The Colour White and More

Colour surrounds us. From the red strawberries of summer to the metallic hues on your trusted smartphone; to the pale blue of your crisp shirt styled with the classic French navy of your jacket to a sharp green flash setting it off perfectly from a colourful scarf. It is there.

We see it, we eat it, we wear it but when it comes to putting colour into our homes, many of us to feel nervous and unsure of how to apply it and are terrified of making mistakes. All too often when looking at home decoration the myths of a space feeling too dark, too small, too much, all come tumbling out and so to keep it all safe and sound, a nice large tin of white paint is purchased and applied.

White is a colour and can of course in many situations it can be the perfect answer – it is clean, simple, contemporary, and sets a very neutral base for any interior design project. For example, a gorgeous contemporary house, in a Cornish location, on a sunny summer’s day with a white interior can look fresh and sharp. Not so when the winter hits and the wind starts to howl and the south westerly rain lashes against floor to ceiling glass windows, suddenly all that white space becomes cold and unwelcoming.

But it’s not all bad news – white really does have a place in interior design, it just sometimes needs a little help. An accent colour or two can make a tremendous difference to a white interior – maybe add a piece of stunning artwork as a focal point, a textured rug with a warm tone in the pattern; some coloured scatter cushions and a woolly throw that could lift that sofa. Create soft lighting by carefully placing table lamps with coloured lampshades which will also add a touch of elegance and warmth.

Could you take a ‘brave pill’? Try and embrace one of the many hundreds of other colours that are available. Still feeling nervous? Try some tones of silver greys, soft duck egg blues or warm neutral tones. To change the feel from one room to another, use deeper and lighter tones of the same basic colour, the smallest changes can make big differences.

Can I persuade you to take two ‘brave pills’? Paint a whole room in a deep velvet blue or a crimson pink and see just how stunning and dramatic it can look. A small dark space at the back of a house, is crying out for some colour and trust me, a bold deep colour will never let you down.

But wait……and this is the clever part…..don’t overdo it! Bold coloured walls, bold coloured floor, bold coloured curtains – it’s too much! A colour scheme really does need to be thought through carefully especially as texture, pattern and light all need to be considered too!

Getting the balance is the tricky part and I would love to help you achieve that balance and bring some COLOUR into your life and your home and feel the joy that it can bring.