Welcome to Turquoise! Some little interesting doo-dads about the colour (thanks to About.com):
- A mix of blue and green, turquoise has a sweet feminine feel while the darker teal shades add lively sophistication.
- This in-between color represents water, thus the names aqua and aquamarine. It's also a valuable and popular mineral often turned into jewelry.
- Turquoise is closely associated with the Middle East and the American Southwest.
Now, how to wear Turquoise, how to use the colour Turquoise in your home decor and for those commercial designers out there - turquoise as used in product, graphic and packaging design...
A clear, bright and refreshing colour. Wearing this will help you chill out thanks to its blending of blue and green - two soothing hues. But unlike it's close relative blue - it's more likely to perk you up like a dip in a pool on a hot summer day than 'give you the blues'.
Actually, it's a great colour to wear in Summer because it will visually make you feel cooler. A darker shade of turquoise, teal, is perfect if you want to move away from the fun, summery shades and opt for something more sophisticated. It's also a great alternative to the usual browns, black and greys during the Winter months.
For something totally different to the usual blue colour scheme, and even green, turquoise is a happy balance of the two. Mara Oakes says that "Turquoise is a great way to introduce the element of surprise in to an otherwise traditional interior." (How to Decorate Your Home with Turquoise) An easy (and cost effective) way to use this colour is through accessories - little spots of colour to your existing decor.
Using turquoise says that you have style, since it's not a commonly used colour. It can be retro inspired (like the stove above); sophisticated a la Tiffany's; exotic and ethnic inspired; or beach-summery. If you know your colour theory then you'll know that playing turquoise off other colours can create some truly bold or whisper subtle effects. Check out Mara's article for more suggestions.
One of the things I love about this little section of the colour series is searching out all those iconic brands within each colour. There are often ones that I'd totally forgotten about, but when I see them I just can't imagine them as another colour. Like a Tiffany's box; Bombay Sapphire Gin and the top of a Holga Diana plastic camera.
Jacci Howard Bear has this advice for using Turquoise in commercial design:
- Create feminine appeal with the lighter shades of turquoise.
- Some shades of turquoise have an old-fashioned 50s and 60s retro feel.
- Teal has a darker, somewhat more sophisticated look.
- Keep the soft, feminine qualities going by mixing turquoise with lavender and pale pinks.
- A bright turquoise and pink create a sparkly clean, retro look.
- Make it art deco by pairing turquoise with white and black.
- Turquoise with gray or silver as well as terra cotta and light browns have a Southwestern (U.S.) flavor.
- Turquoise with orange or yellow creates a fresh, sporty look.
- Some colour palettes using different shades.
Next up is Blue! See you then ☺
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