USING BLOCK COLOURS
Like Camila Gimenos and her husband Nicolas, choose bold hues for dramatic effect
Abig trend that started in the world of fashion, and is now an established style in home decor, colour blocking is the practice of combining several hues to create a statement look. The technique is suited to any area of the house but is most commonly used in showcase rooms, such as reception rooms, master bedrooms and even halls.
Versatile style
For those who want an attentiongrabbing scheme, colour blocking is perfect if contrasting primary hues are employed. The received wisdom is that the most striking combinations are achieved when using shades that are opposite on the colour wheel, such as yellow and blue, or red and green, known as complementary colours. Bear in mind, these schemes can often work best when there is an element of white to help break up the scheme. In contrast, a current trend is for the use of calming tones to create a relaxing feel, but a degree of colour is still vital: ‘People are scared of making a mistake with colour, so they tend to stick to neutrals,’ says interior designer Jill Scholes. ‘But the danger is ending up with a bland scheme without any identity. What colour does is instantly define a room – you can walk into a space and feel it has personality.’
Off-the-wall ideas
But colour blocking isn’t just about painting surfaces. ‘You can bring shots of colour into the room as furniture, accessories or even plants,’ says Crown’s colour consultant Judy Smith. ‘Use bright sofas or a collection of samecoloured bowls – then complement these with different tones on the walls.’ Another way of creating a room that reflects your personality is to use block colours in the form of pattern – from stripes to geometrics. Bear in mind that whatever scheme you choose will always look better with an abundance of light – and the more natural the better.