OPEN THE DOOR TO NEW COLOURS THIS FALL
Forgo spaces decked out in one solid colour and imagine cleverly painted accent walls, hallways with two- toned panache, and fabulously painted furniture pieces. This season, everyone’s playfully experimenting with tone and texture.
“Getting ready for fall has never been more fun and easy than with trying a new colour in your home,” said Alison Goldman, brand manager for CIL.
“This year, it’s all about using great feature wall colours in deep hues. For a classic yet dramatic look, try pairing a deep red accent wall with a soft neutral. For a sophisticated and luxurious style, try using accents of rich violets or a beautiful teal.”
Benjamin Moore is pushing a wide range of rich colours for fall.
“Autumn is such a rich season for colour and every year we can’t help but try and mimic them,” said Sophie Bergeron, colour and design manager with Benjamin Moore. “We think we have to use orange and fall colours, but not necessarily.
“To create a warm and cosy environment you don’t need to use warm colours. For example, greens are our favourite. This colour really hits the mark for being punchy and warm, and it’s a colour that speaks for itself.
“And when we talk about fall colour this year we can’t not mention the berry family — they feel cosy and create a warm interior. It was very popular in fashion this year and will continue to be popular for a few years. It’s a must this fall as a main colour or accent colour — it lights up a room and creates a warm feeling at the same time.
“Breath of Fresh Air, our colour of the year, was very popular last year, and we’re talking about it today because we don’t always think of blue as being warm. We automat-
ically think blue is cold and it can’t be further from the truth.”
Different paint colours can be used in various ways in order to create a wide range of effects.
“Paint the inside of your closet an unexpected colour that you can hide away when the door is closed,” said Martin Tustin- Fuchs, brand manager for Dulux Paints. “Paint the back of your bookshelves to create interest and design.
“Make the staircase to the basement a sharp colour instead of white.
“Paint the inside of your kitchen cabinets a bright accent colour for a pop of colour when you open up the cabinets.” And don’t forget to look up! “Ceilings are ‘ fifth walls’,” Goldman said. “Don’t default to white when painting your ceiling.
“To make low ceilings appear higher, continue the wall colour a little beyond the walls and onto the ceilings.
“You can tape a straight line, or add crown moulding to the ceiling to delineate the different areas.
“Or add a bold colour to ceilings for a cosy, intimate feeling.
“Dining rooms, dens and ‘ man caves’ are traditional places for dark ceilings, but powder rooms, formal living rooms and even kids’ rooms are great places to experiment with brighter colours,” Alison Goldman said.
Accent walls are also a fantastic way to infuse a room with visual impact.
“One wall painted a darker colour than the other walls adds interest and a designer look to the room,” Martin Tustin- Fuchs said.
“Which wall should be your accent wall? It should be the first wall you see when you walk into the space — such as the wall with a fireplace, or the wall that your bed is up against, or one with a gorgeous piece of artwork.”
This fall, let the gorgeous colours inspire you to give your interior a seasonal makeover.
“Paint is the least expensive way to update a room,” Tustin- Fuchs said. “Your furnishings, accents and artwork will look completely different when you simply change the colour. Everything will seem new again.
“Let the colour of your space show your personality and be an extension of who you are. Your home should say: ‘ This is me, this is who I am!’ ”