If you think that wall paint is used only for decorative purposes i.e. slapping on a wall, then you’d be wrong.
At the launch of Little Greene Paint Company’s new colours for 2017, I was reminded of two things. Not only do Little Greene show us that colour is back in fashion (hooray!), but through their stunning styling and photographs they also illustrate how these colours can be used as tools or devices for our interiors.
I am inspired by their ideas and so I thought I’d share these with you.
So you have a large, flat surface to paint. You don’t have much furniture (new home perhaps and no budget left) but you can’t bear the thought of staring at an empty plane for a year or so. By dividing up your wall into sections with paint (do LOTS of work on this, getting the proportions right) and picking up those areas in your preferred palette, the empty-wall problem is solved. You probably won’t need/want to buy any furniture after all.
Picking out architectural details in a strong contrast (not white please!) is a great way to add colour. Even if the space has no detailing or woodwork at all, this can always be created. For example, by painting a strip of about five centimetres around the door frame in a contrasting colour, an architrave is magically added. Below are examples of contrasting woodwork but also images showing how to keep everything tonal i.e. the same colour as the walls. I am huge fan of both. Its depends what look you are after.
It is a misconception that the whole house should be one or two palettes. Little Greene show us how to be bold and not fear having a totally different colour from one room to the next. The chosen colours would need to work visually, i.e. don’t just close your eyes and point to any square on those paint charts. But apart from that, the colour wheel is your oyster.
I tend to opt for similar tones in one room, but the rooms schemes below remind me to think outside the box and be brave. They show us that having many colours in one room does not turn it into a circus tent. I am all for colours and fun interiors, but sometimes you do want a fairly calm scheme. Little Greene show us how to create a calm scheme with colour, not neutrals.
So there we have four ways of using colours as tools to enhance our space. It can be done!
Would you be brave enough to try any of the above?
NB All new colours available from 22nd May 2017.
All images courtesy of Little Greene Paint Company