/s and palette chosen.

In general, there was a conscious decision on the colours selected. The overall palette for the website speaks to the enormous change and soul transformation that I am and we are going through.

Why am I drawn to these colours?

The colours chosen are mostly warm rich earthy hues; some with a tinge of red, others with a hint of peach and a shot of mauve (which is verging on the cooler side of the wheel).

All the hues are generally used to help you feel emotionally supported and comfortable in your own skin. I suppose this is why during these solitary months the warm half of the colour wheel seemed extremely attractive.

The warm orange red hues can aid in re-calibrating on an emotional level while the cooler purplish-hues support creativity and spirituality. They are all seen to be non-threatening hues which help nurture friendship and partnerships.

Where do these colours fall on the colour wheel?

Dusty pink has a ‘purplish’ tone to it. You will find it in the red, closer to the blue in the colour wheel, giving the colour a cool undertone.

Blush pink has a ‘orangish’ tone to it, and can be found in the red, closer to the yellow side of the wheel, giving the colour a warmer undertone.

TIP: In order to see the difference in the undertone between the two colours, place the swatches side by side.

When choosing a palette it is good to know what the complimentary colours are.

When you look at the colour wheel, the complimentary colours sit on the opposite side of the wheel from each other.

For example, the complimentary of red is green and the complimentary of orange is blue.

I have used red-pinks and orange-pinks, which means the complimentary will be blue-teal and sage green.

TIP: When using colours on the opposite side of the wheel it is useful to bear this in mind. The main painted walls/colour should occupy 60 % of the colour in the space; the complimentary colour should not be used more than 10% as it will act as a statement or an accent that can be easily changed and adjusted. The balance is divided between the ceiling and the floor.

Not everyone is a fan of the bold statement that a complimentary colour can make and would rather go with a more neutral palette. You would either choose the adjacent colours (the colours next to your chosen colours on the wheel) or chose neutral colours, for example, paint the walls in an oatmeal colour, or add chalky off whites and soft grey accessories.

I think that’s enough for today! I can go on about this topic! If you have any questions or would like me to explore other aspects of the world of colour, please send me a mail.

Yours in Colour

Claire