Tuesday 10 July 2012

How to use colour in your home?



Bright ideas from the interior designer :



Coasting in neutral

It’s OK to be a fan of neutrals – just choose one accent colour to add to the room. Turquoise, for example, goes with almost anything. I actually use a lot of neutrals in my collections, creating room sets with white, navy, grey and beige then adding a couple of 'pop’ colours. I’m a potter and believe that the best neutrals are natural materials – wood, linen, clay




A little goes a long way

Distribute color around the room in small bits and bobs such as lamps, accessories, so that there’s a nice rhythm. Everywhere you look there should be a place for your eye to rest – on a cushion or vase, or a bowl full of lemons or limes. Pattern, too, provides necessary punctuation. I love a bold patterned rug as an anchor – top it with neutral furniture



Make an impact

Want to go more hardcore? Being reckless can work just as well as having a plan, so go crazy with co lour and mix it all together. When you’re about to snuff it you want to remember that poppy-orange lamp or turquoise breakfast nook, not a beige-on-beige blur send a message Colors have strong associations and communicate different things. Think about what you want to say about yourself, and your home. If you use orange you’re saying, 'I’m happy and I love life.’ Moss green can communicate that you’re a nature lover. Turquoise is the color of holidays by the sea; it’s happy and calming. Navy is the color of classicism




Fail safe pairings

Black and white will work for ever, and make an amazing platform on to which you can layer your single accent color, say turquoise, lime or orange. Orange with navy is preppy, and with pink is chicer than you might imagine. Team lime green with icy silver or a zesty yellow. I've always been obsessed with chocolate brown as an anchor for 'pop’ colors, especially blue, but lately I've been having an affair with grey. It’s one of those neutrals that harmonies perfectly with strong colors. Try it with any shade of yellow

Ones to avoid

There are no 'no’s, except for mauve. It’s the one color I can’t work with. And red with black is dicey territory. Red is a daring, dangerous color, which is great, but the minute you pair it with black it can go a bit too Happy Days 1950s. Go with a mink brown instead

Pattern clash

Don’t be scared to use a bright, mural wallpaper – or two – in a small space. Mixed patterns make your house look personal. Guest bathrooms are a great place to start. It can be tucked away – something you don’t have to look at all the time if you are timid with color – but it should be there. A house should be full of surprises


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