Bold and Beautiful: Colour Trends Transforming UK Homes

The realm of interior design is ever-evolving, and colour trends are leading the charge in transforming UK homes. As homeowners and designers alike seek to inject personality, vibrancy, and warmth into living spaces, bold and beautiful colours are taking centre stage.

1. Rich Jewel Tones

Jewel tones are making a grand entrance in interior spaces. These colours add a sense of luxury and sophistication, reminiscent of precious gemstones. Jewel tones work wonderfully in dining rooms and bathrooms, creating an opulent atmosphere that feels both regal and inviting. They pair well with metallic accents and plush fabrics, enhancing the sense of richness and depth in a room.

Amethyst with Amber orange and Sapphire blue accents create a cosy bedroom

2. Earthy and Organic Shades

In a nod to nature, earthy tones are becoming increasingly popular. Shades like terracotta, ochre, and forest green bring the outside in, promoting a sense of tranquillity and connection to the natural world. These colours are perfect for creating a warm, calming environment and can be used in any room of the house. Earthy tones are particularly effective in spaces designed for relaxation, such as bedrooms and living rooms, where they promote a warm and welcoming ambience.

A calm bedroom created using a khaki green, brown and stone colour palette

3. Vibrant Accent Walls

Gone are the days of playing it safe with neutrals. Homeowners are embracing vibrant accent walls that serve as focal points in their spaces. Bold colours are being used to create stunning visual impact. An accent wall can instantly transform a room, adding energy and personality without overwhelming the space. This trend allows for creative expression and can be adapted to suit individual tastes and styles.

Green accent wall to compliment timber and rattan furniture

4. Pastel Palettes with a Twist

Pastels are being reinvented in unexpected ways. Soft hues like blush pink are being paired with bold, contrasting colours to create dynamic and intriguing combinations. This trend adds a playful yet sophisticated touch to interiors, making spaces feel fresh and modern. Pastel palettes work beautifully in kitchens and bathrooms, where they can brighten up the space and create a cheerful, inviting atmosphere.

Soft opal stone paired with a punch of turquoise adds drama to this bathroom

5. Dark and Moody Tones

For those who prefer a more dramatic approach, dark and moody colours are making a bold statement. Deep shades like charcoal, navy, and plum are being used to create intimate, cocoon-like spaces. These colours add a sense of depth and mystery, perfect for rooms where a cosy, enveloping atmosphere is desired. Dark tones can be balanced with lighter elements, such as metallic fixtures or soft textiles, to prevent the space from feeling too heavy.

Moody hallway in charcoal with coppery orange trims, copper wall lights and dark timber flooring

6. Monochromatic Schemes

Monochromatic colour schemes are gaining traction for their simplicity and elegance. Using varying shades of a single colour can create a harmonious and cohesive look. This trend works well in modern and minimalist interiors, where the focus is on clean lines and uncluttered spaces. Monochromatic schemes can be adapted to suit any colour preference, allowing for versatility and personalisation.

Monochromatic bedroom scheme in grey tones

7. Playful Patterns and Colour Blocking

Patterns and colour blocking are being used to inject fun and creativity into home interiors. Bold geometric patterns, stripes, and abstract designs in vibrant colours can transform a space from ordinary to extraordinary. This trend encourages experimentation and allows homeowners to express their individuality through unique and eye-catching designs. Colour blocking, in particular, can be used to define different areas within an open-plan space, adding both functionality and style.

Vibrant scheme with colour blocking and clashing, geometric patterns

In conclusion, the colour trends transforming UK homes are all about boldness, beauty, and self-expression. Whether it's through rich jewel tones or earthy shades, dark and moody hues or playful patterns, there's a colour trend to suit every taste and personality. Embracing these trends allows homeowners to create spaces that are not only visually stunning but also deeply personal and reflective of their unique style.

Wall lights

When it comes to Interior Design, one of the key areas that always completes a room or changes the way a room may feel, is the lighting. It is so important to consider this early on in the design process as it can be difficult and costly to change at a later date.

We work on a number of properties that may have restrictions to what we are able to alter with regards to the ceiling lighting, therefore we look to other forms of lighting, in this case, wall lights to create dramatic alcoves, highlight artwork, add some interest to the walls or fulfil our ambient lighting requirements.

Wall lights do not have to be the simple semi circular up-lighters painted out with the wall colour or just kept plaster white, which we have seen so many times before. There are lots of interesting alternatives on the market which give us the opportunity to be a little more considered and creative.

Here are a few of our favourites to tempt you to look at something different for your walls.

Inspiration - Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is upon us and here in the office we are feeling the love. With every shop window boasting red roses, pink hearts and the like we felt it only fitting to embrace the theme.

