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Sophie Robinson
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20 Nov 14

How to decorate with bold colour

Designed by Sophie Robinson for Ideal Home. Photograph by Dominic Blackmore

As anyone who knows me will attest, I’m mad-bonkers-all-for decorating with colour. Its simply one of the most affordable and transformational ways to update your home, and better still all you have to do is invest in a tin of paint. Daubing a new hue on the walls is without doubt the easiest and yet most dramatic way to instantly inject a new look, a new mood or just simply add interest to your home. And why not try painting the walls yourself- (I’ve heard) it can be like therapy. Nothing seems more exciting than seeing a new colour roll out and onto the walls.

So it’s widely agreed that colour has the power to change the mood, set the theme, even alter the perceived size of your room with visual tricks. So as an interior designer, or home improver, you’ve gotta learn to Love Colour, Colour is your friend!

Living room Image from Marks and Spencer

Image from Marks and Spencer

But the subject of decorating with colour is a huge topic, and I’m not about to write my thesis on the matter here. So for the sake of this blog post, I’m going to talk about decorating with Bold tones. To my delight the trend in interior design is behind decorating with bright hues. We’re seeing a move away from the washed out Scandi hues in favour of some zingy brights that carry some punch as well as desperately dark and murky hues.

Photograph by Joanna Henderson

Photograph by Joanna Henderson

Now, I understand decorating in this palette takes some guts, and it feels daunting with the worry of getting it wrong and then having to invest time and energy applying plenty of coats to block it out again. I’ve got some tips to give confidence in getting it right.

First up the trick to decorating with bold colour is to balance the look with contrasting neutrals. Whether that’s smart black and white for a up scale look or the softer natural tones of wood, creamy white or sultry grey.

Designed by Sophie Robinson for Ideal Home. Photograph by Dominic Blackmore

Designed by Sophie Robinson for Ideal Home. Photograph by Dominic Blackmore

Next add some natural accents. This could be some green foliage (I love ferns) or a little natural wood to counter balance the bold colours. Natural colours also add warmth, which can be a welcoming touch when you’re using strong acid brights or dark moody hues. A wooden floor, a leather armchair or an oak side table could be just enough.

Living room designed by Sophie Robinson for Ideal Home. Photograph by Simon Whitmore

Living room designed by Sophie Robinson for Ideal Home. Photograph by Simon Whitmore

Think about Colour Blocking (I have written a post on the very subject here)  as there is no rule that says you have to go for out and out colour on all four walls (although I’d urge you to every time!) A fabulous feature wallpaper or one wall painted in a punchy colour can do the job. For example I love deep azure blue next to soft dove grey or a screaming canary yellow next to smokey black.

 Found on escapadeblog.com

Found on escapadeblog.com

Also, colour doesn’t just apply to walls. Add colour in other ways, on furnishings and accessories. This is particularly relevant if you’re renting. A bright jewel coloured sofa in a pale grey room looks wonderful or a bright punchy pink headboard can create a dazzling focal point in a bedroom.

Designed by Sophie Robinson for Ideal Home. Photograph by Dominic Blackmore

Designed by Sophie Robinson for Ideal Home. Photograph by Dominic Blackmore

I think 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 some neutrals and naturals, then add the last 5% as an accent. This gives the look some pep and a little extra edge. My tip for success is to keep them all the same hue or saturation.

 Found on bhg.com

Found on bhg.com

Don’t be afraid to add pattern to your bold colour scheme- but I think bold prints work best as they can muscle up to the bold colours. Bold silhouettes, geometrics and large scale florals work well.

Photograph by Joanna Henderson

Photograph by Joanna Henderson

So where to start and find inspiration. You can start with a swatch of fabric or wallpaper and then pick out your colours from that with the knowledge that they all sit nicely together. Check out Harlequin, Designers Guild and GP & J Baker for some fantastic bold designs. For me, I love to decorate with a bold dark hue on the walls and then have fun collecting bright coloured artwork, fabrics and accessories that contrast dramatically.

Image from tallbox.org

Image from tallbox.org

You can watch me talk more on the subject of decorating with colour along with slides of my own projects on the housetohome website.

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comments

Found This Painted That on 20.11.14

Fantastic examples on a fantastic post. I too am a colour lover so, you sing it, sister!

Reply
This Peaceful Home on 20.11.14

Beautiful post (and blog!). I’m a fellow drama/colour lover, and love your aesthetic!

Reply
dyorzurc on 20.11.14

Reblogged this on ROYD CRUZ.

Reply
Sophie Robinson on 21.11.14

Great to find a fellow colour lover! Thanks for your kind comments

Reply
Tracy on 08.01.15

Hi Sophie, thank you for spending your time writing this post! I wonder if you could help me? I understand the concept of using colors of the same saturation. I am confused how to add bold color to my open plan room when the kitchen cupboards are a muddy brown orange with a very low saturation (laminex sorrel). Its complement (a low saturation pale blue) looks great against it, but I hoped to use color with more zest than pastels. Is this possible when any stronger color I choose will be markedly different to such a prominent element?

