Molly Pastor: Describe what a signature Victoria Neale room looks like.
Victoria Neale: It has a strong connection to the architecture of the house.
For example, I would not suggest putting a neoclassical interior into a stone
cottage. I always use color. In fact, I use color as a neutral instead of beige.
My rooms include an eclectic combination of furniture and accessories -- I never
stay with one furniture period or one finish. The same goes for fabric textures
and patterns. I like to mix both.
MP: Many people have been living with neutrals for years and would like
a change. What advice would you give to those who feel color-challenged?
VN: It's hard for people to understand how the color and fabrics are going
to work in the spaces just by looking at fabric samples. The samples are generally
all the same size, though in reality the colored neutrals predominate in a room.
I spend lots of time talking with clients about how the neutrals and accent
fabrics are placed. There are so many examples of color gone awry, and that's
why people get scared.
MP: What's the best way to start a room? Do you start with a fabric, wall
color, rug, art?
VN: I always, always start with the furniture plan -- the room comes up
in 3-D for me while I'm planning the furniture layout. Then I choose what I
call the "catalyst" fabric. That's a fabric that speaks to the client and provides
the inspiration for the room or even for all of the main rooms. The fabric may
be used only as a pillow in the end, but the colors in the room have all been
based on it. Wall color or finish is almost always last; I select it while I'm
determining which fabrics will go on which furniture pieces.
MP: When working with color, how do you make a house flow?
VN: I'm from the "public spaces have to flow" school of thought. I don't
like having a different color for every room. They don't all have to be the
same color, but rooms need to relate to one another. For example, if I'm using
gold as the neutral in the living room, with reds as the strongest accent color,
then the walls might be a gold tone-on-tone stripe. The dining room might have
gold wallpaper with a rug that is predominately red.
MP: What are your favorite color combinations?
VN: Red with gold is a longtime favorite. Currently I'm also having fun
with fresh, chartreusey greens. And I'm particularly partial to anything in the orange family. Orange is a word that scares people, but this color family
is huge. Terra-cotta, pumpkin, saffron, persimmon, Creamsicle: They are all
gorgeous and welcoming. At the moment, I also love brown with almost anything:
greens, yellows, and turquoise.
MP: Is there any color that you won't use?
VN: I hate purple, so I don't use it voluntarily. I never use grays and
rarely use black fabrics (though I do love furniture with black finishes). Warm
blues are great, as are crisp blues when used with warmer tones, but I don't
normally do all-blue rooms -- too cool for me.
