Interior Stories | Friday Five

Hey Everyone!

Due to the current situation we find ourselves in at the moment with the Covid crisis and the fact that we are all spending a lot more time in our homes… I thought I’d do a weekly blog post for you all where I summarise my week and then list my Friday Five. It will mostly be interiors, but I may also throw in a list of podcasts, Netflix shows or memes… cocktails, who knows where this isolation will take us and what we will need to get us through!!

So I’ll start by rounding up the week here at I.S HQ. I don’t think I’d ever be saying the words LOCKDOWN but here I am, in Lockdown, home schooling my son, working on my business, trying to entertain my one year old daughter and keeping up with the usual adult life admin. Life is crazy at the moment! Unfortunately, due to the lockdown I was unable to attend the meetings that I had booked in for this week, one of which could have been HUGE for me. In the grand scheme of things though, I know they will happen when life returns to normal so I’m ok with it. I know that most of my time is going to be taken up home schooling anyway because I really don’t want this to affect my boy’s education, it’s hard enough on him anyway not seeing his friends and family.

Anyway, on to the first of my Friday Fives!!!!  Today I’m going to talk about paint colours because I’m sure a lot of us will be sprucing up our homes whilst in lockdown. I’m going to list my favourite shades that will help boost our wellbeing and our mental health, because all this time inside could well have a detrimental effect on that. I’ve listed the colours that have positive effects on us and then listed three of my favourite shades, from bold and dramatic, to soft and serene.

Let me know what you think and if there are any Friday Five topics you’d like me to list. Take care and stay safe guys. If we all do our bit and stay home, we will get through this and I honestly believe that we will all be better people living in a better world. There is light at the end of the tunnel and the light is SO bright.

The world’s favourite colour. The colour of our oceans and sky. One of the easiest colours for our eyes to see. We all love blue. Blue is great for interiors because it rarely causes offence. There aren’t many shades of blue that us humans can’t tolerate. It’s a calming colour and it relaxes us, so it’s perfect for rooms that you want to become a tranquil space such as bathrooms and bedrooms. Blue has the shortest wavelength of all of the colours, so it recedes as we see it. This makes rooms appear bigger than they are and gives a feeling of space. However, you need to be careful as in larger rooms it can appear cold so it needs to be warmed up with warm colours, textures and materials.

Personally, I love blue and it’s all over my house because it really does relax me. Even most of the greys I use are blue based.

My favourite blue is Hague blue by Farrow and Ball, a strong rich blue that has so much depth to it. It feels warm even in a North facing room (I’ve used it in one!) and it manages to feel so cosy even though it’s a such strong blue. Mix it with blue greys or mustards to complement this gorgeously dramatic shade.

Another great shade of blue is Pale Wedgewood by Little Greene, it’s a very soft blue-grey that is inspired by the shade that was popular in the Georgian period when interiors were soft and elegant.

I also love First Frost by Dulux which is a pale blue that would almost act as a neutral, so it’s a great colour to go for if you aren’t quite brave enough to go for a strong blue in your home.

When we think of green we think of nature, of growth and of life. It’s the best colour to surround yourself in if you want to feel grounded and close to the Earth. Its scientifically proven that having greenery in our homes reduces anxiety and stress and so even introducing a plant into a room can have a positive effect on our mental wellbeing. Green is in the middle of the colour specturum and is therefore the easiest colour for our eyes to see, our eyes don’t need to make any adjustments at all which makes it a restful colour.

Adding green to your home can really help boost your mental health. Choose a more yellow-green to add warmth to a room and a blue-green to make a room feel more spacious.

One of my favourite greens are Jewel Beetle by Little Green. This one is not for the faint hearted. It’s a deep mossy green that feels warm and snug but it is dramatic due to its high saturation. I think this would work well in a home office or a snug. Used in a garden room it would help to bring the outdoors in.

Then there is Aquamarine which is also by Little Green (they just do greens so well) I adore this green and I’m planning to have it in my bedroom when we redecorate. It’s a gorgeous minty green that feels fresh but not too ‘pastelly’ because of the grey tone it has to it.