Pink has certainly been on the scene in the world of interiors and fashion for several years now since Pantone announced Rose Quartz as it’s colour of the year back in 2016 shortly followed by the arrival of Millenial pink. Despite it’s popularity on social media, some still avoid it in the home or limit its use to girl’s bedrooms or the nursery. However, pink can look very sophisticated when paired navy blue and a pop of mustard. It’s a great accent colour against a monochromatic scheme of soft greys, which lends itself particularly well to the Scandi trend. For perfect contrast offset it with sage green. Often it is believed that pink and red are a clash but in fact a poppy red with pale pink can look stunning too.

If we’ve convinced you to give pink a go but you don’t feel brave enough dive straight in with wall-to-wall colour or a large piece of furniture try introducing a few blush accessories for an instant update. Fortunately, the high street offers a lot to choose from at the moment. Here are a few of our favourite pink picks…

Cox & Cox, Blush & Brass Desk Lamp, £60.00

Habitat, Lyss, Pink Glass Table Lamp, £20.00

Habitat, Kura, Pink Large Paper Origami Lampshade, £40.00

Debenhams, Karlsson, Pink Origami Wall Clock, £45.00

Habitat, Regency, Pink Velvet Cushion 45 x 45cm, £25.00

Cox & Cox, Soft Geometric Cushion, Blush, £45.00

John Lewis & Partners, Relaxed Country Florence Throw, Pink, £25.00

Cox & Cox, Rustic Washed Linen Bedding, Soft Blush, from £40.00

Debenhams, Star by Julian Macdonald, Pink and Rose Gold Photo Frame, £8.00-£12.00

Nest.co.uk, Anstruther Rise Screen Print, £50.00

Debenhams, MW by Matthew Williamson, Pink Diamond Texture Tea Light Holder, £5.00

Nest.co.uk, Kartell, Jelly Vase, Rose, £91.00

The Union Project, Hexagon Pot Extra Large, Rose, £42.00

Nest.co.uk, Hay, Kaleido Tray Peach, £13.00

Cox & Cox, Speckled Dinnerware, Blush, from £65.00

Where to Start

People often say that they haven’t a clue where to start when it comes to decorating a room. A really good tip is start with a piece of artwork that you love. After all, if you like it enough to hang it on your wall then you should like the colours in your décor. And if you don’t feel confident putting colours together you can be confident that the palette will work because the artist had been through the thought process for you. Take time to really study the piece and pick out the colours carefully. Next, decide in what proportions you are going to use each colour. From there you can accurately match any fabrics and finishes to produce your scheme.

You might be surprised to learn that I myself have been procrastinating with a decorating project in my own home for some time now and by some time I mean years. It’s a complete cliché but my husband and I undertook a whole house renovation project and aimed to be in for Christmas. This also coincided with the imminent birth of our first child who was due in January. In an effort to make some quick decisions on paint colours and carpets I opted for warm, neutral tones in our bedroom. My daughter is now six years old and I have been living with this inoffensive, but frankly very dull room ever since. I bought a couple of cushions, which were supposed to be my starting point for finishing off the room but it never quite happened. Being an Interior Designer, the problem wasn’t a lack of confidence but rather a lack of focus. When you are both Designer and Client it is all too easy to keep changing the brief, but the focus I needed finally came in the form of a painting.

Our office is situated in the lovely Montpellier area of Cheltenham and we are lucky enough to share the building with local artist, Rebecca Morris. Rebecca paints beautifully atmospheric, abstract pieces inspired by landscapes and skies. She was busy working on her latest collection when I spotted it - a gorgeous painting in rich inky blues with just the merest hint of neon pink. I instantly loved it and as fate would have it, it was the perfect size. I bought it and hung it on my bedroom wall. From there building the scheme was easy, a new rug has been installed, the blanket box is in order and cushions are on the way. After years of inactivity this happened in a matter of weeks – all I needed was the inspiration.

Of course, if you're still not convinced there is no need to worry, just pick up the phone and call us, we'd be very happy to help.

www.byrebeccamorris.com

A selection of Rebecca's work is currently on display in the gallery at Burford Garden Centre.

Trend - Faux Flowers

I love flowers and fauna and what they can bring to an interior can make such a difference, but I'm not green fingered and on the whole most cut flower arrangements last 7 days tops, I've lost count of the number of orchids I've been given and killed after they've finished flowering.  This is why I am obsessing over the fantastic and unusual arrangements that can be achieved with faux flowers.

There are so many blooms out there to choose from and as with fresh flowers they do vary in price depending on size and quality. A florist can create displays for you, drawing on their expertise and experience, We recently worked with local florist Eleanor from The Big Bloom Room, to create some fabulous floral displays to add the finishing touches to our client's home.

Alternatively you can achieve your own creations with a few stems from a high street store.

Here are a few of our favourites...

Abigail Ahern - £81.00 - The Asprington

OKA - £59.00 - The Batsford Lilac Bunch

Cox and Cox - £35.00 - Three Faux Vintage Blush Hydrangeas

M&S - £49.50 - Large Green Stem Arrangement

Neptune - £19 - Apple Blossom Stem