Painting the way

Are you yearning to feel sun-bronzed in these chilly times, considering flirting with a little pink, or maybe dreaming of serene blue skies?
The Langton kitchen, painted in Serenity by Pantone, available from Burbidge Kitchens. Photo: PA Photo/HandoutThe Langton kitchen, painted in Serenity by Pantone, available from Burbidge Kitchens. Photo: PA Photo/Handout
The Langton kitchen, painted in Serenity by Pantone, available from Burbidge Kitchens. Photo: PA Photo/Handout

You may be surprised to learn that you’re probably not simply longing for spring - you’re succumbing to the power of paint.

The colour for 2016, according to Dulux, is Cherished Gold, while the paint wizards at Pantone have chosen blushing Rose Quartz and Serenity, a soft blue, and the trio are tipped to make their mark on our decor this year.

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They’ve already strongly influenced the colour palette of the new home ranges, which means there’s no problem picking up on whichever colour appeals. I’ll guarantee it won’t be long before you’ll be thinking you can’t live without one, or maybe two, of these fashionable shades.

So be inspired, and colour up with one, or play with all three...

CHERISHED GOLD

This rich, ochre gold shade moves away from the in-your-face ‘bling’ of metallics and instead has an earthy, burnished quality, which sits well in a period of contemporary setting.

“Gold and tones of gold are being used everywhere in the design world,” says Rebecca Williamson, senior colour design and content manager at Dulux. “It’s a recurring colour and it’s featuring strongly in graphic design, as well as in architecture, fashion, beauty and interior decoration.

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“We feel Cherished Gold is extremely versatile and can act almost like a neutral, and works beautifully with many colours in the spectrum. It’s naturally evolved from last year’s colour of the year, Copper Blush, and is perfectly in tune for the continuing desire to use metallics to add glamour to our interiors.”

DECOR TIP: Cherished Gold can be in unifying force in a room, rather than an overwhelming one, if used sparingly. Pair with cool neutrals, warm browns or even a gutsy chocolate and light wood, for a sophisticated, contemporary look. Alternatively, it will act as a grounding force with sharp citrus shades or chalky pastel hues, like duck egg.

GET THE LOOK: Consider a feature wall in Cherished Gold, which could harmonise with a mouth-watering brown, such as Rum Caramel, or a greeny Atlas Blue. Both available in matt emulsion, from £24.49 for 2.5L, Dulux.

Metallic finishes, especially golds, are featuring strongly in tile collections, and Topps Tiles has a particularly appropriate, glossy finish, Diamante Ocre, £43 per square metre.

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If you simply want to experiment with the shade, start with a few accessories to test your enthusiasm for it. For example, capture two trends in one - tropical birds and gold - with Gold Parrot Bookends, £42, MiaFleur, or treat yourself to a luxurious silk cushion from In Spaces: a Pink On Ochre Cushion, £46. My favourite buy is a Copper Cork & Ceramic Vase, £62, Quince Living, which would make a beautiful focal point on a shelf with a Cherished Gold painted wall.

ROSE QUARTZ

This gentle rose tone is calming and easy to interpret. Go more candy and sugary sweet if you want girly decor, while pure pale pink will provide a classic backdrop.

“There’s no easier way to add colour to your interiors than to inject it with comforting pastel tones, and Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Rose Quartz, is a perfect example,” says Samantha Parish, interior design manager at Hypnos Beds.

“This soothing shade adds a soft, feminine and welcoming touch to an interior scheme. While pastel-based shades are renowned for their mood-enhancing and lifting qualities, be careful not to pair them with too many colours in one room, as this can make a setting feel too busy and jumbled. Instead, pick it as a dominant colour and complement with smaller doses of a secondary, harmonising shade, to create a grown-up, sophisticated look.”

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DECOR TIP: Rose Quartz pairs well with rich browns, greens, purples, and yellows but for an on-trend interpretation, match it with a calming shade of light grey. Enhance with soft metallics, rose gold or copper, and wood accessories.

