Cassandra Ellis, founder of handmade paint company Atelier Ellis, shares the inspiration behind her new palette, Wonder

What’s the story behind Atelier Ellis?

Colour is such an emotive thing – a tin of paint is a pot of possibility. I want people’s homes to not just look good, but feel good. Our aim is to encourage people to make their spaces feel joyful, comfortable and to become an extension of their personality. I feel very privileged that our paints are in people’s homes because I know that the colours will be memory markers for the future; the idea of colour and memory is something I’m really passionate about.

Tell us about your new collection

My favourite collection yet, Wonder took me back to when I first made my own colours, aged seven or eight; I felt very free making them and I wanted to harness this childlike wonder. The 10 colours are designed to invigorate thinking, encourage creativity at home, and hopefully make people feel happy. One of my favourite shades, Hari, is named after the Maori word for ‘happy’ or ‘halcyon’. Growing up in the 1970s and ’80s in simple, easy New Zealand was a blessing and I think shades of orange remind me most of this time. In particular, it conjures memories of teenage summers driving around in my 1968 850cc Mini with friends and taking pictures on a cheap film camera. I used these as a starting point, so Hari is a faded orange to be true to the time and to the memory.

How can you choose colours for a period home? Start with a colour you love then find a version of it that works best in the light and position of your home. In terms of period detailing, each era – whether Georgian, Victorian or

1930s – has its associated colours, so perhaps think about choosing within the framework of your home’s history. I prefer painting skirting the same colour as walls, so that the room feels more unified. Create the space you love with the colours you love, and I find it always works.

Why did you include a metallic paint?

I think of metallic as a pattern. It is a mood enhancer that brings a little joy into your home, and used alongside other colours will always make them sing. Agnes came from two sources; it reminds me of my first dose of sparkle, whether a glittery dress or pair of golden shoes, but also of a brilliant Agnes Martin exhibition I visited at Tate Modern in 2015 where I saw her moving gold painting Friendship, 1963.