4 trendy ways to colour up your home

24 April 2016 - 02:00 By Jocelyn Warrington

There are good reasons for committing to a colour scheme in your home, among them the fact that you want your house to flow. Big, bright colours in every room can end up looking a bit like a crayon box, or different sets from a TV show. A cohesive palette is more relaxing and allows you to move furniture around, mixing things up every so often.When choosing your colour scheme, start small. Experiment by painting one wall in a colour that you feel contains the essence of the mood you want and see how the atmosphere changes.Slowly add other toning or contrasting elements until the balance feels right. You'll find it amazing how just a few subtle colour changes can create an entirely different mood. You'll also see how colours shine in different ways when used in conjunction with each other. A splash of poppy red, for instance, takes on a fiery demeanour against a wall of warm rose. And then, see how it stands in defiant contrast to a backdrop of cool teal.Once you're confident, why not bring in some of the latest trends?4 TRENDY WAYS TO INJECT COLOUR INTO YOUR INTERIORS1) Think beyond feature walls when adding a bold pop of colourWarm colours from the red-orange-yellow side of the spectrum are stimulating and have a tendency to advance when used liberally. You don't have to commit to whole walls of these sizzling hues. Bold exclamation marks of mandarin, citrus and cerise are equally effective when mediated by plenty of balancing white. At the juncture between lemon and lime, zesty citron has all the freshness of early summer, while buttercup is a more mellow, soothing version of yellow. Used to reboot an old ball-and-claw bath tub (pictured above), the latter brings a spacious, sunlit bathroom bang up to date.story_article_right12) Use saturated blocks of colour to make a big statementReceding blues and greens from the cool side of the colour wheel can temper your palette with their serene, easy-to-live-with energy, but when used in bold saturated blocks, they make a big statement. Inspired by Brazil, Plascon's colour of the year, Atlantic Beach, is an intense blue that promotes focus and commands respect. Cover a whole feature wall or highlight just the rectangle of a door, keeping the accompanying scheme neutral and unfussy so as not to overwhelm the eye. Alternately, reserve your statement blue for a big-ticket furnishing item, such as a sofa, making it the focal point around which a monochromatic scheme revolves. 3) Mix hot and cold hues to create a modern pastel schemeWarm and cool colours work in perfect harmony when you pay attention to their tonal values. This is where pastels come into the picture. Once considered passé, pastels work well in contemporary schemes when used in contrasts of hot and cold - think warm coral-pink with accents of cool silvery grey. They also work beautifully in unusual combinations of brights - chalky turquoise is instantly lifted when shot through with ribbons of rich ruby. So downplay the tonal value of your chosen pastel, up the intensity of your contrasting hue and marvel at the powerful effect. story_article_right24) Use grey to temper a mix of vibrant patternsMore impactful than white and more forgiving than black, grey is the season's hottest neutral and forms the perfect 'solid' or anchoring colour in a play of vibrant patterning. The rule of thumb when mixing patterns is to stick to odd numbers. Choose a minimum of three different patterns, varying the scale by using small, medium and large prints. Here, a combination of Scandi-style geometrics adds a joyous note to large swathes of supporting grey, vitalizing the scheme and injecting a jolt of high-voltage hue. For a range of expert colour and decorating tips and ideas, and the chance to see Plascon’s colour forecast for 2016, don’t miss Decorex Cape Town.Dates: April 29 - May 2 Time: 10am - 7pm daily (6pm Monday)Trade day: April 29Prices: R85 for adults; R75 for trade, pensioners and students; R20 for children under 12 Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre Info: Email decorexsa@thebereed.co.za or visit their website, Facebook and Twitter. Decorex Cape Town forms part of the Decorex SA portfolio and is owned by Thebe Reed Exhibitions...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.