Colour in your Home

According to trend experts, Classic Blue is the colour to watch this year. So exactly how can we use this colour in our homes?

From pale powder to inky and dark blues – blue has always had broad appeal for use in any room in the house. Its association with the sky and sea make it a good choice for either bathrooms or Coastal style living rooms, whereas bolder inky blues work well on soft furnishing prints. Try the Cordoba in Deepest indigo by Rapture & Wright  fabric for a cushion, blind or headboards. 

Although dark or inky blue can remain classic, it can also add a contemporary twist and is a good choice for kitchen units mixed with marble or oak. In fact paired with neutral wall units, dark blue was one of the most popular colours for the kitchen island last year, according to leading kitchen companies.

Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue is a firm favourite as it adds drama and richness to any interior. If you don’t want to go too bold then mix it with neutrals in a living room and team it with brick red or raspberry furnishings – Oakleaves in Fuchsia by Blithfield looks fabulous against dark blue walls.

If dark or inky blues are too much for you then opt for a mid blue such as Farrow & Ball's Pitch Blue or Paint & Paper Library’s Blue Pearl, as these are more traditional and work well against oak and light stone flooring, so lend themselves perfectly to country interiors. Alternatively mixing a blue wall tile with a neutral also adds country style to a kitchen or utility room. 

For paler blue interiors – try Farrow and Ball's Lulworth Blue, Parma Gray or Bone China Blue by Little Greene, all of which can be used to create tranqility and calmness in a bedroom or hallway. To create a Coastal look pair these blues with white or mix them with earthy reds or yellows to add warmth. Alternatiely, if you don’t want to paint an entire room in a soft blue, then use a neutral shade on the walls and introduce different levels of blues on wallcovering or soft furnishings

Greens are my current favourite as they connect perfectly with the outside world, and so feel perfect for the home. My current colour crush is green with pink, which creates a more contemporary look and works well in fabrics or tiles.

For a fresh and decorative green wall or floor –try Bert & May Green Alalpardo or Green Salon tiles in a small space such as shower room or utility room. 

Greens can be made to look fresh with yellows or more classic with reds. It’s a soothing palette, and looks great in any light as well as working well with plants and foliage. Green is a truly glorious and versatile colour, which always adds a sense of calm and lends itself perfectly to Country homes and interiors. 

There are many different shades of green from apple green, leaf green, deep forest green and sage. Sage is probably the most commonly used shade used in Country interiors, and works well in living rooms, hallways, bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms. It can be mixed with a variety of colours and textures from mustard, amber and russet and paired with weathered oak furniture and neutral furnishings. For the perfect Sage backdrop try French Grey, Blue gray (both Farrow & Ball).