INDULGENCES house and home by joel martens
ALL THE COLORS OF PRIDE: THE MEANING AND USE IN INTERIOR DESIGN
It’s the season of Pride. Can you believe it? It already seems like time goes by too
fast, but once we start the Pride festivities in California…this time of year speeds up exponentially. Long Beach, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and then boom! Summer is over. The symbol that demarcates the neighborhoods, parades, festivals, dance floors and stages is the rainbow flag and it’s many incarnations. There is one for the leather crowd, one for bisexuals and one for the transgender community just to name a few. The traditional rainbow flag designed by Gilbert Baker, has been around since the 1970s, and with its stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, indigo and purple will forever be the standard. The colors were meant to represent the diversity of our community here and around the world. Each has a specific meaning; red stands for life, orange stands for healing, yellow stands for the sun, green stands for nature, blue stands for harmony and purple represents the soul. Interestingly enough however, the original had a pink stripe at the top [representing sexuality] and an aqua as the sixth [representing magic/art] and was used at the Gay Freedom Parade in San Francisco on June 25, 1978. There have been revisions and changes over the years, but the flag today used as the standard arrived around 1979. The color connotations are something of interest to me in my work in interior design. I decided that it would be a unique way to approach this month’s article. Colors are vital in design and there are many stud- ies out there that attempt to explain how they affect mood, comfort and state of mind. Some of these examples are detailed below:
YELLOW represents the sun in our Pride flag. The color is a bright tone evoking cheerful- ness and warmth. Careful though, it is also known to create feelings of frustration and anger. While it is considered a jovial color, there are studies
that show people are more likely to lose their tempers and babies tend to cry more in yellow rooms. It’s perfect though for kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms, where you want a happy color that is energizing and uplifting.
GREEN was meant to reflect nature. Generally, it represents tranquility, good luck, health and for some…jealousy. You’ve heard the saying “Green with envy.” Studies tend to show that green has a calming effect and actually can improve reading comprehension. It is considered the best color for relaxation and works in almost every room. Some say that the bedroom is perfect, although unwind- ing isn’t what we’re focused on (think fertility - and you know what they say about those green M&M’s!).
RED in the original flag repre- sents life. Research shows this color can evoke strong emo- tional reactions such as anger and rage. Believe me, there are some shades of red that elicit that response in me. Consider how red is used in language: rednecks, red-hot, red-handed, paint the town red or seeing red.
However, other research shows it is associated with love, warmth and comfort. It draws people together, inspiring intense connections and conversation. Red is one of my favorite colors to work with and I find that it creates an inviting, naturally warm space (again, depending on shade and tone). Stick to the more earthy reds—the only thing that looks good in tomato red is a tomato and okay…maybe a fire engine.
ORANGE was meant to repre- sent healing for the gay commu- nity. Orange is a combination of yellow and red and is considered to be a color of energy (although not as intense as reds). The color represents excitement, enthusi- asm, balance and warmth. One of my favorite rooms for orange is the bathroom. The intensity of the orange balanced by white fixtures and accents is lovely. Try it, you’ll like it and it’s a great way to wake up your senses in the morning!
Joel Martens is the general manager at PomegranateHome and owner of Arrange Design. Visit us at
PomegranateHome.com
60 RAGE monthly | JULY 2010
INDIGO (blue) was also used in the original flag and was meant to reflect harmony in our community. Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or seren- ity and is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure and orderly. Research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms and it is often used in office environments. It has also
been shown that it can lower respiration, pulse rate and body temperature. The color can inspire relaxation in your space, but be careful, blues that look good on a paint chip can be very chilly when applied to a whole room. When you use blue, make sure you balance your space with warm woods, rugs and accents.
Finally, Gilbert Baker used PURPLE as a representation of the soul. Purple is the symbol of royalty and wealth. It can also represent wisdom and spirituality - how appropriate. Purple does not often appear in nature. Historically to have this color, you had to extract it from the mucus of a murex mollusk. It took some 12,000 shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of pure dye - very expensive and relatively disgusting if you ask me. Eggplants, plumbs and intense shades are very sophisticated and create a feeling of luxury if used correctly. Lilacs and lighter shades are calming and soothing, but again, be careful of the “cool factor” and balance with warm tones and textures.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108