I have always been a fan of the colour people refer to as coral. It’s one of those hard colours for people to understand I suppose. It often gets confused with peach, or apricot, salmon and even watermelon? For me, the colour conjours up images of all sorts of beauty; stunning sunsets, mixed bunches of poppies, flamingoes standing in crystal clear waters, coral reefs waiting to be discovered, punchy nail polish colours and more.
The actual word coral is Greek and means ‘daughter of the sea’, an obvious connection to the sea living creature of the same name. Coral is said to support creative energies. Unlike peach, which is a more a soft reddish orange, and unlike apricot which is a pastel yellowish orange, coral tends to be more of a vibrant pinkish orange. This influences what you are able to use the colour with.
Coral works well with other ‘fruity’ colours like peach, apricot and watermelon.
You may also like to take inspiration from beautiful sunsets and incorporate misty greys or even mauve or purple tones with your blush tones and coral.
Combine a bright blue sky with the setting sun, and you will see some strong contrasts. Blues and orange tones work well together if you like complementary colours. Similarly teal works well when teamed with coral and richer red/berry tones. This combination is a great way to tie in vintage crockery too!
In the flower world we are spoilt for choice with coral coloured blooms. The magic of the coral peony is unmistakable….but seeing is really believing.
Peonies are always held in high regard, but I know that the ‘Coral Charm’ peonies hold a special part of most florist’s hearts. Why? The bloom is an EXTRAORDINARY colour. The large blooms open to unravel a deep, intense shade of coral, as it ages and opens further it begins to fade to peach and finally to a creamy colour , leaving you with an almost lemon toned bloom.
Other flowers available in coral include; roses, fruit blossom sticks, ranunculus, poppies, gerberas, snap dragons, dahlias, gladioli…the list goes on.
So whether you like to use coral as your bright accent colour amongst softer shades, or create a colourful scheme inspired by nature, coral is a wonderfully, fresh and fun tone to include.
It is a great colour tone for summer soirees because it seems light, fun and carefree….but it can lend itself to autumnal affairs if combined with some warm company (Think rust, terracotta, burgundy, Marsala, mustard, chocolate etc.).
And all those gorgeous spring Coral Charm peonies will easily be gobbled up, with or without the addition of crisp whites and light bright greens. Winter weddings needn’t miss out- coral is the perfect way to add vibrancy to lift the mood of richly textured materials and deeper colour tones.
Coral really is versatile
Fwf x
