Colour in action - the green bathroom

Colours in Action - The Green Bathroom

I wanted to have a go at creating a lime green scheme, and this bathroom felt like the natural place to try it.

Paint Details: Walls in 'Olympian Green' trim in 'Dove'

• The starting points in this room were the manganese and green tiles, and the wide board floor.
• To avoid the colour looking too slimy, I knew I needed to avoid heavy undertones of mineral yellow and raw umber. Introducing the colour across the glaze allowed for a softer take on the colour as it's sponged over a white base which removes its intensity.
• Rather than going for a bright white across woodwork, I chose a more grey colour so as not to fight with the tiles.
• A lighter white on the ceiling helps to make the best of a north facing room. It also creates a dialogue between the bright white of the porcelain sanitaryware.
• We spoke to the black of the fireplace by introducing strong elements of black across furniture, accessories and around the basin.
• Although the rugs are mixed colours, they have enough tonal connection to the wood floors and to the tiles that they work harmoniously.
• Allow the history of the house to speak to you, and adopt a similar language in your scheme to ensure your decorating is in keeping.

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Further Reading

The sustainability of modern house paints is a pertinent question for our generation, and it's our collective responsibility to ensure we decorate in a way that is as kind to our planet as possible.

Understanding the Complexities of Modern Paint Production

The question of sustainability in relation to paint can be a tricky one, and is extremely complex with lots of variable factors.

The earliest production of paint was by cavemen using only natural ingredients such as plants, some animal products and minerals. The methods they used carried on largely unchanged until the beginning of the 20th Century.

Although this production method used natural ingredients, a purists view would determine it unsustainable due to its use of unrenewable materials such as minerals. However, this logic is largely unsupported and a more realistic approach to sustainability is to instead examine - and try to eliminate or reduce - the materials that have a significantly adverse effect on the biosphere.

Sustainability at first base means not using fossil fuels, and at second base it means using totally renewable resources. In mass paint production, the first base is quite hard to get past as the process fundamentally requires the use of binders. Binders are largely made from plastics which are a by-product of fossil fuels, and feature within most modern paints. A more sustainable natural paint will rely on linseed oil, clay or lime as a binder, however these are made on smaller scales and can be more expensive.

The use of solvents is another element to consider when examining sustainability. Thankfully it is now a lot easier to buy paint with low solvent levels, or typically known as low-VOC, due to legislation that came into effect in 2010. The legislation banned the production of paint that contained a high VOC levels, and most modern paints now have virtually zero VOC content. While this goes a long way to addressing the healthiness of paint, it doesn't necessarily address the sustainability.

Ultimately sustainability is a balancing act of many different factors, and it is down to each individual to make the most sustainable choice in any given situation.

Choosing Sustainability

When you're decorating your home, I would encourage you to take an active role in being as environmentally responsible as you can. This means not only being conscious of the materials you use, but also the process behind how those materials are made.

It is my view that when undertaking a decorating project, you should aim to create something that is durable, maintainable, repairable and comes into being without creating too much waste. Consider every material or product you purchase, and ask yourself if it's necessary and whether it will truly meet your requirements. Also investigate the provenance of the product and how it's created.

Creating a Healthy Home

It's crucial to be mindful of how your decorating decisions impact the healthiness of your home. For those with certain allergies and illness, this can be particularly vital. Be especially aware of whether materials are prone to 'off-gassing' - releasing chemicals into the air.

In the case of paint, its ability to manage water vapour is also incredibly important to the health of a building and its inhabitants - this is known as breathability. Poor moisture management leads to damp and potentially a whole host of other issues. The SD value is used to measure the breathability of paint, and 0.5 is the advisory upper limit for ancient buildings while 1 is the maximum for more modern properties.

Paint companies are not required to publish their ingredients list, so it can be tricky as a consumer to make an informed decision. Always ask if it can be provided, and look at both technical data sheets and safety data sheets to establish SD values, how the binders are made and the VOC levels.

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Your Assignment

Apply the questions below to your project, and evaluate how sustainable your current decorating decisions are and how you might be able to improve them.

Do I need that product?

What is the product made of?

How is the product made or processed?

Is there any waste created in its production?

Where is the product made or sourced from?

What is the distance the product has travelled?

Does the product have longevity?

Will the product perform as I require it to?

Does it impact the environment negatively?