What if we chose colours not by trend, but by the strange magic of sound or music? A synesthetic approach to palette building invites us to step away from seasonal forecasts and instead create schemes rooted in feeling. It is less about what is considered on trend and more about what truly resonates. The idea is not entirely new. Artist Wassily Kandinsky famously claimed to hear colour. Yellow, for instance, rang like a trumpet, while deep blue resonated like a cello. His paintings, alive with abstract forms and vibrating colour, were an attempt to let one sense speak through another.
A similarly intuitive harmony can be found in the Virginia Woolf Suite at Charlotte Street Hotel, where rich yellow tones sing across the space. It is a bold, confident note that plays against layered pattern and texture. Here, colour does not follow fashion. It strikes a chord.
In the same spirit, imagine designing a space like a jazz composition, layered and full of improvisation. This room plays in shades of blue, with walls that set the tone like a cool, steady groove. The patterned headboard adds a bold riff, floral and unexpected, while the chartreuse accent of the end-of-bed stool lands like bright piano chords in a quiet bar. Geometric cushions introduce a playful rhythm and quilted textures soften the beat. It is a palette that moves with ease and confidence.
This kind of scheme goes beyond decoration. It tells a story. It allows a room to feel like a soundscape; dynamic, surprising and emotionally rich. Most importantly, it creates space for intuition. What colour feels like the soft hush of a snare drum? What tone matches the pause just before a note begins? Letting music guide the use of colour opens up a deeply personal way of designing. It prioritises mood and memory over rules, creating interiors that hum with soul rather than shout with style.
When we allow colour to speak, or even to sing, we tap into something timeless. As Kandinsky once said, “Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” Sometimes, that power is not found on a trend board, but in the music we hear and feel most deeply.