Inspiration

Quince is a yellow-green colour that, like all greens, works especially well in a kitchen because it brings a wholesome, healthy feel to a room. Try combining it with Salt, which is one of our softer whites, and Flax Blue which is equally as fresh and uplifting. Because it’s such an energising combination, this palette also works well in a home office.

For a scheme that looks bright by day and moody by night, try soothing, deep Navy on the walls (or a large piece of furniture if walls feels like too much) and Shell, which is a creamy white, on the ceiling and woodwork.

A relaxing bedroom needs gentle colours that don’t feel cold. Mist is a contemporary mid-grey that has a warmth to it and would work beautifully on the walls, along with Snow on the ceiling and Shell on the woodwork. You can inject colour highlights through fabrics and bed linen.

Pink is a fun – and slightly unexpected choice – for a busy bathroom, but its flattering tones mean it’s a favourite at any time of night or day. It feels smart but not austere. Use the comforting, warm Old Rose on the walls (either in paint or with our Barbury tiles), paint the ceiling in Snow and use a neutral like Lily for the woodwork and joinery.

Painting everything in a room – the walls, doors and woodwork – in one colour feels both contemporary and cocooning, and is a useful way of making less-than-pretty features fade into the background. Moss and Cactus are cool green-greys that work well in all spaces and look particularly good with plants.

If you’d like your workspace to feel calm, soothing and dignified, go for Old Rose on the walls; paint shelves and storage in a strong, deep grey like Ink; use Silver Birch, which is a warm, creamy grey, on the woodwork; and finish with Snow on the ceiling.

In a hallway (and particularly if it’s a fairly dark, small or uninviting one), try a rich yellow like Saffron on the walls to add warmth and depth. Combine it with Fog, a classic grey, on the woodwork and Shell on the ceiling to create a smart but impactful welcome.

This outdoorsy palette works particularly well in country houses or those where there’s a lot of natural wood and stone finishes. Experiment with the traditional mellow tones of Old Chalk on walls, ceiling and woodwork, then bring in a rich, dark colour like Olive on a dresser or upholstered piece. Finish with russet reds or oranges such as Chestnut as an accent.

Don’t think of rooms in isolation as often you’ll have vistas from one room to another and the eye should travel smoothly between the spaces. So, when you’re planning a redecoration, think about the flow and consider using analogous colours which are a group of hues positioned next to each other on the colour wheel; usually a dominant colour, say pale blue, then a secondary colour, say navy, and a third colour that’s either a mix of the first two or an accent, say turquoise. Think of the harmonious flow in Monet’s Water Lilies where the similar colours create a serene mood. Handily, all our core palettes consist of analogous colours making picking a scheme much easier. For a successful ground floor flow, try moving from Cactus, to Moss, to French Grey to Lily, and use Snow on the woodwork to pull the scheme together.