Old & New
Colour Guide
Warm
Colour Scheme
Subtle, delicate, Art Deco, traditional with a twist
Key Textures
Wallpaper, lace and raw silk, brushed cotton, french polished, walnut, matt paint finishes
This room may not be for everyone but I love it. It’s a cross between the old and the new. The brand spanking new purchase and the family hand-me-down. It takes its colour palette from the 40s, drawing on greys, fleshy peach tones and lilac, but it’s the gloss finish on the table which gives it a sophisticated feel. To save the room scheme from becoming something your mother lived in, (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) use a large scale pieces like the sofa that has clean modern lines.
The toile wallpaper takes 40% of the space. If toile isn’t your cup of tea you could use any off-white/charcoal delicate, patterned paper.
The charcoal grey floor – at 25%-grounds the room. It provides a base to the off-white which is 14% of the scheme. The round table has been added to successfully blend the old and new. It could be a chair, but it’s the 8% of warm brown tones from the table that gives the room a sense of maturity. The pointed legs of the table add that sense of refinement.
The layering 3-5% of solid colours like mint, fleshy peach and lilac throughout the room gives it depth. If you don’t want to say it with flowers, I would use a lilac vase or another object similar in height to the flowers. If you don’t have a mint coloured box of Laduree macaroons on hand, paint an old vintage timber box or use a low green object which will create the same feel.
TIP: When you have an angular piece of furniture, pair it with a curved table. As you know, curves are more inviting and welcoming.
Love this mix of colours and mood. I must admit the toile would normally worry me but the percentages and splashes of colour are spot on. Great to finally see someone doing this so well. Brian