Styling: Be Bold And Be Colourful

One of the questions I get asked most on Instagram is “how can I be more brave with colour?”. Undoubtedly, I am someone who has surrounded myself with a vibrant palette in my home; each room is bursting with blues, greens, reds and yellows. But to tell you the truth, most of it happens by accident.

As a vintage collector I have, over the last two decades, filled my home with treasures unearthed at car boot sales, flea markets, charity shops and roadside skips. Because so many of these finds are different colours, inevitably my rooms became a mass of rainbow brights.

So when I decorate, I may not have a specific colour theme in mind. It’s not usually a case of me thinking “I’m going to have a blue kitchen or a pink bedroom”, instead I build a room using my favourite colourful pieces, throw them all in together and kind of hope for the best.

Having said that, from the queries I get it seems many people are afraid to do that and therefore a good place to start is to paint a feature wall, maybe in a fabulous deep mustard or terracotta, or perhaps try changing the colour of their kitchen units, a table or shelving unit to add an instant splash of colour that draws the eye.

You may decide that a bright wall colour is not for you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a colourful statement. In my bedroom, I have used a mixture of vintage paintings and mirrors to create a gallery wall against off-white; while bright fabrics and cushions on my bed and retro wallpaper inside my door panels adds texture, depth and interest.

My advice would be go for it … experiment and play around with the colours that you love. And let’s face it, if it’s only a tin of paint it didn’t set you back too much money and you can easily cover with something a little “out there” if you hate the results!