Amongst all the nature-inspired greens for interiors this spring is an unfurling palette of mood-boosting colour. From global colour forecaster Pantone’s colour of the year Viva Magenta 18-1750, to refreshing citrus shades, floral pinks and sea-hued turquoise, you might find yourself inspired to do some decorating this year. But how to use this uplifting palette and where? I talk to top interior designers Penny Morrison and Kate Guinness for a feature in Saga magazine and take inspiration from new UK paint, flooring, fabric and wallpaper collections.

Bright spring colour palette

Ellen Merchant wowed all who attended Decorex in the Autumn with her new collections of fabrics and wallpapers. Ellen is the designer behind Susi Atkinson’s beautiful wallpaper collection, which you may remember me admiring on the blog previously.

With the use of mood boards, Ellen showed how to mix colour brights with pastel and mid tones. This separation of tone allows a scheme depth and texture and avoids an interior that over-dazzles.

Artful colour

Accessorising with art and lighting is a great way to add colour (and soul) to a room without having to do a full redecoration.

Anne Payton’s beautiful oil paintings are complemented by her daughter Aimee Alice Payton’s (ex-curator at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) bespoke lampshade. Anne is planning her next exhibition whilst Aimee is working on bespoke upholstery as well as running lampshade-making workshops. Both are founder members of the Modern Makers Collective.

Colour block design idea

This is a fun example of how to use colour in a kitchen. I love how the zingy orange kitchen island is painted to match the vinyl flooring whilst the rest of the kitchen is in contrasting white/soft greys. It makes a pleasing colour block design statement without overpowering the kitchen with too much colour.

Bright lights

Meet Cecile, x 75 cm diameter pendant light, in woven grass. Nicely shallow with cute fringing in brick red – a burnt orange that would work nicely in a bright scheme, and might even trick you into thinking you were poolside at the glamorous new Soho House Bangkok … £175, Graham and Green.

Bobbin in colour

It is super to see the Clockhouse Furniture bobbin collection blossoming into more colour, which as you can see works beautifully with a neutral backdrop.

Don’t forget to check out some vintage bobbin pieces in my online vintage shop that you could colour match to your scheme.

Making a bright entrance

This mid-century inspired hall designed by @casa.coyote.1959, for their @Charles_du_Bois_mcm_ designed Californian home looks so cheerful with Muscat wallpaper by Miss Print and reminds me how halls can create a warm welcome.

Wow lampshade

For some time, Ian Sanderson’s Little Complements affordable collection of small prints have been interior designers’ secret weapon when it comes to creating luxury window treatments. They look great in tandem with other designs and also as decorative linings.

And now the new With Complements fabric collection offers even more exciting possibilities, especially with an Ian Sanderson x Light Stylist collaboration.

Outdoor fabrics

Summer Vibes is a fun new collection of decorative performance fabrics suitable for indoor and outdoor furnishings designed by Creative Director Helen Sanderson at Ian Sanderson.

Window frames in colour

You don’t need to decorate a whole room with bright colour to create an impact. This slightly dark laundry room has been transformed with new ‘Rae’ green Ref. R0101-04 skirted fabric from Jane Churchill with window frame highlighted in a tangerine orange.

Styling Box

Styling Box is my interior design service that offers bespoke designs, and samples all wrapped in a beautiful and useful Styling Box. The perfect gift for you, for friends and family.

Saga magazine

To read more about how to use bright colour in your home you might like to read a 4-page feature I have written in the March 2023 edition of award-winning Saga magazine.

Thank you

Thank you so much for reading! If you have enjoyed this and would like to receive email alerts for future blog posts, please press the free subscribe button either at the beginning or end of a post.

With many thanks,

Charis x