We can’t talk about greens without mentioning Tranquil Dawn, by Dulux. This was named Colour of the Year 2020 and is inspired by the morning sky. It’s a very soft green that can almost act as a neutral due to its grey tone

With all of the gorgeous shades out there now, pink doesn’t have to be kept to girls’ bedrooms any more. Pink became popular a few years back with the well know ‘millennial pink’ which started on the catwalk and made its way into our homes.

We see pink as a feminine and nurturing colour. Along with red, it is a colour of love and comfort. In the book ‘The little book of colour,’ Karen Haller writes, ‘if cuddles were a colour, they would be pink.’ Pink is a great colour to have in your home if you want to feel comforted and safe, so what better time to introduce it into your home.

My favourite pink is Setting Plaster, by Farrow and Ball. This yellow-pink resembles the colour of drying plaster and is about as masculine as pinks come. If you are struggling to get your hubby to let you paint your bedroom pink then I’m sure you could compromise with this shade.

A gorgeous dusky shade is Ballerina Dance by Dulux. This is another yellow-pink so is warming and not too ‘candy sweet’ if you know what I mean, this would look perfect in a nursery or bedroom.

A nice ‘almost neutral’ pink, is blossom white by Dulux which has a hint of pink but isn’t too overwhelming. This would really warm up a large space or a room that receives cool blue light

Yellow can be a hugely uplifting colour. The right tone can make us feel happy, excited and motivated, just like the beautiful sunshine does. However you need to be careful with yellow. Due to its relatively long wavelength it can be very stimulating and the wrong tone can become irritating. There is a reason that you only really see yellow in fast food restaurants, funky bars and NEVER in hotel bedrooms and that’s because its not intended for spaces that you want to spend a lot of time in. So when using yellow stick to more muted and golden tones as these are less stimulating. Or if you want to go for a bright and saturated yellow, then use it sparingly and in spaces such as playrooms or garden rooms where you want to be uplifted rather than relaxed.

I love Yellow-pink by Little green. This gorgeously golden mustard has beautiful depth and warmth. Its not too highly saturated so isn’t so as stimulating as, say a lemon yellow. Due to its warmth I think this woud look gorgeous in a snug area or even an office, but I would use sparingly, painting only half a wall or a feature wall and calming it with a softer more neutral colour.

Dayroom yellow by Farrow and Ball is one of those yellows that would be great for rooms you don’t spend too much time in or that you want to be energised in. It’s a bright yellow that resembles daylight and the sun. This would be fab in a playroom!

Heavenly haze by Dulux is a lovely buttery yellow that isn’t too stimulating or energising but still makes you feel happy. Its not too overpowering due to the amount of white in it so it could take being in a living room or kitchen without making you feel irritated.

Just like our blues and greens, brown reminds us of the Earth. Its grounding and dependable and makes us feel safe. Brown and beige have a stigma for being boring and unadventurous but sometimes beige can be just what you need. Brown and beige are best mixed with other colours so that they don’t seem too dull, their grounding properties can bring a scheme together and add a bit of calm.

Muddy Amber by Zoffany is a lovely golden brown. Its warm and has lots of depth to it. The yellow tone livens it up slightly and so it definitely isn’t dull. This would look great in a snug area or in a large room that could take the strong colour.

London Stone by Farrow and Ball is a nice pinky brown. Its not too over powering and it almost looks like a coffee, chocolate colour and I don’t know about you, but that makes me happy!! It’s slightly greyed off so it has a lovely muted tone to it which would makes it more contemporary than the browns of the 90’s.

Portland Stone pale is a lovely soft beige. It doesn’t have too much yellow in it which makes it quite a calming shade. This would be a lovely neutral, an alternative to grey that will warm up your home.

I hope you found this blog post useful. If you have any questions just let me know. I also offer a paint consultation where I advise colours for your home taking into consideration the function, the orientation, the feel of the room and the people who will be using it. Take a look in the services page on my website or email me for further info, I would love to help you.

Take care guys!

Till next time.

Jade