It’s often said that your home should be an expression of your
personality, but it’s not always easy to feel confident with colour
and pattern – especially if you’re not an interiors expert. Bolder,
more assured interior design, though, is much more likely to have
a positive effect on your mood, so it’s a good idea to start any
decorating project with this in mind.
As most interior designers will advise, the first step towards a
great living-room scheme is to put together a moodboard of the
colours, patterns and materials you want to use. Make it a good
size, so you can group together samples large enough to show you
how patterns scale and work together – brands such as John Lewis
& Partners offer free swatches and fabric samples – then filter out
anything that doesn’t quite hold its own in the mix. This process
allows you to experiment with different looks and discover what
you like best before you commit, so by the time you start decorating,
you should feel confident in your choices.
The first and most important element of your moodboard is
colour. Limit your core range to no more than three shades, so it
makes a strong, coherent statement. In this living room, the main
hues are burnt orange, mustard and teal. All brave tones in their
own right, together they create a harmonious balance between
warm and cool. The only other shades used are white, black and
wood, allowing the focus to remain on the key accents.
One foolproof way to make a bold palette like this work is to keep
PROMOTIONLIFE IN COLOUR
Being bold with your living room’s décor isn’t just about making it look good – it’s also a great mood improver.
Follow our simple tips and find out how to be more confident with your stylewalls white and layer brighter shades on top with furniture and
accessories. This trick is especially useful if you like to change your
look often, as it’s easy to swap out one or more of the accent colours.
Once you’ve established your colour scheme, working with pattern
becomes so much easier. As long as you stick to just a few shades,
you can mix any number of prints. Don’t try to make everything
match – a bit of pattern clash adds character to your look.
In a bold room like this, accessories play a vital role. It helps to
think of them as self-contained still-life compositions arranged at
key focal points around the room, including in front of the windows
where they’ll catch the light. Strong shapes are an effortless way
to convey a sense of drama, but be sure to include things that are
personal to you, such as family heirlooms, favourite books or travel
souvenirs; displays that tell a story have so much more impact.
The finishing touch is some art. For maximum effect, it should
pick up on the main colours in the room but also bring a sense of
individuality to the space; look for pieces by artists you love or, if
you’re feeling creative, frame some of your own drawings. A unique
print or painting could be the starting point for your decor, with
the whole colour scheme built around it. If you go down this route,
give the artwork pride of place in the room, where it will make a
dynamic, expressive impression.
For more inspiring ideas on how to create the perfect living space,
visit John Lewis & Partners in store or online at johnlewis.comSEPTEMBER 2019 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 63