BY MARY McCARTHY
‘COLOUR makes me happy,’ is the simple reason why 49-nine-year-old Steffie Jagers, co-owner of Hunters Gatherers Vintage in Skibbereen with her husband, Robert, does what she does.
She explains: ‘Colour is everywhere in nature, science and chemistry. During the 1700s, Sir Issac Newton didn’t invent colour, but he rather explained it with the colour spectrum. Light is colour.’
Steffi, who moved to Cork from the Netherlands, continued: ‘Walking through nature calms you down. It’s not only the gentle breeze that makes you feel good, but the surroundings. Green grass. Yellow flowers. A red sunset. By looking at nature, colour evokes good feelings.’
The shop boasts an eclectic mix of vintage ceramics, glassware and quirky finds with more than a nod to the 1960s and 1970s. Steffi was born in the 70s, had a career in real estate and project management, and has owned a wine bar in the past.
You can find her or Robert, who previously worked in sales, tech support and customer service, at their shop on Bridge Street on most days of the week.
‘Your style is ‘no style,’ said Steffi. ‘You are unique. Everything you like will go together. The best advice is to feel your way. Go without a plan. See it as the way you choose to wear clothes. It’s an ongoing process. Sometimes, you decide to go for an autumn look, whereas other times, you go for bright colours. It’s not a fixed thing.’
Steffi is also a great believer in serendipity which she said ‘works its own magic in the most interesting ways.’
‘It will surprise you. Some colours you align, work nicely together. You couldn’t have imagined beforehand or expected that they would go together.’
She explained that the primary colours – red, yellow and blue – make up all the other colours in terms of tones, depth and warmth. Light is also a factor.
She explained: ‘A Northern faced room painted blue feels colder than it is, compared to having the same room painted orange or peach. Perception gives the feeling of warmth in the latter.
‘I have always had colour in my life – no blacks, greys or beige. I follow my own feelings. And don’t adapt to other people’s style. I feel a warm blanket of colour gives you a sense of comfort and safety. Red. Yellow. Green. These colours lift me up. They do affect your mood.’
Steffie noted that not only colour sets the mood in your home, but also ornaments, furniture, and different textures. This, she says, is what makes a house a home.
There is a whole psychology of thinking on colour. Yellow – optimism, logic and warmth. Blue – trust and responsibility. Red – passion, power and courage. Green – nature and calming.
