You may or may not have seen that a few weeks ago we started a series of blogs focused around ‘Colour’. Our obsession with the topic came about last December when a lady attending one of our workshops informed us that she was a colour psychology researcher. Having chatted to her at length about her research, we collaborated with her 8 months later – July this year – teaching people about the psychological effects of colour in the home (you can read the interview with her here).
So when house hold favourite sofa brand DFS invited us to an event titled ‘House of Colour’ a few months ago, featuring a panel talk with colour guru’s Mad About The House & Sophie Robinson, we RSVP’d instantly. The panel talk discussed the past, present and future trends of colour. It covered questions like ‘why are we a nation of grey lovers’ and ‘are yellow velvets sofa’s on the rise?’. We left feeling inspired and leapt at the opportunity to pick the brains of Kate and Sophie on this topic. If you missed Kate Watson Smyth’s interview, you can play catch up here, but for the rest of you scroll on down to find out what TV personality and always sunny Sophie has to say.
Why do you think there is a growing trend for people to be bolder with their colour choices (e.g. opting for yellow, blue, pink sofas)?
It’s more than one reason I’m sure. First of all I think it’s because people are staying put more. When everyone was keen to flip property for profit the advice was to keep it beige and neutral. Now that we are making our houses homes, rather than mere investments, people are more encouraged to put their own personal stamp on it – which I’m all for. Secondly bold colour has been fashionable across the board. The catwalk has been favouring courageous colours and that always affects the interiors trends too. I think with all the doom and gloom and uncertainty in the world, a good burst of bright colour just simply cheers us all up and the design industry has reflected that.
Do you think using neutrals in the home is down to a fear of colour or lack of knowledge on how to use colour?
There are those who love neutrals and couldn’t have anything else, and they should be left alone to indulge in their love beigeness. But I know from talking to people that there are a whole load of people who are living with neutrals through fear. Decorating is expensive and takes commitment and so if people are uncertain about what they like, what will work in their home, or tremble…what others might think, then they conclude that it’s all too overwhelming and plum for the grey sofa and the white wall. But they will have to live with that nagging feeling that they chickened out and it all feels just a little underwhelming.
What would be your advice to someone wanting to experiment with colour in their home, but they’re not sure how to start?
You need to do a little soul searching. Dig around and start noticing what colours and more importantly what tones of that colour you are drawn to. One person’s favourite blue is teal while another’s is periwinkle, so be discerning. You can start by checking out your wardrobe- that’ll give you a clue or use Pinterest and Instagram as jumping off points. It’s a visually overwhelming world out there so don’t get swayed by trends or friends opinions and listen to your gut as much as you can. That’s the way to discover colours you truly love so you can step away from the beige with confidence knowing you will always love it.
What was the inspiration behind your room at House of Colour?
I’m particularly loving this deep cobalt blue at the moment. I’m finding it really luxurious, impactful and grounding. So with that as my starting point I found a matching velvet sofa from DFS to match. Next it was time to add my other two favourite colours, petal pink and canary yellow. The Joules Cambridge armchair was a real find as the vintage floral fabric really helped to make the whole colourful scheme pull together.
A huge thank you to Sophie for taking the time to answer these questions – Sophie regularly hosts colour workshops which you can learn more about here on her website. They look awesome, so try and nab a spot if you can! We’ve also chatted to Mad About The House & a Colour Psychology expert, you can read them here: Colour Psychology Expert Blog / Mad About The House Interview
