Indigo

​Hello my fellow colourphiles! Welcome back to my colour series. In this series I want to delve deeper into each colour of the rainbow and pick out exciting and inspiring new ways to use it. I wanted to do this to challenge myself from always going back to the same, safe colours that I know and love and develop a wider pallete to be able to deliver more exciting design to my clients and their spaces.  We have already done yellow, orange, red and violet interiors so head to those for more inspiration. Today we are going to talk about indigo! This is the colour between blue and violet in the spectrum and has a very saturated tone. I must say this is one of my favourites! Its such a great and easy colour to work with and can be used as either a dominant or accent colour easily. Also I think it is a favourite with a lot of people and therefore can help make a scheme easier to take on and allow you to go bolder. 

Some people will ask - what is the difference between indigo and blue?! Well technically indigo is a pigment extracted from a plant called Indigofera and has been in use since antiquity. The colour has a very saturated hue and is a blue with quite a bit of red purple undertones - if you see where it lies in the colour spectrum this makes a lot of sense.
So now how should one use it in their interiors. In its essence it is a dark saturated colour so I want to show you the best ways I think it can be used ranging from lighter interiors to darker spaces. You can have it faded or bleached or with greyer undertones added to soften the colour. 

Indigo bedding styled to perfection Image source: Soul of Gerringong

A gorgeous vintage cupboard painted a deep indigo colour. Image source: VTwonen

Felt tip indigio blue wallpaper by 2LG studio for Graham & Brown

So first and foremost - using indigo as an accent colour is brilliant. It immediately adds drama and depth to any interior. Its so easy to combine it with neutrals and it fits in easily in classic and modern interiors equally. Using light and airy neutrals with such a deep colour has a nice grounding effect and keeps the space balanced between the light and darker colours. See how it is used above, sparingly on soft furnishings to add interest or as an accent colour piece of furniture. A really smart tool used here is keeping the same colour but implementing it in different patterns and textures such as the block indigo as the throw but different prints in the cushions. Equally on the cupboard, the black pieces above it have blue undertones that really tie in neatly. 

Kitchen by McGee & Co

Indigo walls in my clients bedroom. We used Little Greene's Thai Sapphire paint to achieve this.

Go a bit bolder and choose it as a main kitchen colour as done here by the incredible team at McGee & Co. Its timelessness  means that you wont ever get bored of it and using it just on the bottom cabinets means you keep a light and airy feel. I love how they used more neutrals ad brass elements in this space to give it a very classic feel without being heavy or predictable. 

I have used indigo in my owns paces and my clients spaces to create both dark and cosy spaces, also bright and airy spaces. It all depends on the proportions that you use. 

I used indigo in my family bathroom to create a classic but bold look.

For more drama, go crazy with indigo. Paint nearly everything in it to create a moody sophisticated look, or add even more depth with panelling. Always add some neutrals and warm woods to contrast. 

Inky indigo walls and perfect vintage styling by Rockett St George

Gorgeous indigo walls Photo by Pia Ulin

Indigo interior accessories perfectly complementing eachother. Image by Sainsburys

I absolutely love this colour! I could go on and on, but let me know how you would use it by commenting below. Or if you want to find out more about what we are up to follow us on social media (buttons below) and subscribe to my newsletter.