14 Jul 14

Colour Blocking. The playful way to decorate

Image by dailymail.co.uk

Injecting colour into a room scheme is my all time favourite way to decorate.

In my view, an all-neutral scheme is just desperate for a bolt of colour to breath life into it. Take this view to the extreme and your looking at decorating in bright bold colours. ‘Colour blocking’ was a big catwalk trend a few years ago and whatever sashays down the catwalk is often soon seen walking into our homes and I’m beginning to see homes popping with vibrant colour.

The key to successful colour blocking is to use bold colours of the same tone and saturation. This is a look that will instantly loose impact if you start adding pastels or dark hues, so hold your nerve!

For the scheme to work well I’d recommend going for a maximum of three colours. For example pick one for walls, another for large items of furniture like a sofa or wardrobe and the third as the accent, like cushions or an occasional chair. This will give the room some pace and keep the scheme looking playful, rather than childish. Black, white and grey can appear as a neutral but the key is to go bold, or go home!

With colour blocking the emphasis is on block colour, so avoid busy patterns. A bold geometric or stripe could work or just one decorative element like a cushion, but flat blocks of colour is what’s required to make this style work best. Let the colour do the talking rather than fussy patterns adding to the chatter.

Have fun thinking of places to add the colour. In an alcove, the back of a book case, a headboard, rug, or recover the seat pads of your sofa. This look is all about making big bold statements for a fun interior bursting with personality and vitality.