Vicente Wolf: Inspired by Colors All Around

I was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at AD 20/21: Art and Design of the 20th and 21st Centuries in Boston. I had such a wonderful time meeting fellow industry insiders and design enthusiasts, and I enjoyed giving two talks on my work and showing photographs of my projects and travels.

As some of you may know, in addition to my love of designing interiors, I am also passionate about traveling and art. When designing spaces, I take inspiration from what I see. The colors on a woman’s blouse or a special blue in an oil painting can influence how I approach a project and what shades and color combinations I will use.

I appreciate the beautiful paintings of Degas, Rembrandt and Frans Hals. These artists possessed an innate sense of color and were experts at mixing colors to achieve what they wanted in a painting. Here are some examples of the artists whose work I greatly admire and who have influenced the colors I like to use in my clients’ homes.

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Malle Babbe, by Frans Hals

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

New Orleans Cotton Office, 1873, Edgar Degas

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Dance Class at the Opera, 1872, Edgar Degas

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Dancer in Pink, 1880, Edgar Degas

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

The Company of Captain Reijnier Reael, 1633–1637, Rembrandt van Rijn

I also gather inspiration from my travels when it comes to color. Whether it is the natural environment that I see or the colors found in a bustling marketplace, I like to take in the colors that are all around me and translate them into my projects.

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Photo by Vicente Wolfe Associates

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Photo by Vicente Wolf Associates

Speaking of color, this year’s Pantone color is tangerine. What do you think of this shade, and how does it make you feel?
–Vicente Wolf

For more information on Vicente Wolf, please visit his blog: www.vicentewolfblog.com.