The full palette of Swedish style goes beyond the signature shades of grey and blue. It picks up on the delicate hues of green (sage and mint), pink (blush and faded rose) and purple (lilac and heather), taken from the dusky, paler end of the colour chart, which are light and airy to use on walls and floors. Darker colours of teal and deep blue also have a place here, as do brighter accents of mustard yellow and coral or rusty red. Use these sparingly, perhaps on a decorative cupboard, set of chairs or Mora clock. Intersperse with plenty of white, cream or pale grey or bleached wooden floorboards as a contrast, to balance the strength of colour, so every room remains restful.
3 1 A contrast of gentle and slightly braver colours (only a little is needed) can be visually appealing 2 This carved headboard looks pretty paired with small florals and pastel tones 3 Flowers, both painterly renditions on fabrics and loose arrangements of blowsy blooms, have a romantic quality that works well here. Choose those with softened, faded tones and only use small amounts of oversized prints so they don’t dominate 4 Antique furniture with weathered paintwork is at the heart of this style. If you’re painting new pieces, sand back the colour to distress it
Chalk Violet matt emulsion, £45/2.5L, Fired Earth (firedearth. com)
Porcelain III pure flat emulsion, £51/2.5L, Paint & Paper Library (paintand paperlibrary. com)
Glass V pure flat emulsion, £51/2.5L, Paint & Paper Library (paintand paperlibrary. com)
Bell Pink matt emulsion, £51/2.5L, Atelier Ellis (atelierellis. co.uk)
Doulton 104 interior chalky matt emulsion, £47.50/2.5L, M&L (mandlpaints. com)
Sunbaked Brick emulsion, from a selection of mixed-toorder colours, Valspar at B&Q (diy.com)
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Carefully considered blocks of colour – where one wall has been painted in a dusky lilac, which continues along the back of the glazed cabinets – is an inventive way to bring different shades into an all-neutral kitchen
Traditional Mora clocks, which were crafted in the town of the same name, have Rococo-influenced curves and detailing and are synonymous with Swedish style. Find a selection of antique ones at Lorfords (lorfordsantiques.com)