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Be Bold With Colour

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olour is staging a comeback in our homes, and it’s about time too. The joy and playfulness in the new bold colours emerging as a key trend for 2024 are a welcome relief. If you're wondering how to become confident in using colours like terracotta reds, sky blues and soothing greens, and how to plan colour schemes that reflect your identity, the answer is in a few key steps.

‘You can learn simple colour basics as a foundation to support your decisions,’ says Ali. ‘Harmonious colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and green, can be less intimidating than a contrasting colour scheme where colours sit opposite each other, such as blue and orange.’ ‘Then take into account the light,’ adds Ali. Once you settle on the colours, this is what is going to help you settle on the undertones of each shade. For example, a north-facing room will need warm undertones to help compensate for the cold tinge.

Interior stylist Ali Attenborough, with the help of paint brand Benjamin Moore, reveals a couple of basic rules that will make it easier to put together your perfect colourful colour palette. “A thoughtfully curated colour palette can significantly influence whether your space feels discordant and gaudy, or if it has a sense of style and direction,’ explains Ali.

Get creative with your paint choices and do something out of the ordinary with your colour scheme

A thoughtfully curated

“

”

Ali Attenborough,

INTERIOR STYLIST

To start building your own colour palette, head to the Benjamin Moore

Raintree Green 1496

Sweet Romance 1192

Audubon Russet HC-51

Decatur Buff HC-38

ALI'S COLOUR PALETTE

colour palette

can

SPACE

whether your

significantly influence

Once you have your colours it’s time to layer them up. You need to settle on a base, supporting and hero colour. ‘It helps to visualise a colour scheme in a rough ratio of how they will be used, for example, 80% walls, 10% woodwork, and 10% hero or features,’ explains Ali. ‘You can add more colours, but maintaining this foundation will result in a gorgeously unified colour scheme.’ In action, this could mean a cosy pink base colour such as Benjamin Moore’s Sweet Romance on the walls. A darker tone green like Benjamin Moore’s Raintree Green as the support colour on the woodwork, complemented by a selection of hero colours in Mosaic, Audubon Russet and Decatur Buff as accents and features. ‘Remember to get excited, rather than scared, about playing with colour - your emotional response will direct you to a colour scheme that you love! And, most importantly, don’t judge it until the room is furnished and dressed,’ adds Ali. Your local independent paint shop will have everything you need: arm yourself with a Benjamin Moore colour card and start picking the colours that will transform your home.

INTERIOR STYLIST

ALI ATTENBOROUGH,

Remember to get excited,

about

- your emotional response

”

“

rather than scared,

colour

* ALL PRODUCTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGES & AVAILABILITY.

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Soft Fern 2144-40

The basics of choosing a colour palette

To help you decide whether to go for contrasting or harmonious colours, Ali recommends using keywords to help you work out how you want the room to feel. ‘Use keywords to pin down how you want to feel in the space rather than how it looks because you can get easily distracted,’ she explains. As an example, Ali explains how if she was choosing “cosy” she’d opt for warmer undertones; or “characterful” would suggest colourful; and “bohemian” would indicate a non-conventional approach. ‘Then consider if you want it to feel harmonious (gentle), contrasting (vibrant) or tonal (calming),’ she adds. If you’re still stuck on which colours speak to you, then take inspiration from items you already own and love. ‘Use an existing rug, wallpaper, artwork, fabric, or even a paint colour you love as a springboard for the rest of the room design: this is a great way to build a comprehensive room scheme because everything has a connection,’ recommends Ali.

How do you want the room to feel?

gaudy, or if it has a

discordant and

FEELS

and direction

sense of style

The final step

Mosaic CC-874

will direct you to a

TO A colour scheme

that you love!

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Cushing Green HC-125

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Soft Pink 2012-70

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Cinnamon 2174-20

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Coral Gables 2010-40

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Yellow Finch 2024-40