PERFECT MATCH Expert advice on pairing colours to marvellous effect
WHICH SHADES WORK WELL TOGETHER? INTERIOR DESIGNERS AND COLOUR EXPERTS REVEAL HOW TO TEAM TONES FOR DIFFERENT EFFECTS
BALANCING ACT
I wanted to push boundaries when it came to the colour combinations at the Parisian Hotel Les Deux Gares (right) and to challenge the idea that guests always want to stay in bland boxes. However, I don’t believe in throwing a rainbow of colours at a room: there needs to be balance and control. So, we have an olive-green bedroom with orange woodwork, and a violet one with emerald woodwork. The ceilings are painted a caramel tan tone, while the carpets feature a geometric blank and beige pattern. The tension between the black and the warm neutrals and punchy tones is what makes the rooms exciting and, I hope, elegant instead of overly sugary.
LUKE EDWARD HALL, lukeedwardhall.com →
CREATING HARMONY
There are no hard and fast rules about what colours should be paired but we can learn a huge amount from nature, where colours harmonise and partner naturally. Colours never need to match; they just need to sit happily together. Look at how they react with each other – some will recede while others will demand attention. When using different shades in adjoining rooms (left), they should both have the same tonal weight. For example, rich India Yellow in one room sits compatibly alongside leaden Down Pipe in the next because neither feels more important than the other.
JOA STUDHOLME, colour curator, Farrow & Ball, farrow-ball.com
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Colour pairing is essential when creating a tranquil environment (right). Usually we tend to paint the skirting and doors in a different colour from the walls to create definition and add interest to a room. For me, there are no rules. It is more about how the colour combinations make you feel – I’ve seen some that I would never have dreamed of pairing but that look wonderful. The only thing I won’t do is team brilliant white with other colours; I find it is too harsh and cold, especially in the UK where the light is grey. If I use white, I always add some of my favourite pigments, such as raw and burnt umber or yellow ochre, to achieve warmth and depth and ultimately add more visual interest.
FRANCESCA WEZEL, founder, Francesca’s Paints, francescaspaint.com
SATURATION POINT
Our signature colour combination is pink and green (left) – we love the vibrancy and boldness that it brings. You can do it in a chic, muted way as we might have seen in the Georgian era, or turn up the saturation and suddenly it looks young and fun, almost tropical. I think this works particularly well in a bathroom, where you can be braver with colour and inject bright pure glossiness with tiles. If you surround yourself with tones that make you feel happy, your home will be your sanctuary. This bathroom is one of my favourites: it is bright, joyful and uplifting.
LUCY BARLOW, founder, Barlow & Barlow, barlowandbarlow.com
NATURAL TONES
The tones that help us to concentrate are the ‘base colours’ of nature but adapted to indoor lighting. Paler nuances of blue and green aid focus so are ideal for working environments such as home offices as well as reading rooms and libraries, and they are particularly effective when using paint made from natural pigments. Other elements that create a good area to work in, and also bring harmonious colours to a space, are green plants, which increase the ability to focus and boost the immune system, and lots of natural materials such as wood, which is thought to have the power to lower stress levels and blood pressure when you touch it.
DAGNY THURMANN-MOE, creative director, KOI Colour Studio, koifargestudio.no