Trend Watch Colour Trends 2008

Date Published:

11/06/2008

This palette has flashes of slightly retro but rich brights and pastels, offset by warm, woody neutrals, cool stone and slate grey. The key to the look is unexpected combinations of multiple colours.

Shades used: left/right hand walls in main living area: Velvet Touch 2; sliding panels (left), Wild Water 1, Gypsy Bloom 1 Velvet Touch 2, Chalky Downs 3; back wall includes all these shades, plus Thai Magic 5 and Spring Breeze 4; stool, Wild Water 1, all Dulux.

Louise Smith:

'Forget thoughts of rustic, shabby interiors - here there is a great contrast of reclaimed materials against a highly crafted, contemporary environment, where the use of colour is integral to this stylish scene. Modern furniture - a mix of new (Kay + Stemmer) and vintage (Eames) designs team with sleek finishes like polished concrete floors to offset the unique feel of reclaimed, reinvented pieces.

'Found objects, whether an oversized piece of driftwood, a cake tin turned into a lampshade, or terracotta pots to hold kitchen paraphernalia, team with handmade objects (from hand thrown pottery bowls to eclectic patchwork quilts). Mismatched chairs and wood panels painted in different colours create a layering effect and visual excitement (not least because they can be moved around according to mood or whim).

'Well-loved, well-worn pieces - like old family dining tables, cabinets or chests - fit straight in. Digital imagery transposed onto unexpected surfaces - from coffee tables to trays - lends a modern edge to the Reinvention mood. This is a quirky, intriguing space where this vibrant colour palette works well to compliment the integrity of the surrounding materials, providing the room with a sense of honesty and heart.'

Orla Kiely:

'This is a timely reaction to over consumption and how out of bad, comes good. The philosophy to reduce, recycle and re-use is maximised here in a playful way. Creativity is the by-word with as much or as little colour. This is very much designed and planned to avoid a rustic or hippy approach. Its clean and orderly style adds to the contemporary feel.'

Daniel Hopwood:

'I just like the idea that design can come out of something that was quite random. Take something that you are familiar with, chop it up, play around with it, reconstruct and see what you get. You might discover a new blend of colours that work together. Experiment - it’s fun.'

Where And How To Use It

This scheme is very adaptable, and will suit most homes, ideally in kitchens or kitchen diners. The trick is to underplay it - so while you might have a riot of colours on one wall, the rest of the walls need to be kept pretty plain.

In other words, designate one wall in the room as the focus or feature wall, and build the rest of the scheme around your centrepiece.

As for flooring, choose a finish that won't fight the scheme. Here, black has been used to give the room an industrial feel. Reclaimed floorboards would be just as successful, and would create a more welcoming feel than the painted black concrete. Shabby chic, woolly rugs will only work if they're plain and neutral.

Where To Avoid It

A little chaotic for a living room, none too restful for a bedroom, this look with this colour combination is best limited to rooms that are busy and that you're busy in - such as the kitchen or a kitchen diner. If you're looking to extend this scheme into a living area, you needn't choose calmer colours, but you might want to limit your choice to just one neutral and two brights, rather than three or four.

How To Furnish It

Again, underplaying your choice of accessories is important if the room is to avoid looking like a den for hippies. Mismatched chairs are a good start, but don't go for overly-stuffed, floral-covered upholstery. Look instead for more masculine styles - old school chairs, car sets, repainted, reclaimed metal chairs are more the direction you want to go. The same goes for lighting - choose steel over fabric - and accessories, which should be minimalised recycled pieces rather than a huge collection of ornaments.

Sourcebook
Ladder, red chairs, PS stool, Ikea
Sofa, cushions, Habitat
Concrete light bulbs, recycled French glassware, recycled notebooks, Moth 0161 445 9847
Recycled planters, bag, Pedlars
Jelly mould, folding chair, schoolhouse table, antiques market finds