GET THE LOOK: Pantone’s Rose Quartz is a cool, clean pink, but there are a variety of shades which will equally fit the bill. My favourite is November Gorse, available in emulsion, £36 for 2L; eggshell, £48, and wood gloss finish, £48, from Paint By Conran.

Muddy pets and children aside, an elegant pink sofa can’t fail to make a statement, and Content by Conran’s slim, sleek Matador 2 Seater Sofa, from £1,495, can be upholstered in Rose Quartz. If your setting is more traditional, you could plump for a Bailey Velvet Maxi Sofa in dusty pink, currently reduced from £1,599 to £1,499, DFS.

Tranquil decor’s essential in the bedroom if you want sweet dreams, and Julien Macdonald’s new pink ruched Arrietta bedlinen, from £25 to £70, in the designer’s Star range for Debenhams, could add a touch of Hollywood glamour. Bathrooms deserve treats too, and new online interiors company, Sheridan, is bursting with goodies. I particularly covet a Luxury Retreat stack of towels, in soft Dusk pink, currently reduced to £31 from £62 (restocked next week).

SERENITY

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Just looking up at an expanse of pale blue sky is uplifting, and Pantone’s cool Serenity is a safe bet for those who want to create a fresh, airy, tranquil room.

“Serenity is an almost ethereal shade and it’s calming influence is said to create feelings of ‘respite and relaxation, even in turbulent times’, so frankly, who could ask for more?” says Mike Stephen, director at Apollo Blinds.

“Whether utilised in stripes, a coastal scheme, floral patterns, or as a block of colour across home accessories, or even an entire room, this peaceful blue imparts a sense of order and peace. Blue is still strongly featuring in interiors and this would work well contrasting with a deep indigo or a bright cerulean.”

DECOR TIP: If you really want to show off your decor savvy credentials, pair Serenity with Rose Quartz and then indulge in metallics. Silver would work best for sparkle, or enliven with pops of yellow.

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GET THE LOOK: Washed out blues are the order of the day, and Colours China Blue Emulsion, £13.94 for 2.5L, B&Q, is a beauty. Floors - so often left until last, when they should be considered first - can look stunning if well carpeted. Brintons’ comprehensive selection includes the Bell Twist, available in China Blue, from £39.99.

Grey may currently rule in kitchens but blue is set to make its mark, and Burbidge Kitchens has a Langton Painted kitchen available in Serenity by Pantone, which starts from £12,000. In a living area, a chunky button-back sofa can look far less dominating in a light shade, which is certainly proved by a Bloomsbury 3 Seater Sofa, upholstered in Harbour Wedgewood, from Harveys, and another bonus - it’s currently reduced to £809 from £1,285. An occasional chair is always useful for a spare room or bedroom, and a Peggy armchair, from £460, can be upholstered in a sky blue, from Sofa.com.

Bring on more blues in the bedroom with one of the many blue bedding sets from from Lexington. My tip? Lookout for its beautiful Jacquard Bedding in February, from £129.

PAINTERLY SOURCES

Apollo Blinds: 01924 413 048/apollo-blinds.co.uk

B&Q: 0845 850 0175/diy.com

Brintons: 0800 505 055/brintons.co.uk

Burbidge Kitchens: 02476 671 600/www.burbidge.co.uk

Content by Conran: 020 8150 8380/contentbyconran.com

Debenhams: 08445 61 61 61/debenhams.com

DFS: 01302 330 365/dfs.co.uk

Dulux: 0333 222 7171/dulux.co.uk

Harveys: 0344 372 1000/harveysfurniture.co.uk

Hypnos: 01844 348 200/hypnosbeds.com

In Spaces: 07879 012 294/in-spaces.com

Lexington Company: lexingtoncompany.com

Paint by Conran: paintbyconran.com

Miafleur: 0116 298 6393/miafleur.com

Quince Living: 01738 449 098/quinceliving.co.uk

Sheridan: 01925 453 410/sheridanaustralia.co.uk

Sofa.com: 0345 400 2222/sofa.com

Topps Tiles: 0800 783 6262/toppstiles.co.uk