Over the past decade, colour trends have been based around a grey palette. This has grown steadily darker, from dark grey to charcoal to almost black, and then expanded to include other dark colours, such as navy and forest green. But colour choice is intensely personal, and if a light, sunny, airy interior raises your mood, don’t slavishly follow fashion and go for a dark grey bedroom with pops of neon. It won’t make you happy.
So where does colour inspiration come from? So many places – plants, art, an item of clothing, Instagram. In A Pop of Colour, Geraldine James offers practical solutions for those who are not confident enough to embark on expensive renovations ways to redecorate that can be easily reversed. From introducing flowers or house plants to enliven your rooms to incorporating tonal colour pops, A Pop of Colour provides multiple examples of how you can brighten up your home.
Here is a list of ten fail-safe ways to bring exuberant, joy-inspiring colour into your home:
- Add art. The bigger the better – bold, colourful and life-enhancing.
- Update cushions/throw pillows or throws to ring the colour changes.
- Introduce lots of living colour. Flowers and plants are nature’s way of seasonally enriching your home.
- Redecorate with a rug. Buy the biggest one you can fit into your space in a bold, punchy colour.
- Paint a wall. To try out a colour, paint it onto a length of wallpaper lining, stick it to the wall with masking tape, then live with it for a week or so.
- Can’t choose one colour? Look for multicoloured wallpaper, cushions, bed covers and throws.
- Paint a chair or stool. You can find inexpensive pieces at charity shops, online auctions and flea markets. Give them a facelift using leftover sample pots or spray paint.
- Don’t forget lampshades or lamps. They add not only another layer of light but a pop of colour too.
- Collect coloured glass or ceramics. For maximum impact, decide on one colour and stick to it.
- Use a mirror – again, as big as possible – to bounce all that lovely colour and light around your interior.
This extract is from A Pop of Colour by Geraldine James. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.