A QUACKING LOOK
Duck egg shades are the perfect way to make a home feel summery all year round,
Duck-egg blue is a decorator’s dream – it suits almost any room. It works well with English countryside styles (like this), a coastal theme, or Scandi style.
It’s not actually a colour, but a spectrum of shades ranging from
green-ish to blue-ish to grey-ish – and you don’t have to stick to just one, they work well together too.
Layer duck egg with shades of pink, white and antique cream.
You can add in pastels, but shades with duskier undertones look more refined than punchy ones (strong pastels can be a bit like a baby’s bedroom). Exposed woodwork adds to the natural feel.
Go bold with florals. This room stands out because of the magnolia-print wallpaper, picked out in accessories around the room. If covering the walls is too much for your taste, go for a floral print on a sofa or chair and keep the walls plain.
Add romantic touches, such as butterfly pictures, candles, or flowery cushions. Don’t overdo them, though – you don’t want it to look chintzy.
Bring more space and light to the room with slim-legged furniture. Traditional, chunky sofas look good raised on slim feet and match well with standard lamps on slender stems and coffee or side tables on ornate column legs, so light comes through them.
Big mirrors give lots of extra light to a room. You can go much bigger than you think, even in a small room, if you choose one divided into sections, so it looks like an antique leaded window.
Double up curtains and blinds on patio doors to get the best of both worlds. In summer, you can use just the blinds to block light during the day and to shut at night.
In winter when it’s colder, closing the curtains as well will retain much more heat.