Colour drenching made easy + Typewriters!

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 11 of 13, W26 * Subscribe free *

If you follow design trends, you're likely familiar with "colour drenching," the practice of painting all the surfaces of a room the same hue. It's been a mainstay of shelter magazines for several years now, and the fact that it makes for a dramatic photo is no doubt part of its prevalence:

In more extreme instances, you'll find that even furniture and accessories are pulled into the unified scheme:

While luxurious in vibe, it's also a risky move. What happens if you tire of the colour you've chosen a few weeks after finishing your room makeover? Going all-in on one chromatic bet is a potential mismatch for fickle tastes.

That's why I'm a believer in scaled-down colour drenching that combines high impact with low commitment. To pull it off, collect some favourite objects from around your home that are similar in colour, then arrange them on a surface that's a near match. To get you started, here are a few recent examples from around my apartment.

A smoky acrylic table became home for an assortment of dark brown items:

A vibrant Verner Panton monograph found kinship with a vase and candle holder:

A brassy tray provided boundaries for some equally shiny things:

A furry IKEA chair became a comical seat for a tea light holder and book:

When you get in the spirit, it can feel like a game, detecting harmonies between objects that have yet to meet one another. And the results can be weirdly satisfying to look at, as if your possessions are chameleons adjusting their colouring to blend into their supports.

So, don't let the decorating authorities trick you into expensive and time-consuming room overhauls. Let your design instincts guide you in creating arrangements that are casual delights. And when they fade in effect, start all over again and invent something new.

Typewriters!

With online retail swallowing up so much of the world of vintage objects, the debut of a new bricks-and-mortar destination is a reason for cheers. This past Saturday was the grand opening of a typewriter repair shop and micro-museum in Hamilton, a timely debut in our age of generative AI. You can get all the details in this local news report:

I'm definitely adding this venue to my itinerary for my next trip to Hamilton. While I don't own a typewriter, I'd describe myself as typewriter-curious. I suspect they conjure up a more patient and reflective world, by their presence alone. Kudos to Jonny, the proprietor, for having the guts to make this venture a reality. You can make an appointment to visit on the Hamilton Typewriter Company website.

Elsewhere

The New Yorker has been coaxing me to become a subscriber again, and their latest mailing included a set of cartoon postcards. This one's my favourite:

And now it's time to care for my own nest.

Thank you for reading.