Stylist Julia Green uses bright, bold colour in bedroom

It’s a familiar scene – the room is a nice enough space, but it’s been painted a safe shade of white, the overall effect of which is rather underwhelming. It’s a predicament that stylist Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors found herself in recently when Dulux asked her to overhaul a bland bedroom.

“The room was a blank canvas. While it had lovely features such as wooden floorboards, white walls and shutters, it was crying out for some character,” says Julia who looked to the Dulux ‘Repair’ palette for inspiration before making over the space with lashings of vibrant colour and texture.

“The colours in the Repair palette felt calm yet invigorating – for me, it was love at first sight. When it comes to choosing colour, I believe it’s the emotional connection we make that is the most important thing – perhaps even more important than how we dress a space. I knew the deep greenish blues and hints of cinnamon from the palette would be perfect for creating a warm, welcoming feel in this bedroom,” says Julia. And I’d have to agree! While there was nothing ‘wrong’ with the original space, the result showcases Julia’s formidable talent for colour. Who would have thought that a bright teal shade (Dulux Sea Creature) could feel so invigorating yet simultaneously serene?

As she is inclined to, Julia built the room around the artwork – a bold piece by artist Georgie Wilson. “I chose an artwork for the back wall that was filled with beautiful, earthy tones, all present in the Dulux Repair palette, and used this to inform the rest of my colour choices,” says Julia who then layered paint, accessories and soft furnishings into the space to complement.

“I selected a bold hue for the back wall to give the room depth – Dulux Wash & Wear in Sea Creature, which is a luscious, green-blue. I layered this up with touches of rich green by painting the existing bedside-table drawer with Dulux Aquanamel in Plasticine and adding lush velvet soft furnishings and tall potted plants on either side of the bed,” says Julia.

Julia also used a variety of other accent shades to complete the look – Dulux Aquanamel in Cinnamon Sand (a soft terracotta shade) was painted on the mirror trim while Dulux Auburn Flair was painted on the base of the large ceramic pot in the corner. A sizeable blue tonal rug, touches of raw timber, velvet and linens were then brought in to finish the space.

“You don’t have to be an expert to achieve great results with colour – it’s such fun to experiment, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly it can transform a space. Safe is boring; my advice is to step outside your comfort zone and try something new. Chances are, you’ll fall in love with playing with colour and never want to stop!”

Photography: Armelle Habib | Styling: Julia Green

For more | 2019 Dulux Colour Awards finalists