Did you know that the official colour of the year in the interior styling world is ultra-violet?
Each year,Pantone, the authority on colour and provides a colour matching and referencing palette for use in design and styling, announce the colour trend for the following 12 months, based on a combination of analysis and research (so they report!).
Ultra-violet is slightly more polarising than the 2016 dual winners of Rose Quartz and Serenity or 2006 winner, Sand Dollar, and does require a light hand before turning your home into a kaleidoscope of colour.
Here are a few tips to help you to incorporate a feature colour through your home style.
- Stay neutral for some longevity
While styling with the latest colour trend can mean living in your very own Vogue photo shoot, if not considered carefully it can become an expensive and time consuming activity. Stick with a neutral base for your main living areas, keeping floor coverings, wall colours, furniture items and window coverings to a base palette, giving you the option to rotate décor items in the latest seasonal colours. Blinds and curtains should blend in with the scheme rather than becoming the main feature.
- Colour schemes over bold colour
Saturating your home with just one solid colour can end up feel a bit over powering. Instead, consider choosing a combination of colours, or a colour scheme. A light seaside theme throughout might incorporate different shades of blues coupled with sandy hues, rather than just one bold blue throughout. Similarly, a touch a floral throughout may be easier on the eye than a single colour.
- Less is more
Starting with your neutral base, try a few vignettes of colour, maybe a vase, a trinket from a holiday and a piece of art. Try not to have too many colour features, and not every room needs the treatment.
- Black and white style
Colour ‘pops’ don’t always have to consist of primary colours, black and white can be a great feature colour scheme. The rules for the neutral base and the light hands still apply, so that the monochrome theme doesn’t take over. Black can add clean lines of definition to a room, making other items stand out with clarity.