The Chromologist

Latest Episodes:

The Chromologist: Cerys Matthews Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

Singer, author and broadcaster Cerys Matthews brings Patrick into her River home in this special episode of The Chromologist. It’s a joyous first meeting and the two discover they share a great love of mud colours, conch shells and the rich greens of the Welsh countryside. Cerys also shares the deep red colour of her Catatonia years. ‘It was a wide old word. A fiery red is always what I think about when I think of my youth,’ she says, ‘And dark saturated red was also the colour of the St Fagan museum in Cardiff where I used to go for comfort in those years.’ Cerys also shares her passion for the writing of Dylan Thomas and she gives Patrick a special narration of Under Milk Wood.

Learn about the colours featured in each episode here

See the colours of Cerys's life here

Follow Cerys on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chromologist: Kassia St Clair Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Colour historian and author of The Secret Lives of Colour, Kassia St Clair, leads Patrick through her pink front door to share her lifetime love of colour. From the beige her father was obsessed with to the bright pink of her mother’s florist shop, she shares colours that connect the different chapters of her life. She also offers up some of her own fascinating colour tales, including the extraordinary story of mummy brown. At her request, Patrick also offers ideas for her yet-to-be decorated family home.

Learn more about the colours featured in each episode here

See the colours of Kassia's life here

Follow Kassia on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chromologist: Tan France Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Queer Eye TV show star and fashion guru, Tan France, offers Patrick a glimpse of his Utah home, which he shares with his husband Rob and two young children. Together they explore the colours that have shaped Tan over his lifetime, from the bright red of his cousin’s wedding dress to the rich greens of the mountains he looks onto each morning over a noisy family breakfast in Utah. ‘I live in colour’ he says, ‘I’ve always embraced it and I love to wear it.’ He also takes Patrick on a mini tour of his shimmering blue wardrobe.

Learn more about the colours featured in each episode here

See the colours of Tan's life here

Follow Tan on Instagram

See Tan and Rob's Utah home on Architectural Digest here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chromologist: Mary Portas Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Mary Portas, creative trailblazer and retail revolutionary, invites Patrick O’Donnell into her London home to talk about the colours that have guided her through her life. ‘The world is colourful’ she says, ‘I always see my life in colour’. Together they delve into the way colours open a door onto chapters of our lives. ‘Orange has always been a great friend to me - through my hair, my fashion, my business - it’s a very powerful sensual colour.’ Mary also shares her penchant for matching the colour of her specs to different coloured rooms in her home. ‘I wear pink in my living room and neutral in my bedroom’, she says. And Patrick gets a peek into Mary’s glorious bright orange powder room.

Learn more about the colours featured in each episode here

See the colours of Mary's life here

Follow Mary on Instagram

Find the We Are Portas website here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chromologist: Preview Mar 09, 2024

Show notes

If you had to choose four key colours that have shaped your life, what would they be? Colour expert for Farrow & Ball, Patrick O’Donnell, explores how colour works in our homes but also how it works in our heads, our hearts, our identities. He joins creatives, designers and performers who reveal their stories through colour, guided by the Farrow and Ball colour chart. Guests include Mary Portas, Tan France and Cerys Matthews.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.