Colourful kitchens have been enjoying rather a renaissance, from rustic farmhouse looks to more modern sleek designs, we have been seeing more and more colour on walls, cabinets & woodwork and even ceilings! Using brighter colours on cabinets or kitchen islands is not a new ‘trend’ but the colours being used and the combination of colours are most definitely more creative and confident. There will always be a demand for fresh, clean white washed kitchens but customers are choosing the warmer new neutrals rather than starker whites of yonder year. We are also seeing more and more bespoke designs incorporating antique pieces, incredible detailing in hardware & handles, showstopping lighting and of course we are spoilt for choice with tiles these days. It’s a good time to plan your dream kitchen and what better place to start than with a lick of beautiful and transformative natural paint. 'Cuisse de Nymphe Emue' Kitchen by @digitalrenovation New Neutrals Why not try one of our neutrals for a warming and calming effect. These colours will react beautifully with natural light but also under artificial lights in kitchens, bringing out gorgeous tones in both instances. New neutrals like our most-loved pinks are the perfect soft hue for a calm kitchen space. ‘Jonquil‘ is our versatile plaster pink and has a wonderful soft hue that hovers between pink and yellow/beige. If you wanted to go slightly pinker then ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue‘ is the ultimate dusty pink. And finally, ‘Lilac Pink‘, neither lilac nor pink, is a warm beige with pink hues in certain sun kissed light. All our popular pinks are perfect for a chic kitchen makeover. Colour of the moment ‘Clove‘ is perfect for an open kitchen space, enveloping a room with a spicy warmth. While still being a deep beige the earthy red oxide in the mix really wraps the colour round a space. We have seen it looking stunning on the walls and even wall to ceiling as well as on the joinery of a kitchen. The perfect, new, warm neutral paint colour has become a go-to choice as we embrace more nuanced colour in our lives, all created by the depth of pigment we use in our natural paint. Wall: CloveWoodwork: Clove'Clove' on the walls, photography by Matt Lincoln. Home of @nicolaturner.art Kitchen painted in 'Cuisse de Nymphe Emue' Alice Naylor-Leyland @mrsalice Colourful Cabinets Be colour confident and use vibrant colours on your cabinets and units; either against a neutral backdrop or create a tonal or contrasting palette. Edward spoke to Homes & Gardens about how to decorate kitchen spaces. He says: “A kitchen usually has lots of colourful elements in it. I would go with quite neutral colours for the walls and some bright colour on the cupboards. Try mixing it up with contrasting colours: as long as they work tonally you cannot go wrong. You can play it safe with colours that sit alongside one another on the colour wheel, or for striking impact, go for those on opposite sides I.e. greens to complement reds, blues to complement oranges and purples to complement yellows.” Artist Daisy Sims-Hilditch's kitchen with 'Verdigris' on the cabinets 'Verdigris' Kitchen, at the home of Artist Daisy-Sims Hilditch 'Verdigris' Kitchen, at the home of Artist Daisy Sims-Hiditch Daisy Sims-Hildtich has used our ‘Verdigris‘ on her kitchen cabinets which adds light to the space in turn making it feel bigger. Daisy said: “As soon as I saw ‘Verdigris‘ on your paint chart I knew it would be perfect for the look I was hoping to achieve in my kitchen. I wanted the space to have a playful and fun feel and to be a haven away from the busy rush of London life where I could be creative and conjure up ideas for future paintings” 'French Blue' kitchen, designed by Rascal & Roses I would go with quite neutral colours for the walls and some bright colour on the cupboards. Try mixing it up with contrasting colours: as long as they work tonally you cannot go wrong. You can play it safe with colours that sit alongside one another on the colour wheel, or for striking impact, go for those on opposite sides I.e. greens to complement reds, blues to complement oranges and purples to complement yellows Edward Bulmer Wonderful green kitchen painted in 'Invisible Green' by the Independent Eye Chic 'London Brown' kitchen cabinets by Orla Read Simple and sleek If you want to keep it simple ALWAYS use an off-white rather than a bright white, this will react better with all light and be kinder to everything in the space. Go for a warm off-white like our ‘Spanish White‘, ‘Milk White‘ or ‘Whiting‘. One of Edward’s favourites is ‘Spanish White’. As far back as Ancient times various pigments were described as ‘Spanish’ because this is where they were mined, processed and traded from. Edward adopted the name for this very pale warm white as it evokes what comes to mind for many of us – the whitewashed houses of the Mediterranean coast. Our natural process creates this bright white with the clarity and slight yellow ochre tone of natural chalk which responds to light in a way which synthetic paints cannot recreate. 