Bringing it back to interiors - Similarly to yellow, pairing orange with dark colours grounds its a bit and keeps it as a feature colour. Your eye is drawn to it but not overwhelmed by it. This space below by Pei Lau shows how the dark blue cabinetry calms the bright orange soft furniture in front of it. This colour combination of dark blue and orange work really well. If you wanted to you could go one step further and introduce a fabulous pattern such as this room by Sandra Baker (@the_idle_hands) where she used a burnt orange sofa contrasted with an intricate dark blue wallpaper. Equally pairing orange with a plain lighter colour can still feel quite calm as long as its a slightly softer orange. Here in a space captured by Nicoe Franzen, you can see how the faded pumpkin colour adds warmth without overpowering the space.
If you are a brave and want to create a high energy space, go for it! Orange panelling can really highlight dark artwork or also be used smartly to highlight a feature such as a door or reading nook. See how by changing the balance and the way it is used can create a different feeling ?
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Adding greens to a yellow can turn it muddy or even brown. Finding the correct shade is so important. I learnt this when using it for a clients study space recently where we tried 3 different yellows. Despite a south facing window, the light had a green element due to the large trees outside - this changed how the colour looked in different times of the day. Also I would advise seeing it on a large sample. This is definitely not the colour you want to get wrong. Get a big paper and paint it from edge to edge in your sample, as a solitary brush stroke will only look like a stain.
;The great thing about yellow is that, as it is such a strong colour it can be used as an accent in any space and highlight any feature you wish. Here are a few examples; Go bold and colour block a reading nook or even simply creating a yellow circle around a simple bulb hanging - genius. It is a great front door colour (I am biased I know) but its like a ray of sunshine when you come home or greet guests. Nothing is better than a bright door and a welcoming smile!!
Here are my top 5 must haves in Yellow!Top Left Clockwise:
Minnen bed (IKEA), Giant basket weave merinio (MizzKnits), Dulwich sofa (Rose & Grey), Large yellow Strom jug (Trouva), Arbaaz star bright yellow rug (Latitude Vive)
So I got to work measuring out the walls and the spaces available to start my panelling adventure. It is really important to note details such as where plugs and switches are, or where your radiator is fitted. If you don't consider these you could end up with a proportion of your panel distorted by the radiator - whereas if you consider it, then you can design around it making it a more considered look.
After I was happy with the provisional panel layouts and how the room would look, I got to a second measurement. This ensured that I had the correct lengths and knew how many of each I needed. It might sound completely daft but make sure that you measure from fixed points, and measure from the outside of each panel. After that check your local timber yard or DIY store for the right type of beading to use. I ordered mine online as I knew I needed a lot. I did some maths to calculate which is the best way to cut the pieces out of the pre-cut lengths that are delivered. Lets say a piece of beading is 2m long, you might be able to get two lengths of 80cm and one of 40cm out of it if you cut it carefully. Its unfortunately not as easy as adding up all the lengths you need, as you will want to have as few joints as possible, and therefore keeping them to the corners as much as you can. Lightly sand the cut edges and I would also write in pencil on the back of them the lengths that they are, its so easy to get confused and spend ages re-measuring. Once you have all your pieces, you will need a ladder, a level, and a nail gun (trust me you don't want to be doing this with a simple nail and hammer, it will take you years). Some people advocate gluing them to the wall first before nailing them in. I skipped this bit and opted to just nail them in as I had a pneumatic nail gun which packed a punch. I would start from the smallest panel and do two adjoining sides first, this makes it easier to triangulate the remaining two sides so you get a whole square/rectangle.
I had a conversation with a client last week about what style her interiors should be. She mentioned how she felt torn between the design that she loved and the age of the building. I've had this discussion myself with various other clients and thought I would share my thoughts with you today. The way I see it is, you have three ways of doing things. Congruous design:
Playing within the design boundaries of the period of your home can help your interiors feel more linked and give them a sense of permanence. The trick to not make it look dated or tired is to use nods to the era but slightly more updated versions. There is a very satisfying joy of using vernacular pieces in a home. Like when you find the perfect Eames mid century arm chair for your lounge, or that gorgeous Edwardian bookcase for your alcove. It can fit like a glove and seem so timelessly beautiful. Incongruous design:In this method of designing, you note the architectural age of the property, but go off-piste with your design. This can be quite exciting and scary for some people but can really render some incredible rooms. This can work both ways, old to new and new to old. Some incredible spaces can be created by contrasting the style of the interiors to the architecture. Think of a gorgeous plastered ceiling and then a beautifully sleek modern sofa with an iridescent coffee table. Totally clashing but also beautifully striking. In reverse if you had a modern box of a room with beautiful floor to ceiling windows, why not bring some vintage charm in with an elaborate vintage Persian rug and an antique console table. Immediately enriching the space and displaying the antiques as art pieces within themselves. Some people find this design a bit jarring but when done well, and for the right person, it can render some incredible spaces that are a joy to live in and experience. Hybrid design:Here a combination of the above is used. So In an old home, using some modern and vintage pieces together to tie in the interiors with the home but also bring it forward into the modern age and ensure that the space doesn't look like a museum. Or in a modern home, balancing off the ultra modern design pieces with some older pieces - therefore introducing a mixed design. This can be a tricky affair to master but is also quite fun to play around with. It means you don't have to stick to one or the other, but just follow the beauty, and experiment with the look. It gives you more flexibility and also helps create a really eclectic and curated space filled with your favourite pieces. And if you are anything like me, and a bit of a magpie for beautiful things. You will be able to have a home that sparks joy at every corner.
Introduce character - I needed some soul in my place. A new build has no history, no-one inhabited this space 20 stories up in the air at any time before me. So there I was the pioneer, needing to inject some humanity into this man-made space. I went vintage. This was a cheap and environmentally sustainable way of decorating my home. I trawled the vintage markets around Manchester for anything from vintage frames to ottomans and serving plates. Things that caught my eye came home with me. That reflected some of my soul back into my space. I still do this from time to time. Command 3m Hooks are great! I had most of my art work up on these babies, and they rock! They don't destroy your walls and are super easy to move about. Winner! If I was giving advice now to myself a few years ago , I would say: Don't be too precious with those brilliant white walls. Enjoy it a little, go for colour. If you really do not think that your property will sell with that colour on the walls, you (or the new owners) can re-paint it when it comes to selling. Also buy once and better, I had some purchases that after 3 years of life, looked very worn, and that s fine, but there is no point in wasting your hard earned cash on something that isn't going to last you any significant period of time. I totally sobbed when I locked the front door of my flat for the very last time. The movers were beside themselves. And even though I love my current home, there is always a little special place in my heart for my first nest.
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