Author Elizabeth Metcalfe traveled the length and breadth of England to research New English Interiors, visiting the homes of dozens of creatives ranging from artists Annie Morris and Idris Khan to designers Luke Edward Hall and Duncan Campbell. As the book hits shelves, she recaps five key lessons she learned about working with color in houses large and small, rural and urban.
While it’s one thing to recognize that brightly colored lampshades and swathes of patterned fabrics are your thing, it is something entirely different to weave them together to create an interior that feels cheerful and welcoming. One of the joys of researching and writing a book about the homes of 22 of today’s most exciting creatives is that I encountered color in its infinite variety, from earthy palettes to the brilliantly bold and theatrical. Ultimately, these homes are deeply personal visual moodboards for their owners, but there are also plenty of transferable lessons to be learned from each one. Below, five key tips to bear in mind when working with color in your own living space.
Don’t worry about “good taste”
What I learned from everyone in the book is that there really is no right or wrong; it should be about what you’re drawn to. Creative consultant Max Hurd’s interior, brim full with clashing colors, patterns, and beloved trinkets, might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the result is a space that perfectly represents him. “I think my mum thought I was a bit insane when I described my ideas for a multi-colored rainbow house, but we’ve really run with that ethos,” says Hurd. Illustrator Fee Greening adopted a similarly personal approach at her Dorset cottage, choosing rich, earthy tones that she and her partner Dan White love. “The house is basically the same color as the socks we wear,” says Fee. I love that the blue cupboard in the sitting room was inspired by the pair of jeans Fee was wearing while painting the room orange.
Lean into a “just-give-it-a-go” attitude
Often the biggest barrier to painting your walls glossy yellow is the fear that it might look terrible, but the worst-case scenario is that you have to repaint, so don’t let that put you off trying something. Lampshade maker Rosi de Ruig, for instance, ended up changing the color of her Dorset sitting room from a cold sky blue to a calm soft pink. “I guess that’s what is so liberating about paint; it is relatively easy to change,” she explains. At Luke Edward Hall and Duncan Campbell’s cottage in the Cotswolds, a small fire prompted them to rethink the entire color palette for the better. A mustard yellow dining room was reimagined in an ochre shade, while a formerly blue guest room took on a whole new guise in Light Bronze Green by Little Greene. “I actually think we picked the colors too quickly the first time round, so it was quite a good opportunity,” says Duncan.
