Aria Journal:
Colour drenched interiors; whether it's a lively living room, an energising bedroom or a vividly-painted hallway, can evoke a whole range of atmospheres, from a gentle sage green sanctuary, to a studious navy blue home office. Using a single colour creates a bold and immersive space with a cohesive look. Explore our how-to guide for radiant living spaces.
The essence of this interior design technique lies simply in everything being the same shade: from the walls and woodwork, to the ceiling, radiators or furniture. If your goal is to make a room feel bigger and lighter, or cosy and more inviting, there’s a way to make colour drenching work for your home, it’s all about selecting the right shades.
Shades That Shout
Creating a balance between the animated and the understated is key, from mellow mustards and rich teals, to earthy chocolate and olive green. For a fresh and uplifting vibe opt for rose pink, sky blue or mint backdrops, or inject a little energy with hot fuchsia, coral or turquoise.
From calming pastel hues, to bright shades that shout, the monochromatic look can be achieved with combination of furniture, lighting and accessories in matching tones. If you’re not sure which colours work well together, why not try this colour-pairing tool for initial inspiration and take it from there.
Expand or Unify
Using a light or medium tone across the entire room can help make a space feel bigger and airier by blurring the boundaries between the walls and ceiling. This works especially well in awkward-shaped spaces like narrow hallways, giving the illusion of more space. A monochrome palette is also a great hack for highlighting architectural features, whether you’re transforming an understairs area into a cosy reading nook, making a focal point of built-in shelving, or bringing attention to a statement window.
Darker tones work wonderfully for setting a mood with a cocoon of colour. Especially suited to rooms which get most use in the evening, such as bedrooms or living spaces with a warm and inviting atmosphere. For even more impact, why not pair textiles and bedding with the wall paint to create a feeling of being immersed in colour.
Radiant Backdrops
Decorating with colour isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. If you’re curious but not ready to take the leap into a fully unified room scheme, accent accessories are the perfect way to play around with contrast whilst bringing cohesion to a space. With endless options, getting creative and testing ideas first is key to the success of any design.
Our in-house interior planner suggests sitting down with your chosen paint colours, and collaging cut-outs from magazines to build your ultimate moodboard, as a starting point for your room. Sketching out ideas on paper before making the leap will help solve any unanswered questions and predict the liveablity of your chosen colours.
