As we celebrate Memorial Day, Prestige Painting wanted to talk about military colors. In our line of work, we’re often asked to paint specific colors, and traditional military colors hold a special place in the hearts of many Americans.
So let’s take a quick look at some of the most iconic and even beautiful military-inspired colors out there.
Purple Heart Purple
One of the military’s highest honors, the Purple Heart is given to those wounded or killed in the line of duty. The medal bronze in the shape of a heart with a rich purple center. Around 2 million Purple Hearts have been awarded in our nation’s history. As a medal given “for military merit” (as it says on the back), the Purple Heart has been fashioned to bestow a regal honor on its recipients, and its beautiful purple does just that. The deep purple is almost in the blue family of colors, and is forever associated with valor and courage in the line of fire, qualities we salute in honor of our fallen heroes.
Camouflage
Camouflage or “Camo” (as it is often referred to) is pretty ubiquitous these days, being used in all kinds of civilian fashions, but the original use was, of course, to help blend soldiers into their surroundings and shield them from the prying eyes of enemy troupes. The word itself actually refers to any sort-of coloring pattern that hides a creature, not just the military usage, but it’s been in use in combat zones at least since the Romans, who were said to use “Venetian blue” to hide their ships on the ocean. Modern camo comes in a huge variety of color patterns, but of course, the most well-known look is a combination of forest greens, light greens, tans and dark browns. Used as a color palette by extracting a few of the colors, camo colors can be used as the basis for some lovely rooms, especially when sticking to the various hues of one color. We especially like the idea of snow and urban camos, which use whites and greys, applied to a study or a sitting room.
Battleship and Gunmetal Grey
Speaking of greys, some of the most lovely colors ever crafted, found their biggest uses in military objects, specifically in ships and guns. Battleship grey is a bit dull for some tastes, being somewhat of a flat, medium grey, but when used against white, it makes for a striking accent. It’s a wonderful color to use on furniture, pillows or decorations, and can even be nice as a trim. Gunmetal grey, on the other hand is a bit more of a prominent, deeper grey tinted with a darker blue. We also like it as an accent, but it can also be used as the primary color for a den or even a dining room, with white as the accent against it.
Navy Blue
The uniforms of the United States Navy are some of the most recognizable and memorable in the world, and a lot of that has to do with the deep, attractive blue they come in. Appropriately called “navy blue,” this blue is a descendant of one of the original blues, previously associated with paintings of the Virgin Mary. This is a wonderful color for furniture, especially chairs and couches, and it pairs well with a wide variety of other colors, especially light ones (though blacks are good too).
Red, White and Blue
Of course, the colors of our nation’s beloved flag had to make this list. Though these colors can be a little loud when used in equal amounts (as they are very bright), try using a large amount of white with just a small amount of red and blue for a subtly patriotic, very appealing effect in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms. You can also try tweaking the hues of each a little, taking the white a bit off and slightly brightening or paling the red and blue to achieve a nice look, wherever you decide to use it.
The military certainly does have good fashion sense, and just walking around the streets of a big city, you’re more than likely to see all of these colors and patterns on everything from clothes to cars in just a short time. Of course, the focus for Memorial Day should be on those who’ve bravely served, so if you read this article and do decide to go the military-inspired route, why not take a moment and give a silent moment of respect? The soldiers might not ever know you did, but you can be sure, they’re families would appreciate it.
Original Source: https://paintedbyprestige.com/diy/raise-the-colors-painting-inspiration-from-the-military/
Image Source: wsau.com 550am
