At home by design, interior design, surrey

Colour is one of the simplest most inexpensive ways to give your space a lift and a fresh coat of paint can literally transform a room. So we asked Surrey based interior designer Helen McClure for her tips on getting creative with colour.

“If you want a quick and easy way to update your home for spring simply switch up your paint palette. This season trending colours include muted pink, baby blue and mint green, so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to redecorating your home.” says Helen, the designer behind At Home by Design, a small boutique interior design studio, based in Godalming.

“On the other hand, if you can’t face decorating and prefer to keep your walls neutral, try incorporating the above shades into furniture and accessories instead. Think freshly painted dining room chairs, a newly acquired mint green sofa or a few pastel pink lampshades.”

We all immediately think of colour when we consider interior design – it’s the dominant element when putting a room scheme together as it evokes emotion and strong opinions. However it’s important not to forget about textures, patterns, the room’s proportions, and light, all of which have an important role when to comes to whether the colour scheme will work or not.

“Sometimes it’s not as simple as slapping some paint on the walls!” says Helen. “Decorating with colour can be one of the most complex elements to understand and use correctly, having both an aesthetic and functional purpose. Our understanding of how colour works has come a long way in the 400 years since Isaac Newton first shone a light beam through a prism and discovered a rainbow.”

interior design, at home by design, Surrey

Helen explains: “How we see colour is manipulated by our eyes and brain, which makes describing it really tricky. This means a range of terms have developed to help us articulate what we see and like, but navigating tones, tints, shades, values, intensities and hues doesn’t necessarily make it easier when we just want to have a nice home!”

And what about those tricks on the eye? Why does that the bright blue velvet sofa look more like navy against that light wall? Why does the room feel smaller when you painted it red? Why does this green fabric look yellow now you’ve got it home?

“There’s a reason whole books are written about colour psychology and colour association, says Helen. “It’s fascinating that you eat more in a fast-food restaurant with red décor and you may find it harder to sleep in a brightly coloured bedroom.”

Colour is a multi-sensory experience. Different colours make us think and feel differently. Colours can manipulate our spaces, and our minds. So where do you start?! After all, we all need colourful interiors to spark joy at the moment.

“Dark rooms will always be dark. Even if you paint the walls white, they will just look grey. I try to embrace it and have fun with richer tones – but lighting is key. There is nothing more frustrating that putting on the light to find it hasn’t helped and you still can’t read your book, so zonal task-specific lighting is the secret.”

Don’t know where to start? If you’re overwhelmed, get in touch with Helen and she can help.

athomebydesign.co.uk

Colour me happy! How to perk up your home with a new palette

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