SOME SERIOUSLY GOOD COLOUR ADVICE

Today I’m excited to share some interior goodness and styling tips from two very talented ladies. Bree Leech, a freelance photographic  stylist, interior designer and trend/colour forecaster and Heather Nette King, an interior stylist, writer and blogger are now also creative consultants for Dulux. With bucket loads of experience between them, they definitely know a thing or two about decorating and making good colour choices at home. Their creative talents were definitely on show at the recent Life Instyle, Melbourne event working on the Dulux Style Lab, showcasing the key colours to watch out for.

So I had a quick chat to Bree to find out all the juicy details about what colours we need to keep on our radar, the best styling tips for decorating your own home and the biggest colour mistakes people make.

Enjoy x

1. What does the role as creative consultant at Dulux entail? (Bree) 
My role with Dulux is quite varied, I get to work on some of the most amazing creative projects such as the Dulux Colour Forecast and the annual United By Style initiative. I recently spearheaded the Dulux Colour Revolution campaign which launched on Instagram and I also provide input into general creative projects across the brand, often getting to see projects through from concept to completion. I work very closely with the Dulux team who are amazingly supportive of the work I do and allow me just the right amount of creative freedom to help take the brand into exciting new spaces – like where we have taken the 2016 colour forecast – I am literally bursting to reveal the images that Heather Nette King and I have produced – we think they are the best yet!

2. What are some paint colours you think people need to look to moving forward?
With regards to base colours I think some of the new Dulux whites are fabulous – slightly cooler and more complex with green or grey undertones that provide interest but still allow the space to be quite neutral so they really work well with so many other colours. In terms of trends, I can’t say too much as we aren’t launching until late August but you will see a sneak peek in the installations Heather Nette King and I are created for Style Lab at Life Instyle. I can say we are seeing the return of some old favourites such as brown and that pastel hues, in particular pink, is a colour that isn’t going anywhere just yet!

3. What are some paint colour mistakes you think people make in their homes?
Hands down the most common mistake is not checking the colour on a larger piece in the room and under different lighting conditions. I have had people explain to me they selected a neutral grey in the store and when they painted it at home it looked like it was green or blue for instance. Of course the colour is still the same but it can appear quite differently under warm light such as halogens, compared to the harsh fluorescents or even daylight in the paint store. This is due to the undertone in the colour being accentuated by the light. Commonly people also don’t take into account their existing finishes such as having very red or orange floorboards – this can completely change the way your colour appears when it is next to it. The key to getting your colour right is checking it in the space and comparing it with existing finshes – there aren’t really any shortcuts to this. Dulux provide a fantastic service on their website where you can purchase A4 samples directly – this is the perfect size to move around the space and make sure you are happy with the colour before you go ahead with it.

4. What do you do outside of your role with Dulux?
I’m lucky to have many other fabulous brands that I work with creatively to produce beautiful images, various creative projects and trend forecasts but I also take on a few select private interior design clients. I find it important to still work with real homes, there is a certain satisfaction in helping someone transform their space and see the joy they get out of it when its complete. I love creating beautiful images but it’s also nice to design a space that isn’t packed up and taken away after it has have been photographed 🙂

5.  What are the hot new colours for next year?
I can’t reveal too much as most of the brands I work with will be launching their forecasts later this year but I can say that many of the colours we are already using in our homes are simply evolving – such as pastels hues and in particular pink – it isn’t going anywhere just yet! And brown might just be vying to be the new black…

6.  How should people incorporate these colours into your home? 
Many of the colours you’ll see will be easily incorporated into the home through simple changes such as paint and accessories. I think the most successful way to work colour into your home is feature what you love. When we produce the Dulux Colour Forecast we think about ways to inspire people to try new combinations in their home and create images that we hope do just that but I always maintain you shouldn’t select colours only because they are on trend – make sure they are colours you are drawn to and can embrace in your home everyday – colours that have the desired effect on you such as making you smile or making you feel relaxed.

7.  What colour combinations are you loving at the moment?
I really like unusual or unexpected combinations and try to explore them wherever I can, combinations like brown, mauve and gold for instance. Right now I love green in any combinations but I’ve come off a long period of loving the simple combination of yellow with black and white paired with pale timber tones, such an easy scheme for me to live with and I find yellow makes me happy.

8.  Favourite item in your home? 
I think I’m quite fickle! My favourite item does change often, right now it would have to be between my many plants (that I try very hard to keep alive) and art pieces by Elizabeth Barnett, Hello Marine and Spacecraft. I love that the plants inject life into my home and I always try to invest in affordable original art that I can move from room to room to update a space at any time.

9. What drives trend forecasts and how (and by whom) are they determined? 

 Trend Forecasting is an ongoing process – you need to be constantly alert to changes and researching design in all areas to keep across any new directions. We have seen that colours tend to emerge or find their feet at international design events such as Milan Design Week, Maison Objet or Heimtextil for instance and these are generally influenced by a few things – such as global events, art movements and exhibtions, lifestyle trends, popular culture and advances in materials or production processes.

10. Can you explain how you interpreted the 2016 colour forecast for your Stylelab installations?  Any suggestions on how to do something similar in our own homes?

We have selected some key colours from each of our trends for 2016, Heather and I have selected these based on how dynamic they are as a combination and how we think we can use the homewares and accessories from the exhibitors at Life Instyle to compliment the schemes. We like to oush the boundaries on how paint is used so you ll see some great ideas with respect to feature walls as well.

11. Beyond changing out cushions and small accessories, how can our readers ‘update’ their homes to reflect next year’s trends? 

Well paint obviously 🙂 It’s one of the most inexpensive and easiest ways to completely transform a space. And if you just want small changes use colour to make a feature of doors  – say in a hallway or living area, or update existing furniture pieces like dining chairs or side tables. You space will feel brand new!

Top 5 tips for interiors in 2016?

• Geometric paint features will still be hot – so consider adding one to your home
• Don’t get rid of any of your pastel accessories – this trend is still going strong!
• Get ready to embrace browns – this deep delicious hue will be emerging
• If your not on board with pink yet, time to jump on – this colour continues to dominate interiors
• No room for minimalism in next year’s trends so perhaps reconsider any completely white rooms with minimal detail

Image source: Styling Heather Nette King & Bree Leech, Photography Lisa Cohen