Reply
Sophie Robinson on 13.01.15

Yes, I think you can add a punch strong colour with your soft brown and soft blue. My advice would be to go 60% brown, 30% pale blue and then for the last 10% go very bright but only add a sliver. You can choose the right hue but maybe tangerine or lime would work? Just use as an accent in accessories like lamp shades, vases or an occasional chair. Also balance with some fresher neutral like a bright white. Good luck!

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Catch Sophie In All Her Colourful Glory On Instagram

Just jumping on here to high five all the parents Just jumping on here to high five all the parents who saw their kids off to school this morning after two long months of home schooling. While some are bouncing out the door my Arthur was full of anxiety this morning after so long at home, going back to school feels overwhelming. However I know that once he is reunited with his friends he’ll be back in the swing by the end of the week helped along by his amazing teachers who have just been incredible throughout this whole ordeal. 🙌  And I’m slightly giddy at the thought of reclaiming my office and being able to actually focus on work. Gosh it’s been hard hasn’t it but things are looking up! Have a gorgeously productive Monday folks! 

📷 @aluncallenderphoto 

#backtoschool #homeoffice #workingfromhome
It was an absolute JOY to pop up on @interiordesig It was an absolute JOY to pop up on @interiordesignmasters_tv last night and I feel super lucky to have been part of the show and to meet the talented line up of designers that @michelleogundehin had lined up! Michelle is a rare gem in the design world. She’s 100% authentically committed to championing the power  of design to exalt our experience. Which has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with creating extraordinary and thought out spaces that make us FEEL GOOD. Nothing does this better than a pink polka dot beach hut in my view! 
It’s this little bit of magic that’s hard to translate on mediums like Instagram and TV. You have to take our word for it! 
And while I’m  here, so much love for my Mac, the DM’s have been insane! I bought it last year from my fave little boutique @sirene.boutique and the label is @muntheofficial . Glad it brightened up your screens! 🥰 

#interiordesign #interiordesignmasters #interiordesignmasters_tv
Interiors Design masters is on the telly tonight! Interiors Design masters is on the telly tonight! BBC 2. And I’m sidling up with the fabulous @michelleogundehin and hilarious @chattyman on a joint mission to bring you the best in interior design talent. The competition hots up at this half way point as the designers are given beach huts in tonight’s challenge. The perfect brief that demands full throttle on the creativity while throwing every practical problem at them too. A tiny multifunctional space, sea, sand, sunshine and rain storms. And two judges who want to feel transported to sunnier climes. What could possibly go wrong! If I wasn’t blown away by the high winds I was whipped away by the incredible talent of @moneypennyinteriors @interiorcurve @charlottebeevor @lynseyforddesign @micaelasharpdesign . Enjoy! It’s a real beauty of a show, see you tonight at 8! @interiordesignmasters_tv 

#interiordesignmasters #
DAY 20 of #easywininteriors and I’m bringing the DAY 20 of #easywininteriors and I’m bringing the outside in! 20 days ago I was feeling heavy with lock down fatigue and endless grey skies, rain and endless mud. But as we reach the end of February the sun is coming out  and we’ve just been treated to the most beautiful blue skies and birdsong this weekend! It feels amazing that spring is around the corner, a time of rebirth, new life, hope and optimism. While this challenging period has highlighted to us the importance of home and our interiors have never mattered more, our outside spaces have also become fundamental to our wellbeing. I feel it’s really important to incorporate the great outdoors indoors. You can do this with a collection of houseplants and fresh flowers but also in the way your decorate. It’s no coincidence that we are drawn to floral and botanical motifs in our wallpapers, fabrics and artworks. They make us feel connected to nature and that makes us feel good. Nothing feels better than natural materials and indeed it’s been scientifically proven that when we touch real wood, it actively lowers our blood pressure. So if you don’t already, celebrate all of nature’s gifts and incorporate them in your schemes somehow.
So here we are, my 20 day count down to bring you to the doorstep of March has come to an end. I’ve loved seeing your #easywininteriors and getting a glimpse on how important our homes are to us and how they have the power to give us a little boost no matter how small. The wonderful  @kinteriorsuk has taken on the hashtag and will be posting daily for the next 10 days in March and so if you want to keep the easy win inspo  flowing, give her a follow, she has lots of ideas lined up for us all to get involved with. Thanks so much for following ime on this journey and hurrah for Spring! 