'Whiting' on the walls and 'Flaxen Grey' on the woodwork 'Milk White' Kitchen Another of Edward’s go-to off whites is our ‘Milk White’ which he says is “a good choice for an off white that has some weight and combines all the Earth pigments in balance and has a hint of black for some greyness”. This colour is perfect for a modern, fresh kitchen space. ‘Whiting’ is also a very popular off white that we have seen in kitchens, hallways and bedrooms. Base preparation in the past was often done with a simple chalk and animal glue mix known as Whiting. This is the name we have adopted for this shade that reflects the slightly beige appearance of size. It is a really useful off-white shade for lighter palette schemes and also compliments the deeper off‐whites really well. 'Creami Colour' on the walls and 'Wash Stop' on the woodwork The kitchen at the Van Gogh House in London painted in 'White Lead' in 60% shade ‘Fine White‘ is one of our warmer whites, of the hue that is often known as ‘magnolia’. Kerri Lipsitz used this in a wonderful open and light kitchen space which catches its warm hues and creates a fresh and clean backdrop for dark marble and wooden elements. We also like the effect of a white kitchen with a differentiation of colour in woodwork, a more pigmented white or warm grey can add some depth to white walls and give more structure to a white space. ‘Fine White’ makes a good counterpart to our greyer shades as it adds warmth. 'Fine White' in a kitchen in Hampstead, interior design by Kerri Lipsitz, photographer Mariell Hansen All out natural colour A bright and bold kitchen is not for the faint hearted but immediately brings a fun and happy atmosphere. Why not go bold with one of our brighter pinks like ‘Rose‘ or ‘Nicaragua‘ if you want that all out wow-factor! Pretty in pink 'Rose' kitchen If you are looking for something blue then make sure you use a warm blue like ‘Azurite‘ which is a real pick-me-up, packed with pigment to give strength and depth, but with earthy warmth. Or try ‘Vert de Mer‘, this sea blue conveys the warmth of the Med and the greeny depth of the ocean. Our popular ‘Invisible Green‘, which is hardly invisible, is a fun and happy hue which brings joy to any space. 'French Blue' dining area in a modern kitchen space by Laura Stephens 'Invisible Green' used in an open plan London kitchen by @farstud.o And for a complete maximalist kitchen combine two of our punchy colours that are rich with pigment like in Martin Brudnizki’s amazing ‘Dutch Orange‘ and ‘Invisible Green‘ kitchen of dreams! Sometimes colours that are so full of energy is exactly what a room needs. Martin Brudnizki's amazing period home kitchen using our 'Dutch Orange' on the walls and 'Invisible Green' on the cabinets and woodwork, photographed for AD by Henry Bourne Martin Brudnizki's amazing period home kitchen using our 'Dutch Orange' on the walls and 'Invisible Green' on the cabinets and woodwork, photographed for AD by Henry Bourne Fear not, if you are still unsure about what colour to go for to create your dream kitchen our colour consultants are here to help. There are three different ways our colour consultants can help you: they can visit you in person at home or on site, you can book a virtual consultancy service to speak to us by phone or video or we can give you free colour advice online by email. Not only will we help you create your dream scheme but we will follow through with advice on choosing the right paint finish and, most importantly, the correct preparation. 'Tyrian' and 'Laylock' Kitchen at Hayloft, Herefordshire BOOK VIRTUAL COLOUR CONSULTANCY BOOK IN HOME COLOUR CONSULTANCY
Interior ICONS: Laura Fantacci Laura Fantacci, fashion editor and co founder of Wardrobe ICONS, is a modern day muse to many. Laura set up WardrobeICONS with her best friend and fellow fashion editor Petro Strofberg, inspiring inboxes across the globe with timeless fashion, beauty and lifestyle pieces.
How to Pair Colour with Pattern & Print – the Wicklewood X Edward Bulmer Natural Paint Colour Guide: Edition 2 We’re back with Edition II of our Colour Guide, created in collaboration with our friends Wicklewood, exploring ‘How to Pair Colour with Pattern & Print’ and have created our second, must read guide packed full of hints and tips on how to master mixing and matching in your home.
The ubiquity of plastic in our houses and why we need to cut down Avoiding single use plastic is now accepted as common sense (though it is still not mandatory), but it is just the tip of the ‘plastic iceberg’ when it comes to our plastic addiction. So much of the plastic we buy now is unavoidable. Often this is because it makes up the packaging used to wrap and transport the goods we buy, and just as often it IS the goods we buy.
Colour is King: Edward Bulmer’s first interior design book In his very first book published by Rizzoli, The Colourful past: Edward Bulmer and the English Country House, Edward takes readers through the keyhole into his most memorable work in some of Britain’s finest buildings, including: Althorp, Princess Diana’s childhood home, the Prime Minister’s official country residence, Chequers, Goodwood and Pitshill House, as well as his own Queen Anne House in Herefordshire.
