peony pink
Illuminated at night, these peony pink shades lend glow of a cosmo cocktail in this exotic home. The mix of Indochine objects from South East Asia, weave an intriguing traveler's story: Are they portraits of international tea traders, spies, or industrialists? Curated with a laissez a faire attitude, the grasscloth under footing contrasts with a gilded lacquer antique cabinet, curvy carved French chairs, a collection of antique Buddhist busts perched on a metal side table. Why pink lampshades? Why not?
Although more of a magenta, than peony pink, the velvet pillows lock arms with the saturated cobalt blue upholstered chairs. These bold gemstone color choices work because they are positioned shoulder-to-shoulder on the color wheel. The magenta pillows, amethyst lamp and a popping bubblegum pink in the painting, plays on the cobalt blue chairs, a turquoise bench and minty etageres. Combined with the frisky zebra graphic rug, this room has a sophisticated, smart, and slim-cut sensibility.
The enigma of this room is in the elimination of color- the woman in the sari, a black and white photo; the overhead lamp characteristic of a sea urchin often peony pink in nature, is neutralized. With just a gesture of pink peonies, your eye quickly leans back to the black and white botanical print between the windows, and the grey-scale narrative of the room decor.
Having lived in India for four years I can testify that the visionary Diana Vreeland was right when she declared "Pink is the navy blue of India." Pink is frequently worn by both men and women, and the color of walls -think the pink city of Jaipur- on in this photo taken in Varanasi. It made me wonder, does the masculinization of pink occur outside of India?
Mumbai, home to Bollywood starlets, is not only rich with high-net worth individuals, but also a cultural heritage brought happily forward into gender-neutral playful loft spaces with swings, lounging platforms, cheerful colors and sensory experiences. Who doesn't need a splashing pool or pond in their living space?
India designers have a knack for combining intricate mogul inspired metal lanterns with industrial painted chairs for outdoor dining in gated tropical gardens. Shops in Delhi such as Good Earth, or Magppie are great sources for finding the exotic bauble that blends with a contemporary sensibility; find those shops and others on websites like Indigo Samosa, to bring handmade India home to you.
Here, the pink fabric inserted in the chair back punctuates a room otherwise dominated by black and neutral linen tones.
As peonies froth petals of pink in spring gardens I wondered, would this divine and exuberant color ever become the new black? Could it be accepted as an option in a masculine or gender - shared setting?
Q