Earthy paint colours are officially trending and we couldn’t be more delighted! At Edward Bulmer Natural Paint we are all about embracing colours of the earth and our inspirational palette has such a variety of colours; some bold like the dark umber tones of soil and burnt sienna of the desert sand to the gentle hues of weathered stone or soft terracotta. Why are they so popular? One reason may be that they can work especially well in smaller, darker rooms. But whatever the size of room or period of the property, every good colour needs a dash of these pigments. Through the ages, people have come to understand this and we’ve actually used these sorts of colours for a very long time – not least because such pigments have throughout the ages been cheaper and more readily available. Edward has always believed in high quality earth and mineral pigments and this has allowed us to create a range of beautiful earthy paint colours. 'Trumpington' hallway in the home of Nigel Slater Earthy colours in interior spaces can be both underpinning and grounding; they reassure you but are also capable of creating modern interiors with more intrigue and drama. The fact that all our paints are made from earth and mineral pigments, as well as plant-based binders, gives the wall colours a superior level of refraction, so the ‘dirty’ colours come alive instead of looking flat or lacklustre. Edward always says that it’s often hard to lighten a dark space so lean into it rather than opt for a white or neutral and try one of our rich earthy paint colours. Terracotta tones One of our favourites of these earthy paint colours are the terracotta tones and deep rusty shades. Terracotta is rich and warm earthy shade, we tend to think of terracotta as a deep burnt orange with a touch of brown. However, this colour can actually extend into shades of peach and pink with undertones of grey and tan. 'Brick' living room in the home of Louise Roe @louiseroehome We have been firing clay to make bricks for a very long time and we are used to seeing them mellowed with age and this soft red that the bricks age to is the colour we have used as the prompt for our colour ‘Brick’. A true earthy paint colour, it adds a wonderful warmth to a living room space or adds a pop of colour to a smaller space and pairs wonderfully with blues and green like our ‘Light Olive Green’ and ‘Aquatic’. 'Sang de Boeuf' bedroom by @albionnord, photography by @Patrick_w_photography Rusty red paint colours Rusty reds paint colours offer a combination of earthiness and decadence, they bring together: the strength of red, the stability of brown, and the energy of orange, making this earthy colour capable of softening any space making it cozy and welcoming. Try our ‘Sang de Boeuf’ which is a deep red which we have made using a mixture of red oxide and yellow ochre, this results in a browny red tone that is calm but serious and makes a room a statement. 'Sang de Boeuf' in the home of Louise Roe @louiseroehome 'Etruscan Brown' bathroom by Max Rollitt ‘Etruscan Brown’ is another great earthy paint shade for your interior, more red than brown, this colour relies on earth pigments and was thought to evoke the sort of colours used to decorate the walls of the palaces of Pompeii. It was the height of fashion in late 18th century London. Superb as a backdrop to prints and black frames. These rusty red paints can work in a variety of interiors, from a large dining or living rooms space that wants to exude richness but also works equally well in smaller spaces like a bathroom or study. We are swooning over Max Rollitt’s use of ‘Etruscan Brown’ in this eccentric bathroom, it pairs so well with the deep mahogany and fresh blue bath. 'Sang de Boeuf' living room styled by Lorfords Antiques Etruscan Brown Order a Sample Sang de Boeuf Order a Sample Red Ochre Order a Sample A rule we always try to follow is not to try and brighten spaces devoid of natural light with lighter colours, they will just end up looking grey and dull. Instead, these warmer, earthier colours will create ambience, ooze sophistication and with some kind of artificial lighting they will dress a room. Moody Brown Interiors Take our deep ‘London Brown’ for example, this is our dark chocolate if you like, just red oxide and black, just as all the old recipes would have it which creates a gorgeously velvety effect and it works well in small spaces, adding some drama, but it also doesn’t overcome a larger space. 'London Brown' study with chair from Lorfords Antiques photography Paul Whitbread 'London Brown' sitting room with furniture from Lorfords Antiques The Americans call earth ‘dirt’, and sludge is ultimately wet earth, and from the earth we harvest key pigments that underpin the tones that we tend to associate as sludgy, earthy and dirty – these being red, yellow ochre and black. Edward Bulmer 'London Brown' bathroom by @my_london_home 'London Brown' in the kitchen at the home of Berdoulat Deliciously sludgy khaki brown ‘Mummy’ is a unique paint colour which reacts beautifully in all lights. This earthy paint colour carries blue/green tones within it that sit naturally alongside some of our earthier blues like ‘Cerullian Blue‘. Great for adding a bit of drama but also complementing natural materials like wood, stone and marble. 