Inspiration from Wes Anderson's whimsical world of colour
Discover the captivating fusion of film and design in Wes Anderson's world, where colour is a narrative force.
Filmmaker Wes Anderson has a very specific visual style that is easily recognised and well-studied in the film industry as well as in design. He shapes his fictional worlds on screen with a signature use of colour - an element that tells just as much of the story as the lines from the characters.
Described as an ‘accidental interior design icon’, his set designs have inspired everything from hotel design to café interiors – why not sip an espresso and eat a slice of tiramisu at the Prada Foundation in Milan’s Bar Luce, which was designed by Anderson himself.
Fortunately, the revival of 1970's colours combined with Anderson's distinct love of high saturation, brightness and use of primary colours means we can find inspiration in his films for what's trending in decor now.
Brown is the new black
You wouldn’t be wrong for thinking that vibrant colours aside, this interior aesthetic features a lot of browns. And this is the key to why Anderson’s films are so inspiring for designers now: it’s the same reason brown is becoming ever more popular in interiors and decorative accessories.
Brown is comforting. Chocolate brown is so popular right now with a chic neutral tone that designer Jessica Boyer describes one of her projects as "the chocolate box" for its use of rich, delicious chocolate brown as the colour palette base which she accented with black and taupe. We also explored why brown is the new neutral to use and its variety of shades adds warmth and sophistication to interiors.
Go retro with colour
Anderson’s interior stylings are all set against a backdrop of deeply saturated colours that are equal parts seasonally appropriate and aesthetically pleasing. It's all about layers and textures—and lots of beautiful wood. Luckily for our interiors, this quirky style also features really bright colours too: think about the stark reds and magentas of The Royal Tenenbaums. The Life Aquatic is drenched in the verve of mustard yellow, dazzling orange and shades of azure with bright tomato-red accessories.
Get the vibrant look with bold-coloured furnishings and a statement-making accent wall, or choose a unique colour and decorate with variations and complementary shades.
The general spectrum of Anderson's colour palettes is quite earthy and natural with bold yellows, deep reds, vibrant oranges and rich greens set against neutral brown. But, this is also a creative who embraces bubblegum pink and lighter tones of blue with aplomb. It's 70's colour done with sophistication and confidence - something we can incorporate into the design.
There are blogs and Pinterest accounts dedicated to exploring Wes Anderson's colour palettes. Design students write about it frequently, connecting it to shifts in society or landmark destinations. No matter how you choose to explore it, it is worth taking the time to look over Anderson's brilliant play with colour and let it inspire your next projects as retro colour quickly comes back into fashion.
