Q&A: Paint Colours to Colour Drenching: Expert interior design advice from The Living House

At Fenwick & Tilbrook, we’ve teamed up with our friends at The Living House to ask them all your burning interior design questions to help you with your home projects.

Covering some great subjects from feature walls to the most common mistakes people make when choosing paint colours, we’ve got it all. Whether you’re refreshing a single room or transforming your entire space, you’ll find the tips, inspiration, and guidance you need right here!

The Living House are experts in taking the stress out of interior design, helping busy families create beautiful, practical and well-designed homes to suit their budget.

What current interior colour trends are you seeing in UK homes this year?

We are seeing a big rise in deep red shades such as burgundy, mulberry and plum, along with browns. People are becoming more daring and choosing stronger shades, whether that’s in paint, sofas or accessories. Some people do find these colours quite bold and scary, but they can be introduced with smaller pieces such as cushions and accessories, or get the paintbrush out and upcycle a piece of furniture. We recommend taking a look at Highland Peat, Boleyn Rose and Tuscany to add rich red tones to your home.

How do you first approach choosing a colour palette for a room? At what stage does paint come into the mix (ie. after art / fabrics or before)?

To begin building your colour palette, we would look at fabrics or wallpapers before paint colours. This is because your options are much more limited, for example, by the time you find a sofa in the right size, shape, comfort and style, you may only have a few fabric options to choose from compared to the vast number of different paint colours available. Of course, you may have in mind that you would like your living room painted in green, for example, but don’t choose an exact shade straight away, as this could compromise the other pieces you have chosen within your colour palette.

Are feature walls out? If so, how can I still use colour in a brave way without painting 1 full wall a certain colour?

Feature walls aren’t as popular as they were some years ago, however, it all depends on the type of room and whether the feature wall is zoning a certain area. Instead, painting the whole room in one colour is a much more popular choice, and this is where colour drenching comes in.

Don’t forget the fifth wall – the ceiling! Painting the ceiling the same colour as the walls (otherwise known as colour drenching) will help soften the room and blur the edges, and trust us, you would never walk into the room thinking “why isn’t the ceiling painted white?” It just works! It makes a room feel more elevated and taller too, as you haven’t got that harsh line where the ceiling and walls meet. It’s an overall much softer and more elevated look.

Don’t forget, when colour drenching, to paint the woodwork and radiators the same colour to achieve the ultimate colour drenching look.

Panelling in ‘Holkham’ in the home of Greg, Man with a Hammer

Are there any underrated paint colours you think deserve more attention?

Yes, we think that Holkham from your beautiful collection of colours deserves more attention. It’s such a warm, sunny colour that will brighten even the dullest space with a splash of uplifting sunshine! It’s a shade that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you walk into the room.

How does light affect how a paint colour might look on my walls?

Natural light is really important when it comes to choosing paint colours. Before you even pick up a paint chart, find out which way your room faces, as this can affect how the paint colour appears in your space. For instance, if your room is north facing it will lack natural light and can therefore feel chilly, so cooler toned paint colours will only make the room look and feel cold. Instead, opt for a paint colour with red, pink or yellow undertones, as it will add warmth to your north facing room.

What are the top mistakes homeowners make when choosing paint colours?

Here are a few mistakes we see homeowners make when choosing paint colours:

Not choosing the right paint finish to ensure it has a hardwearing finish that will stand up to family life! We recommend Pure Matt Plus from Fenwick and Tilbrook as it’s tough and fully washable, water-based flat matt emulsion that has earned a Class 1 wet scrub resistance rating.
Not considering how the colour is going to work with everything else in the room. Will it complement your sofa, curtains, armchairs etc. to create a cohesive look?
Not buying samples before committing to a colour. As interior designers, we will always recommend buying samples before going ahead, as you really do need to see a larger sample of the paint in the actual room it’s going in.

How many colours should I have in one room scheme, and should it flow from room to room or do I approach each room separately?

This is a great question! In terms of how many colours you should have in one room, this can depend on whether you’re going bold with a maximalist style and love lots of colour, or if you prefer a more concise colour palette with perhaps three to four colours in the room. If you are a neutral lover, it’s important to remember to build up the textures in a neutral room to avoid it feeling flat and lifeless.

Another tip is to avoid what we call the colour by numbers look, where there may be two or three colours in the room but, for example, the curtains are blue with cushions and throws that are also blue. To create an interesting, well designed room, you want to mix up the colours and not create a room that feels too ‘matchy matchy’!

In terms of flow, yes, it works well to have a flow from room to room, which should be reflected in the style you have chosen for your home. Not every room has to be the same colour, but there may be subtle links that pick up on colours throughout your home to create a sense of flow.

Mallow, Chanterelle & Rhodonite

What paint finishes do you tend to specify for clients who live in busy family homes?

For busy family homes we highly recommend choosing a scrubbable finish, as we know walls can get marked easily, especially in high traffic areas such as hallways and stairs. When the school bags are coming through the door, walls can get scuffed, or there are those tiny hands that like to glide along the walls as they walk past! The Pure Matt Plus finish is a brilliant option from Fenwick and Tilbrook and it’s well worth paying a little extra so that the paint is easy to clean and will last.

Can small design changes, like painting a ceiling, skirting or a piece of furniture, really change a room’s feel?

Definitely! Simple projects like painting the ceiling to match the walls can make a room feel bigger and cosier. Breathing new life into a piece of furniture by giving it a lick of paint can make such a difference to a space. It doesn’t always have to be a big design change or cost the earth to make your room feel new and fresh.

How should you test paint colours before committing to a full room?

Avoid painting samples directly onto the wall. Instead, paint on pieces of paper so you can pin several around the room to see how the colour looks in different areas and lighting. You can also order pre-painted sheets directly from Fenwick and Tilbrook.

(Here’s a link to our “Order Samples” page)!

We hope this expert Q&A has given you plenty of food for thought when it comes to choosing paint colours for your home.

When you’re ready to take the next step, browse the Fenwick & Tilbrook current collection and discover how The Living House can help you bring it all together, from choosing the perfect colour palette and finally getting the layout right in that tricky space, to designing the whole room for you.

Check them out via their website and Instagram.

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