Coming from a back ground of colour and being passionate about art and all things vibrant, I am always intrigued by the theory that a neutral room (often meaning beige or cream) is timeless and it won’t date. Having gone into many homes where this theory (and I use the word loosely!) has been applied, I am invariably asked to do something as the room lacks life.

Colour is definitely a very personal thing. We need to realise that certain colours will make you feel comfortable in your bedroom, listless in your lounge and maybe happy in your dining room. Have you ever considered why this is so?
I believe it has a great deal to do with your psychology and the psychology of colour. You may spend hours mulling over paint charts and eventually settle on that perfect choice. What looks fabulous in the tin looks quite dull and uninspiring on the walls.
Interior designers often have a built in natural flair for colour combinations and selections. It is quite true that by experimenting with colours and their rules you learn and it’s true, relying on your instincts and playing around is one of the best ways of learning.  Although paint is relatively cheap, doing out a whole room with soft furnishings, accessories and even furniture, only to realise it doesn’t work, can be a rather expensive mistake.  Fortunately, the inability of many people to put together an appealing balance of colour in a dreary space, creates work for Inside Out Interiors!!!

It was just such an opportunity where our clients lounge and entrance hall screamed, in fact  begged, for a face lift. Also a firm believer in beige and brown being the practical, serviceable option they could clearly see that it lacked life and was utterly uninspiring.  The shape of the room was quite odd but since the client had recently purchased new furniture we were unable to change any of the big items of furniture and had to work with what we had. Our client has two teenage boys and Matthew and Nathan often have friends over and spend a great deal of time in the lounge. The lounge is at the front door so besides the entrance hall it is the first room that people see on entering the house. It needed a much more welcoming look as well as being practical for the lifestyle of the boys and their parents.

The room was painted  in Plascons – Cobbler Beige. The old voile curtains were replaced with wooden blinds to give a more streamlined feeling to the wall. Wall to wall curtains opened up the window and let more light in. A combination of  a bold print, yellow and purple scatters immediately added a spark to the brown leather. A commissioned work of art was added to the once artless walls and adds a sense of depth to the room. As the floor space was rather limited, two lead wood stools were added to serve as coffee/ side tables. Ambient lighting was achieved by adding a lamp to the room.

The Entrance hall really speaks volumes of the change. The old cupboard handed down from the client’s parents was given pride of space and was no longer used as the dumping ground for all sorts. Old vintage mirrors were placed above it and the addition of the flowers and her husbands once played with car was added to complete a beautiful picture.

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