Experimenting with new colour combinations - liven up your duck egg with orange + teal

Developing a colour palette as part of an email client consultation yesterday has inspired me to write about experimenting with colour today...

Duck egg + teal with a punch of orange - Little Greene

Humans often err towards the side of caution and when in comes to interiors opt for tried and tested colour combinations. One of the safest colours that has been a staple for residential interiors for ever is the colour duck egg blue. The likes of Laura Ashley, M&S and Next have traditionally mixed it with neutrals (cream, taupe & beige) and included into 'ready to buy' looks including brown leather seating, oak furniture and patterns including spots, stripes and florals.

Whilst this combination works, it is, dare I say, somewhat boring. I'll admit to being a victim of it in a previous house many years ago (although I did throw some fuchsia pink into the mix!) but seriously come on, let's have some fun and funk it up.

How best can we do this?

Add some depth with a deep teal hue

Add a shot of zingy orange

A varied palette of teal & orange

David Mottershead, the managing director of Little Greene, says: “Using paints effectively in interior design is a much more sophisticated process than selecting a single colour from a paint chart. One colour in isolation can be attractive, two in combination can be beautiful and three shades used together can be quite exquisite.”

Exquisite - yes! Boring - no!

Accessorising with the colour palette (image: Martha Stewart)

Moroccan colour palette - (image: from Billabong's autumn 2014 ad campaign)

Vivid orange berries, how amazing is nature! (image: Creature Comforts)

I hope seeing this stunning this colour palette has inspired you to move away from safe and go add some colour to your life *smile*

www.homerestyler.co.uk