Our Interiors Inspiration features have been sadly neglected recently – so many colourful beautiful things, so little time! However, these images that I found via Design*Sponge just cried out to be shared and written about as I thought they were perfect examples of how bold, bright colour can still be grown-up, cool and ultra-sophisticated. They’re the work of Portland-based interior designer Jessica Helgerson, and her brief for this recently renovated brownstone in Brooklyn, USA, was “a decorating scheme that was bold with color and playful with the design”.
Grey walls have been having a real moment, in every shade from misty pale through to dark and inky, and the darker versions are the perfect backdrop against which bright colours will literally sing out. The deep shade they’ve chosen here for the master bedroom has been teamed with crisp white into the window recess, and the light fitting is shown to perfection against the grey ceiling. Mid-toned wooden furniture and a paler parquet floor add warm, natural textures that contrast with the bright pop colours of the bespoke turquoise bench and cushions made from remnants of the vintage fabric that was used for the sofa (more of which later).
Flowers and books are an easy, versatile way to add extra colour to any room and they’re used to great effect here. Try this little trick I picked up from Kevin McCloud’s book “Colour Now”
The other half of the room is pictured below and you can see how the clean, simple lines of the classic pieces of furniture and neutral shades of the curtains and chair/stool all work together to offset the bright colours and geometric detail of the kilim, used as a statement piece here. I have to admit this is pretty much my perfect room – sigh!
After years of not quite getting it right, I’m always on the lookout for inspired, but do-able, home decorating ideas, and I learned so much from seeing the above picture of the family room. Keeping the shelves dark grey to match the walls keeps the scheme uncluttered, and lets the colours of the books do the work – another great example of using books as decorative accessories. And what genius to use even darker grey artworks, leaving the huge modular statement sofa upholstered in vintage Peruvian blankets to be the star of the show (just like the kilim in the bedroom). I would probably have decided that this expanse of grey wall and the “dark” corner needed “brightening up” with more colour… And again, the custom-made fir coffee table adds warmth and natural texture, whilst the books on it draw subtle touches of colour into the middle of the room and add balance.
The grey has been taken down at an angle towards the window out to the garden, to mirror the line of the staircase at the other end of the room – see below. Again, another incredibly simple thing to do, but one which adds great drama and interest.
I hope you enjoyed looking at these gorgeous rooms as much as I did. Obviously, they’re the work of a professional designer, and they make it all look so simple – but as we all know, simple doesn’t usually equate with easy. What do you think of this look? And you can find the whole story over on Design*Sponge if you’d like to see more.
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