In the words of George Michael 
“I think I’m done with the sofa
I think I’m done with the hall
I think I’m done with the kitchen table baby
Let’s go outside!”🌷🌈😍 

#thegreatoutdoors #thegreatindoors #outsidein #happyinside #colourlover #banthebeige
DAY 19 of #easywininteriors and we are almost acro DAY 19 of #easywininteriors and we are almost across the finish line! Today my easy win to brighten up your home is artwork. I’m obsessed. I can remember the first piece of ‘art’ (as in not a framed poster) was back in 2000 at Battersea affordable arts fair and I bought a limited edition litho print of a blossom tree  and it felt so grown up! I still have it now, up in my hallway and it’s been in five different homes since I bought it. Collecting art, (as well as posters in frames) really makes a house a home for me and I love how certain pieces really make me remember particular times in my life . This is my latest piece, a portrait of my dog Lucy. I’ve discovered so many amazing artists here on Instagram but when I fell upon @georgiafiennesstudio I knew I had to have a piece of her work in my home. It’s just heavenly! I’ve never commissioned a piece before so it feels even more grown up but it’s just perfect because I love chintz and I love my dog and she bought both together. I’ve just got to wait to take it to the framers and then I can hang it in pride of place. I might have a switch about too and give the walls a new look while I’m at it. 🤩 

#easywininteriors #minibullie #minibullterrier #ihavethisthingwithchintz #ihavethisthingwithflowers #colourlover #banthebeige #artathome #portrait #countryinteriors
DAY 18 of #easywininteriors and I’m getting the DAY 18 of #easywininteriors and I’m getting the paintbrush out! Giving old and unappreciated brown furniture of coat of colour is not just easy but quick too and you get ooodles of satisfaction giving something a new lease of life. Since the sun is starting to poke it’s head out it’s the perfect opportunity to fling open the windows, roll out the dust sheet, and calm your senses with the therapeutic strokes of a paint brush. I transformed these battered old Ercol chairs that I found at a car boot sale with an undercoat of Zinsser and a top coat of eggshell so they really can withstand the knocks. ( here’s a tip, use a sash  brush for spindly furniture) I love how the pink legs pick up on the pink in the wallpaper. I’ve got a couple of pots of chalk paint waiting in the wings. This just might be the weekend to tackle the bedside tables at last! Have a wonderful weekend  and I hope the sun shines on you wherever you are! 

CREDITS Reclaimed terracotta tiles @ca_pietra_  Borastapeter Rubarber wallpaper @wallpaperdirect Clock @newgateclocks Doors painted in Rose Ash Light @sanderson1860 Everything else is vintage 

#easywininteriors #kitchen #countrykitchen #upcycle #upcycledfurniture #countryliving #countrylivingmodernrustic #countrykitchen #greenkitchen #greenandpink #interiorinspo #interiordesign
DAY 17 of #easywininteriors is all about making do DAY 17 of #easywininteriors is all about making do with what you’ve got and making it work. For most of us, decorating our home and choosing all the things we want to go with it is a long if not a life time journey and there are plenty of compromises along the way. One of the ways I make do with things I’m less happy about is with distraction. You can use colour to draw the eye and highlight the bits you do like and similarly blend away the areas that need to fade into the back ground. For me joinery, radiators and my unattractive windows all get painted in the same colour so they fall to the background and then the cushions and artwork can come to the fore and catch your eye. I painted these lovely old solid wood doors bright yellow on a whim with some left over paint. It was a quick and easy way to inject a burst of  colour joy. So don’t discount doors and architraves as a fun way to play with colour, but only if you have nice ones. 
On the PODCAST today @mad_about_the_house and I discuss more ways you can make do. I interview leading interior designer and queen of colour and pattern @nicolahardingandco who has amazing insights on how to go about planning your schemes, conjure mouthwatering colour palettes and work with what you’ve got. And our style surgery is from Callum who finds himself stuck with a shiny blue green sofa which he doesn’t love and doesn’t know what to put with. Obviously cover it with cushions and distract the eye with A bright yellow door Callum! 

If you have a question for our style surgery do please send it in as we are lining them up for the next series and we’d love to hear from you! Drop us an email to thegreatindoorspod@gmail.com.You can here all our ramblings and insights on today’s show The Great Indoors and thankyou to @katetaylorldn for producing the show. 

#thegreatindoors #bluesofa #yellowdoor #banthebeige #interiorspodcast #podcast #interiordesign #interiorinspo
DAY 16 of #easywininteriors and I’m extolling th DAY 16 of #easywininteriors and I’m extolling the benefits of an occasional chair. I’ve always loved occasional chairs primarily for their decorative function. I’m a patterned fabric addict and so an occasional chair I’d another opportunity to add more pattern, more colour and another cushion to boot! But during these extended periods of lock down and staying at home I’ve appreciated the quiet little corners they offer. I’m lucky enough to find a space for one here on my landing but they can also find a home in a bedroom, a home office, under the stairs or indeed #lifegoals in the bathroom. So rather than playing second fiddle to THE SOFA put your occasional chair in pride of place and grab yourself 5 minutes solitude! Most of mine are junk shop funds bought back to live with my hoarded stash of remnant fabrics. So it’s time to raid grannies attic and  create a seat that makes you smile . 🥰  use the hashtags #easywininteriors to share your favourite corners of escape.

#easywininteriors #vintagearmchair #armchair #occassionalchair #colourlover #banthebiege
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