Home Tones: Petrol blue

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We’ve chosen a very dramatic colour for this week’s Home Tones post… petrol blue. It really grabs your attention. It’s often used quite sparingly in room schemes so as not to overpower it – perhaps a feature wall, furniture upholstery etc. People are being quite brave about embracing darkness now however – note the trend for dark greys in interior design – so we think this shade could be used quite liberally in a space – perhaps in conjunction with the aforementioned greys, fuchsia and violet. We often see flocks of starlings on nearby farmland and their feathers are very beautiful when you look at them close up – an iridescent combination of purple, green and this petrol blue. Take your colour combination cue from nature!

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Home Tones: Army green

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This week’s Home Tone is army green. We’ve chosen one image of a bedroom with disguise netting on the bunk beds, but it doesn’t have to be reserved for camouflage effects! It’s a very restful colour which combines really well with wood and other natural materials such as wicker, bamboo and sea grass. It looks fabulous against a strong contrasting white, tangerine orange or purple. And it also provides the perfect backdrop for dark green foliage or more acid green shades.

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Fast ways to give a room a fresh look

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We can all get a bit fed up with the look of our home. Most of us like to change things up a bit sometimes – it’s human nature. This is when we feel the urge to redecorate.

If you’re at that stage but are short of time, these quick fix ideas could be perfect for you. Read on to get some great ways to freshen up any room – and even better, you can do it in just a few hours.

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Transform a wall

Of course, one of the best ways to give a room a new look is to redecorate. You’re probably scratching your head right now after the promise of fast ways to transform a room – we’re talking about redecorating!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to decorate the entire room. You can easily paint or paper a single wall in a couple of hours. Doing this has an amazing transformative effect on any space.

If you want to achieve it even faster, pick out a wall sticker and use that instead. To apply it all you do is wipe over the surface, peel back the corner and smooth it on.

You can find some great ones for under £50. Decorative door stickers are also available. If you buy one of the easy to remove versions, you can easily change it if you get bored.

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Add some paintings

While we’re on the subject of walls, changing what you hang on them has a surprising impact on the look and feel of a room. Hanging new, bold paintings can help to provide new focal points and interest.

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Hang a big mirror

Mirrors are also a fantastic option – they reflect the light back into the room making it feel more spacious which can have instant dramatic impact. A new statement mirror and a few fresh decorative pieces will give an individual look to practically any space. Go online and order everything you need from the comfort of your home. Unpacking it and setting everything up will only take a matter of minutes.

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New soft furnishings

New cushion covers, throws and rugs are available everywhere but don’t forget the option of making your own. If you can sew in a straight line, you can easily make new covers, tablecloths, throws and other soft furnishings.

Making your own can save you money and even improve the chances of achieving the distinctive look you really want. These days it’s easy to find good quality upholstery and soft furnishing fabrics online.

Using premium materials gives you great results. They look fantastic, are easier to work with and are more durable. Recovering a dining room chair or footstool is another great project. You can do it no time and you don’t even need a sewing machine, just a pair of good scissors and an upholstery stapler or tacks.

With a bit of thought you’ll come up with lots of other creative ways to quickly freshen up any room.

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Home Tones: Mauve

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Mauve is French for mallow, an edible plant whose flower the colour is named after. A pinky grey shade of purple, mauve is warm, peaceful colour. Team it in interiors with dark grey, white and other complementary shades on the purple spectrum. It also looks great with various types of wood, both light and dark – beech being particularly successful in rooms we’ve seen.

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