Decorating on a large scale

Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director of Little Greene, helps us navigate the daunting task of decorating sizeable spaces

When choosing colours for a larger space, consider how the colour will appear in different areas of the room. Paint your samples onto large pieces of paper and view them in different areas of the room and at different times of the day, to see how the light affects the colour. Rather than just thinking about wall colour in isolation, consider architectural details, woodwork, doors and window frames and treat the space as a larger, cohesive scheme.

You can create focal points through colour blocking and use neutrals to frame bolder colours, or zone a space by using interesting colour proportions. Consider pairing the rich Travertine on walls with the lighter Stock on ceilings, perhaps painting three quarters of the way up the wall to open up the space and give the illusion of height. The warmth of Travertine balanced with the fresh, yet warm Stock feels soothing and works wonderfully with the addition of bare wood finishes and unglazed ceramics.

If using bold colour feels overwhelming, try using a highlight colour on architectural detailing, woodwork, window frames, skirting or doors.

There are so many ways to introduce colour into a space, so don’t feel you have to go bold on all four walls to feature colour in your home.

A soft neutral shade like Castell Pink is very versatile and allows you to incorporate deeper accent colours to help zone areas and create interest. Consider using the warm red Arras on doors and woodwork alongside the earthy Nether Red on skirting to help ground the space. This type of colour blocking effect uses colours with similar undertones to create an inviting, contemporary scheme. I love to see the current colour drenching trend being embraced, with a single shade or closely related colours adorning everything from skirting to ceiling: walls, window frames, doors and radiators. Colour drenching can be achieved with any colour, from soft, muted pastels to deep, intense shades. It’s particularly effective in a larger space when using mid-strength tones such as Garden, Etruria and Giallo. These strong, vivid hues work beautifully to create an enveloping, cohesive space that allows colour to be the focal point.