[Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Crown Paints, but as always all words and opinions are my own]
What does colour mean to you? For me, it not only has a huge impact on the way a space looks, but also on the way it feels – it enables us to create homes where we feel happy and comfortable, and which reflect our style and individuality. So, I was very excited to be asked to take part in the new ‘Making Paint Personal’ campaign from leading brand Crown Paints, who invited three influencers with very different styles – me, Sarah Akwisombe and Russell and Jordan from 2LG Studio – to style a room set showing our own take on colour.
As you probably know, I naturally veer towards muted, neutral shades such as grey and white. I’ve talked before about the rather unusual reason behind this, but in short I have a condition called synaesthesia, which is when one sense merges with another rather than being experienced separately. It can manifest itself in all sorts of different ways – some people experience taste when they hear a sound, others might ‘smell’ touch – but in my case it means I associate a different colour with each number, letter and day of the week. I see it as a positive thing – I think it’s one of the reasons I’m so interested in design, and it definitely helps with proof-reading as I can spot typos instantly – but it also means my mind is constantly buzzing with different shades. As a result, I need my home to be a soothing sanctuary – an antidote to all the colour in my head.
Soothing needn’t mean cold or boring, though, and I wanted to use my room set to show a warmer side of neutrals, complete with a few unexpected combinations. Luckily, Crown gave us total creative freedom to do whatever we wanted, the only limitations being the dimensions of the space.
Faced with hundreds of beautiful Crown colours to choose from, I was a bit like a kid in a sweet shop. But eventually I decided to create a minimalist yet inviting seating corner using a duo of honeyed beige tones – ‘High Line’ and ‘On the Rocks’ – offset by a mid-grey called ‘Soft Shadow’. To show that colour needn’t be restricted to walls and ceilings, I also added a hanging panel in an earthy pink known as ‘Hare’, and two pedestals painted in soft ‘Sail White’. For the rest of the furniture and accessories, I chose pieces with natural tones and textures that echoed the shades on the walls, along with a few brass, black and marble elements to add a striking, sophisticated edge.
To create our sets we headed to Holborn Studios in London – a long but fun-filled day, not least because Russell and Jordan brought their gorgeous sausage dog Buckley along to help! Crown also filmed us styling and talking about our efforts, and you can see a behind-the-scenes peek in the clip below. (I’d flown back from Budapest the night before and woken that morning to find a mosquito bite under my eye had swollen up like a golf ball, but Sarah loaned me some industrial-strength concealer so I don’t think it shows!).
I was very pleased with the way my set turned out, and I loved seeing how the others interpreted the brief in their own way. Russell and Jordan deconstructed the rainbow and applied the different shades to the walls, floor and furniture in a joyful, eye-catching expression of love and diversity. Sarah, meanwhile, created a bright 80s vaporware-inspired scheme bursting with imagination. Each was very different, and a true reflection of the personality behind it.
How about you? What’s your personal take on colour, and how have you interpreted it in your own home?
See Crown’s full range of colours and order tester pots here.
Second image by Abi Dare; all other photography by Max Attenborough for Crown Paints. Film by Cube Video
Love this Abi, what a cool video x
Thanks so much Jill! x
I played this video a couple times, it is so lovely, I really appreciate how Crown brought together 3 very distinct styles and showed that the same colour palette can still accommodate them! I have to say that as my own style matures, I am more drawn to grown up schemes so the colour palette you chose is one i WOULD DEFO go for!
Thanks Jenny! I loved the fact that we had creative freedom to do whatever we wanted, and it was interesting to see what the others created. Even though I couldn’t have so much colour in my own home, their sets were really inspiring.
Your warm neutrals are lovely. What a contrast the other two sets were.
Thanks! It was so interesting to see how everyone interpreted things in their own way – a really inspiring day.
I love these warm colours, similarly to you I’m naturally drawn to greys (which I don’t think are necessarily cold either) but I am so happy to see some other colours that are not so dark obsessive. Gorgeous inspo x
Thanks so much! There are so many gorgeous warm beiges and taupes around at the moment so I wanted to show that neutrals needn’t always be grey and white. Totally agree that grey can be warm though – it’s what I’ve tried to achieve in my own house.
What a fab collaboration and I think Crown picked a brilliant group of influencers as you all have such different styles. I must say though that yours is the only one I could actually live with. I love all the warm neutrals that are coming through at the moment. I can’t do grey myself so seeing these warmer spice tones appearing is a real positive! What a lovely video too!
Thanks so much Stacey! I loved seeing what everyone created, and playing with such wonderful warm neutrals – it was a great day all round!
What a great collaboration! I love the warmth in the colours you have chosen
Thanks so much Natalie! Glad you like it
Great video. I love primary colours!
Enjoyed your post thank you x
Thanks so much!
Love the calm and neutral colours and the decorative products used here.
Thanks so much Marlene! I had huge fun styling it and choosing everything.
Those colours are so divine! I much prefer them to Dulux colours – the whole space feels so peaceful without being bland
Thanks Pati! That’s just what I wanted it to be like, so I’m really glad it comes across in reality.
Love the video Abi – so great to see the different styles. I love seeing dramatic colour schemes, but like you I do need my home to feel calming – so I do tend to go more for neutral and muted shades and would be more at home in your design.
Thanks so much Lin! I’m so glad you like it. I wanted to create something that was inspiring but also liveable, so that really means a lot.
I love the colours that you chose and what a great project to be involved with. Three really unique designers with differing styles. The sets you’ve created looked great.
Thanks so much Fiona! It was interesting to see what everyone did, and we ended up with three very different sets! I could never have too much colour in my own home, but I loved Sarah and 2LG’s creations
I love how diverse each of the room sets are showing just how we can all interpret colour in our homes to suit our own personalities, tastes and styles. I love the warm neutrals you chose and how you styled it too. Great video and looks like you had fun!
Thanks for the kind words Maria. It was wonderful to see how design can be such a strong means of expression, and yes such a fun day! I was so pleased to be involved.