In collaboration with Colours123

1. Don’t buy your soft furnishings (or your furniture for that matter) solely based on trends

It goes without saying that trends come and go, so unless you plan on redecorating every season you’ll need to ask yourself whether you really like the trend or you want it for social status i.e. you have the latest trend in your home?

I believe a home is an intimate and personal space where we express and project our personalities, and is reflective of the family and relationships’ dynamics. For that reason, I’m all for following your own trend and going for something that truly works visually for you.

Certain colours also trigger certain emotions, consciously or unconsciously, so if the current trend creates a feeling you don’t like for yourself don’t go for it.

Lastly, your soft furnishings also need to work in terms of functionality and practicality. Do you have kids? Pets? For example, velvet sofas and fabrics have been everywhere lately but clearly won’t work if you have pets.

2. Pick colours from your existing finishes

A good place to start if you don’t have a blank canvas is to look at your existing furniture, soft furnishings and accessories to help you to decide which colour to paint or wallpaper a wall or all walls or choose new curtains.

This is particularly easy when you have a pattern as there will be different colours or shades already present, so pick one to use in another area.

Similarly, if you have a plain item, look for patterns or textures containing a colour as close as possible to the colour you choose as your base.

By doing so, you will have a common colour throughout and ensure it’s all visually tied together.

3. Look for complementary colours

If you have a totally blank canvas, look for complementary colours to create contrast. If you’re not sure what they are, simply go online and search for “colour wheel” to see which colours are complementary. They will be two colours diametrically opposed on the wheel and what that means is that they bring the best in each other!

Together, they create a high contrast and impactful result, there is not one overpowering the other, they instead appear both brighter and create a visually interesting contrast.

For example blue and orange are two complementary colours, so I’m not saying go and get a bright blue sofa and orange curtains here but within each colour family, you will be able to find more subdued and subtle tones without having to go for a maximalist or bold look.

If you want a more monochromatic look, you can also select three shades from your chosen base color. For example, old rose pink, aubergine and dark warm grey (with purple tones, not all greys are the same) are all from the same purple base and will make for an harmonious look.

4. Use maximum three to five colours

As much as not creating enough contrast will make a room look flat and wishy-washy, you also don’t want to go to the other end of the spectrum and go completely wild and in all the directions.

Limit yourself to three to five colours maximum, introduce more and you risk having a space looking totally disconnected and visually overstimulating, with no real statement piece. Your eyes not knowing where to fix their attention could also lead to creating overwhelming feelings, which can in turn increase stress levels.

To avoid that and have a bit more guidance and structure you could use the 60-30-10 rule, which is referring to the percentage of colours within a room, to give you a more balanced colour scheme. Start with the 60%, that should be your dominant or main colour i.e. your walls. Then use the 30% for a secondary colour, that could be for a feature wall, accent chair or curtains. And finally the 10% are for the accent colour, think cushions, decorative objects or artwork.

5. Get samples from prospective suppliers and retailers

As a starting point, create your own concept board by dropping the photos of your items (existing and that you want to get) on a blank page, this will allow you to see them next to each other and have a direct visual and feel of what could be created.

Then get the physical samples and make sure to look at them all together in the actual room you will have them in as the colour can look different in different lights and surroundings, with the latter projecting their own shades and colour temperatures inside our homes.

If it’s not feasible for you to get all the physical samples sent to you, don’t be embarrassed to take the ones you have to the actual shop and lay them down or next to the item you can’t get a sample of. The actual reality and what we think or remember a colour looks like can be different! Be mindful though that you will be in an environment with artificial lighting and that it will be slightly different in your own home, so make sure to be comfortable with your choice in store and / or check the return policy.

To help you even further now that you have read about the theory, go to Colours123 website to browse through options by colour! Their feature search by type of item and colour will help you tremendously in narrowing down your search, once you know which colour you are looking for. It will save you time and make your life so much easier.

If you also need further help to put your scheme together, Vibration Interiors is here to help you, simply get in touch via the contact form to start the journey.

Julie