Summer interiors

It’s funny how I decided today to blog about summer interiors! In Bristol we have grey skies and it’s been chucking it down with rain.

I haven’t blogged for a while as I have been working on the next project for Finzels Reach and just finished 2 show apartments for the new Cask Store apartments. This time I have been involved with choosing all interior items for the scheme so it’s been a little hectic to say the least, but I’m hoping to get back to my normal routine, starting with the blog!

So now we have a glimpse of summer all you lot will start thinking about your interiors in a different way, out go the sheepskin throws.

Most will want to paint out the entire house in white to give it a fresh look, but I say NO to that! You all know I am a lover of dark paint colours and they can still work with summer schemes, trust me!!

My number 1 advice is paint a dark hue but introduce some softer colours in the upholstery and accessories to give that summer vibe. If you’re not brave enough to go dark all over (and when I paint my house the ceiling gets painted the same colour as the walls) try going dark somewhere. What I did in the recent show apartments at Finzles Reach was a dark hue in the hallway – A perfect place to create drama, especially as this is your first impression as you enter the property. We then calmed it down a little in the living area with a neutral tone on the main walls but introduced a dark colour to a feature column. By doing this you create a contrast to the neutral pallet. If you paint everything in the neutral colour the scheme becomes a tad dull and boring and we don’t want to be doing that!

Change your heavy curtains for sheers, I always opt for a soft linen which softens the interior, perfect for the summer and great for not blocking out that all important sun light. I’m still great fan of colour and always get a strong pop of colour into the scheme but mainly with cushions, accessories and art. I am starting to add strong colour to walls, but the much murkier kind, as they give a lot more depth as previously mentioned. I usually do this in hallways and bathrooms as it’s tricky to pull off in large rooms especially if it’s a strong colour. In the hallway at Finzels Reach we opted for a strong purple/red and a deep blue in the en-suite. This instantly gives character and complemented the tiles perfectly. One of my favourite colours for the bathroom is Bowery Blue from the Abigail Ahern paint range. It looks great and it gives that injection of colour, which is often required.

bowery blue on walls

Add lots of lighting which will soften the overall look, you can never have too many accent lights, like lamps. The experts say you should have up to 7 lighting effects in one room. That is quite hard going! I can manage about 6 including the pendant light in one of my rooms. At least try adding more lamps as it will change the look in an instant and can add that little bit of glamour and there are so many quirky lamps on the market which can also double up as a sculpture/art or a touch of tongue in cheek style. I always opt for the oversized lamp. It works a treat and you should always play with scale in a room.

Take a look at some of the interior pictures that have inspired me.

Splashes of colour interiors

Splashes of summer colours in art and upholstery.

Neutral with pop of colour

pink schemes

Softer colours sitting against a darker hue on the walls, and check out the image on the right the ceilings are painted out the same colour as the walls.

Have a great day!

Comments

  • http://Sara

    I love the way you use colours!

  • http://ruthsovoie

    found your site via friend of mine and your work is indeed beautiful!

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