An introduction to colour and pattern

An Introduction to Colour and Pattern

Gabby has always been enamoured with patterns and colours. Explore how to integrate colour and pattern into your space and how to create a palette with Gabby's help.

Colour and pattern always draws me in. I adore vintage colour schemes. Looking at how the pieces were made brings me a lot of joy. Antique textiles can be brilliant in softening a look which can otherwise feel quite austere.

There are a variety of wall finishes that could help you achieve a softer look in your home. A flat matte emulsion, wallpaper, a watered-down paint effect, and limewash are all paint finishes that soften the look of your home.

The Effects of Colour and Pattern

Pattern and colour don't have to feel cluttered and disjointed; rather, it should feel like a welcoming collection that has evolved. It's what gives an interior a studied and layered appearance. Decorating and styling takes time. It's all about experimenting with what you've got and getting used to a style on paper first. Colour and pattern balance is a difficult thing to get right or wrong.

Try Before You Buy

Bring things home, try them in the space and then take them back.

What Makes a Palette

Building a palette is more than just balancing colours; it's also about balancing finishes that tell the story you want to tell in your room. Gathering physical examples is critical when creating a palette. Most flooring companies will provide you with flooring ranging from tiles to carpeting. Fabric and colour samples are also available.

Colour Proportion

Colour proportion is always an important aspect of building a palette. You may have a favourite colour, but you only want a tiny flash of it.

In the 1950s, Josef Frank created stunning prints that are an excellent example of colour balance and colour proportion. When we talk about the palette, we're referring to the fabrics in the room, the wall colour, the upholstery, the flooring, and the finishes on the furniture and cushions.

A Buying Guide: Great Places to Buy Fabrics

Plain Linen

• The Cloth House
• Linen Me
• The Hackney Draper

Patterned

• Aleta
• Colefax and Fowler
• Designers Guild
• Fox Linton Fabrics
• G P & J Baker
• Nicholas Herbert
• Pierre Frey
• Pukka Print
• Robert Kime
• Rosebank Fabrics
• Schumacher
• Soane
• Susan Deliss
• Tinsmiths
• Tissus d'Hélène
• Turnell & Gigon
• Warris Vianni

Achieving a Softer Finish in Your Home

Matte Emulsion and Flat Matte Emulsion

Matte emulsion is smooth, even velvety, and can hide flaws on imperfect walls. Because matt surfaces do not reflect light, they make all colours appear as similar as possible under a variety of lighting conditions.

Ageing Your Walls

Rag-Roll

You can use an old rag or even a plastic bag to rag-roll your walls. You can give the walls an antique appearance by removing the tinted glaze.

Colour Washing

Colour washing your walls is an excellent way to give them the appearance of old stucco. A glaze is applied to the wall over a base colour, and then another colour is applied over that.

The glaze should be applied in a random "X" pattern, then softened with a damp rag. Colour washing gives rooms a rustic, aged appearance.

Limewash

A limewash finish gets its textural veneer from the addition of sandstone aggregates. In a can, it appears more like putty than thin paint, and it is soft to the touch, but it looks almost chalky.