'Mummy' hall in the home of and designed by James Mackie photography James McDonald 'Mummy' in evening lamp light at the home of Louise Roe @lousieroehome 'Mummy' living room by Salvesen Graham Mummy Order a Sample London Brown Order a Sample Chocolate Order a Sample Deep Green Paint Colours Deep, velvety, earthy dark green paints can be effective in small or large rooms alike. Again these richer wall colours enhance small and large spaces, reacting beautifully with natural and artificial light. ‘Drab Green‘ is a dirty brown/green shade but it’s actually far from drab! Drab referred to an un-dyed cloth (the French drap) and its use in colour terminology came to mean a lightish brown. C18th accounts refer to drab green and we have taken this idea to mix a beautiful brown green in defiance of its name. Never drab, always green, in every way. This shade pairs beautifully with softer shades with yellow undertones like ‘Fawn‘ and ‘Stone White‘ or if you are feeling bold look at red tones like ‘Nicaragua‘ and ‘Red Ochre’ – for a combination that’s guaranteed to bring elegance and some va va voom to your room. 'Drab Green' and 'Turquoise' styled by @thatrebelhouse 'Drab Green' bedroom with Cole & Sons floral wallpaper There’s something so dreamy about deep, lush verdant shades enveloping you in your space, especially with an earthy green paint colour like our ‘Light Olive Green’. Early recipes for olive green seem to have been a browny hue but by the C19th the addition of Prussian blue meant that it was a full green close to the colour of a plump Mediterranean olive. Too dark and the colour tends to black when in the shade, so we have kept it a strong mid tone which has the most velvety and grounding effect. When working with darker green paint colours always look to pair these shades with yellow and red undertones that will balance them nicely in any scheme. 'Light Olive Green' bedroom in the home of @carlosgarciainteriors, shot by Paul Massey 'Light Olive Green' living room, welsh blanket The Great English Outdoors and furniture Lorfords Antiques, photographed by Paul Whitbread Light Olive Green Order a Sample Drab Green Order a Sample Aquatic Order a Sample On Trend Grey Paints When thinking about earthy tones for your interiors, if you want to go for a softer shade have a look at our range of greys that are influenced by a variety of different natural materials, such as ‘Slate’, ‘Clay’ and ‘Lead Colour’– all with obvious name ‘provenance’! From old accounts it would seem that what was sold as Flaxen Grey was a deeper shade of French Grey. With this in mind we have used a similar recipe to achieve a more intense colour. On the walls it has an amazing effect, lifting even rather plain walls above the ordinary and unifying spaces in a satisfyingly coherent way. A grey like ‘Flaxen Grey‘ pairs perfectly with other pigment rich shades like ‘Etruscan Brown‘. 'Flaxen Grey' looking light in a bright kitchen space 'Flaxen Grey' looking moody in a modern bathroom with a classic twist Many old colour names refer to natural raw materials and these materials varied from place to place, as did local colour perception. Our clay in Herefordshire is a grey/yellow which makes a very adaptable shade so we have mixed our ‘Clay’. A great hall colour but also sophisticated enough for a contemporary living room or bedroom. Hall in 'Clay' 'Clay' bedroom by Sarah Spiteri of Homes & Gardens 'Ash Grey' sitting room Clay Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Flaxen Grey Order a Sample Slate Order a Sample We use only natural pigments from earth and mineral origin to make our natural paint which is as precious to us as the earth from whence they came and they create beautiful earthy paint colours for your interiors! Truly sustainable paint which is people and planet friendly, to find out more watch our brand film. For more colour ideas visit our Inspiration page and find out How to Decorate with Pinks and see our latest news. You can also browse our image Gallery. If you are still not sure you are confident with colour then take a look at the colour consultancy services we offer, from a quick virtual confidence booster to a whole home refresh we are here to help! #COMECLEANABOUTPAINT – do you know what is in paint? Read our new piece Lifting the Lid to find more about the environmental effects of paint. For any more colour queries of technical advice call us on 01544388535 or email info@edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk
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