Livinghouse

Just when we’d got comfortable with calm, neutral Scandi hues; a new trend asking us to embrace colour arrives. Yes, the future’s bold, neon, dark and murky, but most definitely colourful.

Colour is a wonderful thing, allowing us to flaunt our individuality and evoke a mood or set a scene, but it can be tricky to get right when it comes to interiors. So, before you get slap-happy with the paintbrush, here’s some expert advice from interior stylist and TV presenter, Sophie Robinson, on how to approach colour, “It works well when you add an accent colour or two to your bold colour scheme (plus your neutrals). For example choose one colour as your dominant choice – this might be on the walls or sofa, then mix in around 30% neutrals and naturals, then add 5% high contrast accent. This could be a couple of cushions, vases, an artwork that will give your scheme some pep and edge.”

Now you know the rules, your adventure in colour starts here with extreme colour combinations that really work.

Teal and burnt orange

Following Sophie’s rule of thumb, the dominant colour in this scheme is clearly the deliciously intense teal on the wall panelling. The 5% high contrast accent colour required to lift its murky tone is provided by the burnt orange chair. And the sculpture, wood flooring and table answer the brief of 30% neutral and natural tones to bring a little light relief to the scheme’s overall boldness.

Other teal-friendly colours include pink, mint green and mustard yellow.

Grey, mustard yellow and pink

Grey is a key colour this year and whilst it might not be considered an obvious choice for making a colourful statement, paired with the right hues it can bring elegance and sophistication to any room.

Just as white and black work well as base colours to enable bright colours to pop, grey brings the same beautiful qualities.

Take this bathroom for instance. Although predominantly grey, the mustard coloured roll top bath with grey claw feet (nice touch) and the mustard tiling add just enough colour to lift the design and invite us to explore the space.

Whether it’s pale, chalky or charcoal, grey allows pink, yellow, green, orange, purple, blue and red to really shine. And in turn, these bright hues keep grey from looking anything but dull.

Emerald green and pink

Fuchsia pink looks stunning when teamed with deliciously dark green and balanced with the natural tones of wood. Admittedly these ultra dark colours are not ideal for light-starved interiors, but they do work brilliantly in rooms flooded with natural light.

Other green-friendly colours include mustard yellow, purple and orange.

Gold and white

Love the idea of using bold colours but not sure your home can take it? Why not err on the side of caution and opt for something less loud, such as decadent gold? Combined with plenty of white, this partnership also oozes elegance and sophistication.