Design_How To
Contrast with monochromes Richly toned walls add character and a touch of drama to any room. This deep turquoise works well, as the rest of the scheme has been left neutral. To add depth to a room with walls in a solid colour, accessorise with mix and match patterns in neutral tones, such as grey, white and black. Here, the geometric monochrome rug works brilliantly without looking too busy.
Add a block of colour If you want to add some jewel tones to your walls, but are reluctant to cover the whole room, how about a block or bold stripe instead? It’s more interesting than painting one full wall, and not too difficult to change should you tire of it. Adding another item to the room in the same colour will bring the scheme together. Here, the yellow wall has been complemented by some logs and cushions in a matching hue.
Paint your flooring Coloured flooring is a big trend for 2017 and pretty much any jewel tone would look fantastic underfoot. To achieve a vibrant floor, wash, dry and sand your existing floorboards, then paint with primer followed by a couple of coats of specialist floor paint. To keep them in good condition, clean them weekly and repaint every now and again. For a more luxurious feel, go for a soft, jewel-bright carpet. Alternatively, a large rug would have the same effect without being as permanent.
Layer your lighting Most areas of your home will benefit from a combination of task and mood lighting. This will enable you to change the ambience of a space at the flick of a switch. Where possible, it’s well worth putting the main lights in living and kitchen spaces on dimmer switches. In a bathroom, you may want to combine base-level mood spotlights with task lighting around the basin and a main ceiling light. In this formal living room, a large, tiered, Arctic Pear chandelier is used in combination with ceiling spotlights and a pair of eye-level wall lights either side of the fireplace. In a room of this size, the addition of table lamps would not be excessive.
Have fun in a kid’s room Children’s rooms are usually inspiring and fun, so are great spaces to let your creativity run wild. In this nursery, layers of pattern add visual interest to all parts of the room. There’s pattern on the ceiling, the walls, the window treatments, the bedding and even the pouffe. What makes this mix of patterns work is the balanced colour scheme, which is inspired by the polka-dot pattern on the blind. By matching your scheme with one pattern in the room, you’ll ensure the total look is a success.
Jessica Buckley Interiors Save Email Weave in a patterned lining This bed canopy is a quirky feature in the room and the patterned fabric adds even more interest. It’s a fun idea to use a different fabric on each side and it works well here with the contrast between a floral design and a geometric one. This same principle can be used for curtains, too. Instead of going for a plain lining, you could choose a contrasting pattern instead.
Experiment with monochrome If you’re not feeling confident about mixing patterns, a black and white colour scheme would be a good place to start. By using a monochrome palette, you can guarantee that pretty much any combination of patterns will work. Once you get this right, it may inspire you to introduce another colour.
Pick colours from your rug A great way to build a scheme is to use a patterned rug as your starting point. Pick out the key colours and select fabric designs with similar tones. Here, each piece of furniture is covered with a different pattern, but the repetitive use of pink and green gives the space a harmonious look.
Give furniture a boost Update an old piece of furniture or an area of shelving with a lick of bright paint. It will give new life to the item or zone, and add a focal point to the room. The sapphire bookcase here looks striking and works well with the glass and metallic elements elsewhere in the scheme.
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