Insights • Inspirations • Destinations • Design

Friday, August 3, 2012

The Enduring Appeal of Navy Blue


I'm a navy girl. Always have been. I think it comes from spending so long in France. They love navy there. Especially in Paris. If pink is the navy blue of India, as Diana Vreeland once famously said, then navy blue is quite possibly the black of Paris.

Navy is sophisticated and elegant. It's classic. Timeless. Tasteful. Even when i's used in a high-glam way, it's still beautiful and understated. Indeed, it couldn't look cheap, even if it tried. (Something that can't be said for black.) If Brynne Edelstein wore navy, she'd look like a Hollywood movie star from the 1940s. Not like... well, the wife of someone with too much money.

Some people dislike navy because it's too safe. It reminds them of school blazers, and police uniforms. I don't have this aversion. My St Margaret's school blazer was yellow. Well, more of a dirty shade of brown-gold, like leftover vindaloo. Perhaps that's why I can't wear brown. I have terrible issues with it. But navy...  Ah,  navy. I could live in that shade.


Which is why I've painted our main bedroom and dressing room (above) in a colour the shade of Chinese porcelain. Our new house is high on a hill and the top floor looks over the lights of Melbourne. This blue seemed to suit the space. It was the exact same colour of the city sky at twilight.

Navy blue. If only I could persuade more people in this beautiful city to convert to it.

PS Thank you for all of your lovely comments re my mother. I was so very touched, and promise to reply tonight, after I collect my nieces and feed them and entertain them, and generally do the dutiful aunt thing!



Too, too lovely: London designer Faye Toogood. {Vogue Living Jan/Feb 2011}


Blue note: Jill Sander dress, top and skirt. {Harpers Bazaar, May 2011}




Dot to dot: Kate Spade 'Lisa' polka dot wedding shoes. {From current collection}


Flights of (feathered) fancy: Kate Spade 'Elliana' evening clutch. {From current collection}


Making a statement: British Elle Decoration, which loves doing its section pages in navy blue.



Tasteful in Tasmania: Leo Schofield's dining room in his historic Georgian house in Tasmania. The walls are painted Bible Black, a dark shade of navy that's the colour of old bibles. {Via Vogue Living, Jan/Feb, 2011}


Blue for two: The work of Akin Creative (Kelvin Ho and Jeremy Hull) in Sydney. Akin has just collaborated with Sibella Court on Justin Hemmes' latest project, Ms Gm in Potts Point. {Via Belle}


Cute kitchenalia: A page from Elle Decoration, which dedicated an entire section to royal and navy blue in its March 2012 issue.

16 comments:

  1. Janelle! Your dressing room looks fabulous, bravo!
    I love navy and royal blue but so difficult to get it in clothing.

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    1. Oh I AGREE Claire! Why is that? It drives me crazy that there are no navy clothes in Australia. Not even navy shoes?! What are we meant to wear with indigo jeans?!

      I always stock up on navy whenever I'm in London or Paris. Even the cheap stores (H&M, etc) have lovely navy trenchcoats. I can usually get great stuff for 20 pounds or less.

      Thanks for your kind compliment. Hope you're well!
      xx

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  2. Oh I am absolutely a navy blue girl!!! Can't wear black but navy...oh yes!!! Have tried for years to find a navy paint but without great success what paint did you use? Do hope your Mum's birthday was a great success. xx

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    1. Hi Jules, So lovely to hear from you. Have loved your blog posts lately. Apologies for not replying much on my blog; things have been a little crazy here lately. I think painting was my therapy for a few days!

      The navy was a mistint, so very cheap. Porters had some but it wasn't quite what we wanted. This (mistint) blue is an odd colour, and has left some funny marks. When we can afford it, we'll go over it again in the summer.

      Porters have several - Galactica is gorgeous. Farrow & Ball have a lovely navy called Bible Black, but I think it's only available in the UK? But Leo Schofield used it so you must be able to get it here. Dulux have one called Snapshot that's lovely too.

      xxx

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  3. You Australians are so brave when it comes to colour, I wonder if it's because you have more light than we do? I have only just gotten into navy this past year but I think it's going to be my colour from now on.

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    1. Tabitha dont know about that sartorially black eveywhere in inner Sydney and Melbourne

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  4. Tabitha, a London book editor once told me it's because you northern countries have such a cold winter season. That's why you all love white interiors.

    Still, it doesn't explain why Americans are so bold with colour?

    I think I picked up some of my (dubious) colour choices from being inspired by people like Anna Spiro, my friends Jane Coslick in Savannah and Gary McBournie, and even Jeffrey Bilhuber, all of whom are incredibly courageous with colour. Jeffrey Bilhuber's Great Gatsby mansion on Long Island was a carnival of colour!

    xx

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  5. That Jill Sander skirt gorgeous. Im not a huge navy fan as it doesn't suit me. I love pinks, reds.

    Also love that dining room table and chairs, see ignoring the blue again. Those chairs in your dressing room are v. pretty, French?

    Re your comment above I've always heard the bright Scandinavian colours ie Marimekko were because of the northern winters.

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    1. I think you're right. Marimekko was probably inspired by the cold winters. Have you seen their new store in New York? I'll do a post on it. It's the craziest place - but SO beautiful too! x

      PS The chair are old finds from a vintage store. They were originally a horrible brown timber. Nobody wanted them, so I bargained with the guy, bought them cheap and spray-painted them gold. (I think I felt sorry for them.) Gold spray paint is the BEST decorating trick!

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  6. Love blue in interiors and clothing - adore the Jill Sander stripe dress. Your bedroom and dressing area are stunning!!

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    1. Thanks designchic. I didn't photograph the messy unmade bed with my partner's unwashed jeans and socks on it. That would have turned you all off completely. x

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  7. Hi Janelle, your dressing room is lovely, your pictures are beautifully arranged. I have recently been looking for some navy blue shoes to match a clutch purse I recently made, no luck yet.x

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    1. Hi Samantha, I know how you feel. Navy shoes are impossible to find! x

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  8. Love navy... but love the tribute to your mother more... she is amazing and long may she travel to adventurous destinations... xv

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  9. Oh Janelle, I'm just catching up on your recent posts. Snap! I've been a navy blue girl all my life. Yet another thing we have in common ☺. I completely agree with what you say about how hard it is to find when clothes shopping here. I can't find any navy boots for love or money. I've been hunting for years now. But something I discovered today is the amount of navy and green in the shops now, making me very happy! J x

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