Hello
everyone, Keren here with a blast from the past; quite literally! One
of the great things when researching new topics is learning new things.
Looking into Retro colour schemes meant a decent definition of 'retro'
was needed to be found.
This
descriptive term has been used since the 60's. It tends to be used in
two ways; either describing something entirely new but referencing to
characteristics of a previous era's style, or products/ colours/ styles
that are more recent but seem like they're from the past. Looking back
at history, it seems that so many artists and designers have often
'borrowed' from the past. Because of the blurring of definitions and
also as we're looking at colours, I have included strictly retro
examples and also colour schemes that are directly from different
decades.Hopefully there are colour combos to inspire all of us!
As
we progress through the examples, you'll probably notice a trend of
flatter, less saturated colours. In fact you'll be forgiven for thinking
we've added an Instagram filter over the post! This is probably the
sort of image and style many of us would jump to in our minds. This
gorgeous geometric design dovetails with the colours so perfectly.
Colours
can have an emotional impact and often connect with memories we
associate with a time or image. This is indicative for me of the 70's
and early 80's; reminds me of Raleigh bikes, BMX's, party dresses and
more!
Orla
Kiely is a perfect example of true retro. From the colours, the designs
and styles of image, she perfectly encapsulates an era. This is one of
her colour combos, but is a welcome brighter palette.
This
artist uses a muted palette for many of their prints. Seeing the
gorgeous domino colours also reminds me of another piece of art work;
Eric Carle's 'The Hungry Caterpillar'!
It's
incredible that this book (which is still supremely popular) is 50
years old. The strong yet muted colours are calming yet familiar. I can
imagine creating this sort of look using PaperArtsy Infusions!
Design is everywhere and this clothing design is reminiscent of the Atari brand stripes. Love the gradual colour change.
You
can see the translation of colour combination from that last example to
this one with the addition of a ubiquitous 'retro colour'; brown. The
pattern here looks a whole decade or more before and it's interesting
that combinations of colours are so recognisable to a particular period
of time.
There are so many quirky prints linked with retro and I love the fabric design and brighter colours here.
Fashion
is a great place to scout out combinations. You can imagine 1000's of
people looking exactly like this woman. It's a slight shift in the
colours we've featured so far.
As the trends changed over time, so did the colours. This modern print encapsulates the retro look perfectly.
Home
decor styles have always changed with time, and this colour palette and
image could easily have been in vogue in the past. The style of
lampshade and even the sideboard are reminiscent but with a slight
modern twist. If you follow the link, there are a whole bunch of
inspiring retro schemes.
Pippa
Shaw is a contemporary designer, whose designs have the perfect retro
feel; current in look yet with a distinct previous era's stamp on them.
Leandra
reminded of one very retro feeling colour scheme; Avocado. We had a
bathroom suite in that colour when we moved into our current house. You
might be surprised to find that it's making a (partial) comeback. Could
this be the ultimate retro scheme?!
We'll
finish the romp through retro with an example that screams retro, with
perhaps a little adorable kitsch thrown in for good measure!
Hopefully the variety of schemes we've showcased have got you thinking about a set of colours that might call your name!
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