Turn up the volume on neutral colour palettes

If you’re wondering what colour sofa to choose for your grey room, then you’ve come to the right place. That’s not to say that we won’t try to inspire you to take more risks with your colour palette when it comes to home décor, but let’s start with grey. The question of 2020 is, ‘how do I upgrade my grey sitting room?’ If you’ve followed the trend so far as having a grey carpet and a grey sofa, then you can focus on accessories that pop and art on the wall to provide some versatile updates.

While our design director says, ‘completely grey interiors are over!’ there’s still hope. If you are wanting stay with a neutral colour pallet, then add a mixture of stone, white and cream tones. Bringing in a mix of textures will also add interest. Below is a fantastic example by Mallorca based design house Du Rietz as well as a colour board to help get you on your way….

Colours Used:
The Grey colour is the Swyft Velvet Elephant, Valspar – Noble Driftwood R80A, Valspar – Seven Sisters L5AW11A, Valspar – Daisy Chain W20A, Farrow & Ball James White No.2010, Farrow & Ball – Off Black No.57

Let’s talk about colour, baby. If you’re ready to step away from the grey, then think about the mood you want to set in the space; is it colourful and inspiring, serene and calm, or modern and smooth?

Different colours can evoke different moods. For example, reds, oranges and pinks can get the blood pumping and evoke excitement, passion and can even motivate. Meanwhile, blues and light neutrals can make you feel relaxed, serene and have even been known to lower blood pressure.

Here are some tips from our Interior Head of Creative, Kelly Collins. Kelly says, ‘It’s important to first think of the space you are designing. What will be happening in this space and what sort of emotions do you want to evoke?‘

1. Colourful and inspiring

The key to a colourful palette is to go bold. Don’t be scared to mix and match, go ahead and clash a little!

A colour trend we have been seeing since the beginning of 2020 is burnt Orange and Turquoise. Can you think of two more eye catching colours?! Below is a design by Anna Hayman Design, which depicts this colour pairing perfectly. She has given the room a big pop by using the velvet burnt orange on the couch. If that’s a bit too bold for you, try making the largest item in the room (usually the sofa) a neutral colour and use smaller furniture or accessories such as throws and pillows or artwork to generate the bold pops of colour.

Get the look: We have created a mood board below to help recreate this style in your own home.

Mood board: Swyft Armchair Brick Velvet, Swyft 2 seater sofa Linen Pumice, Paint Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster, Art work, Scatter cushion Trouva, Coffee Table Etsy (anddaughtervintage), Rug Urbanara.

2. Serene and calm

When creating a serene and calm atmosphere, lighting is key. As much natural lighting as possible is always preferable, but if this is limited in the space, then keep the tones and materials light.

When your colour scheme is all neutral, add some interest and depth by mixing tones and materials. This will stop your space from looking flat. A great example comes from designer Kelly Wearstler.

Take note of the linen on the sofa, light voiles used on the curtains and hard materials such as the wood and metal on the staircase.

Get the look: We’ve gone neutral with our sofa and wall colour, but by adding natural wood accents and warm brass lighting, we’ve upped the design factor and added interest through texture. For that extra touch of calm, we’ve thrown in a light blue accent cushion.

Image credit: Kelly Wearstler

Mood board:

Swyft 3 seater Linen Shadow, Rug Zara Home, Paint Farrow & Ball All White 2005, Side Table Zara Home, Art Work Modern Art Hire, Light Monologue, Scatter cushion Trouva.

3. Smooth and modern

What’s deemed ‘modern’ changes regularly, but a crisp, simple design stays timeless.

The rounded, organic shapes in the mid-century modern inspired living room from design firm Design Haus Liberty shows that mixing neutrals with bold accents can create a sharp, modern look. The contrast between marble and natural wood gives a luxurious feel. Unique decorative items help bump up the modern vibe in this space. If you’re looking to recreate this, think of sourcing sculptures, lamps or vases from flea markets, Etsy or Trouva.

Get the look: In our mood board, we’ve chosen the bold teal 2 seater sofa, which has a modern, sleek design. When paired with marble and brass accents, it elevates the whole mood with simplicity and a modern flair.

Mood board:

Swyft 2 seater Teal, Rug Urbanara, Side Table Venterior, Coffee Table Monologue London, Paint Valspar Seven Sisters L5AW11A, Art Work Modern Art Hire, Lamp Zara Home, Ceiling Pendent Trouva

We would love to see your designs and how you are using colour to update your sitting rooms and bedrooms. Please share your photos with us on social media using #swyfthome.