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Joa Studholme's colour schemes for warm winter decorating
The concept of a cosy room is certainly different to every person, but most of us crave a comfortable sanctuary to curl up in at the end of the day. To some that might be a room that radiates a gentle glow, promoting a tranquil way of living, while to others nothing beats unwinding in deep rich colours that are upbeat yet intimate. Here are four schemes, each very different, that result in a warm and inviting space - and all through the power of colour.
For a low-ceilinged room
2024 is exactly the moment to bring earthy colours into our homes. We crave warm tones that will enrich our homes and create cosy sanctuaries away from the modern world, so are drawn to find refuge in the beautiful natural tones of the earth. Setting Plaster is an uncertain pink named after the blushing walls we so often admire in newly plastered houses, and works whatever the aspect of the space, but has a particularly engaging glow in south facing rooms. The inclusion of small amounts of yellow pigment make it feel soft and timeless and incredibly easy to live with - this colour makes no demands on us - it whispers rather than shouts and gives us a welcoming embrace. To achieve the ultimate in relaxation and prevent the eye being drawn to an uncomfortable contrast with white, it is best used on both walls and ceiling. However, its understated tone begs to be paired with invitingly rich colours like Mahogany on woodwork, enveloping the room in nostalgic comfort. This simple understated scheme, with its roots firmly in the past, has an honesty that results in inviting cosy, calm sitting rooms in which to escape, rest and regenerate.
For a large, airy room
If you want to create a cosy nook in a large room, one of the simplest ways is to break the space down into smaller zones using strong colour to define a more intimate feel in one area. Windows, and any panelling below them, cry out to be painted in Railings, which although strong, is more blue than black, so has a soft relaxed feel that is perfect to define a space in which to work. Creating a cosy zone like this will give the room a focal point, especially when teamed with wildly romantic Cinder Rose on the walls to create a warm dusty feel which works perfectly in dim light – either for a north facing room or in a room used mostly as the sun is setting. To make an even more enveloping interior the colour on the wall should be stopped either at the picture rail, if you have one, or at least 400mm shy of the ceiling. This will lower the ceiling and create a more intimate room, particularly when combined with a soft aged neutral like Shadow White on the top part of the walls and ceiling. Colour used like this is a practical way of creating a sanctuary in the middle of large space and creates a small interior zone that encourages personal growth and evokes a feeling of security.
For dark rooms
After a working day, nothing beats unwinding in a space that radiates warmth and glamour. When looking to decorate rooms that don’t have an abundance of natural light, the temptation is to paint them bright white to force them to feel brighter. Sadly, this just results in a flat, dull room which won’t feel cosy at all. Instead, use a warm, rich colour like Radicchio to create a room that feels welcoming and confident. It is far from brash so will fill your space with energy while remaining intimate, unlike a true red. Strong colour feels luxurious and nurturing and cannot fail to introduce a little passion to your home especially if you are brave enough to use a Full Gloss finish on the walls which will bounce any available light around the room. A deeply saturated colour like this is perfect for use in north facing or basement rooms where it will add weight and drama but should never be combined with a bright white either on woodwork or ceilings. Dove Tale with is gentle lilac undertone creates a soft contrast with the intensity of the walls. This look is strong, but achingly fashionable. Incredibly chic by day and alluring by night, it will create a thought-provoking atmosphere as well as being warm and welcoming.
For a sunny room
Light is your friend when it comes to decorating, so don’t fight what Nature gives you – if you are lucky enough to have a room that faces both East and West the colours will change throughout the day making them feel alive and exciting. A west facing room which is used in the evening can afford to be decorated in stronger colours like chocolatey Salon Drab which despite feeling moody is gentle and soothing. This thoughtful calm colour on the walls can be counterbalanced with the uplifting clean tones of fresh Yeabridge Green on woodwork to add a little extra energy. Both colours bring an element of the natural world into the room encouraging personal growth as well as evoking a feeling of cosy tranquillity. In order not to break this aged comfortable scheme a third earthy colour is used on the ceiling to for the ultimate in relaxing spaces. The daring use of leaden Plummett feels unexpectedly relaxing and heralds the use of colour on ceilings in all rooms in the home. This unusual group of colours consoles us as we take pleasure in their surprisingly comfortable combination. They have both an optimism and a cosy conviviality which provokes a feeling of contentment and wellbeing.
