Here at La Redoute, we are great believers in a French phrase – joie de vivre – which literally means enjoyment of life. Part of this philosophy is the joy that colour can bring, and here we get some expert advice on bringing colour in to the modern home with interior stylist Gemma Gear. Gemma's popular Instagram account @thatssogemma shows her love of exuberant style and here she shares her top tips.
Wouldn't life in black and white be rather boring? I certainly think so!
Colour is not only proven to hugely benefit your overall mood & emotions, but when surrounded by your favourite shades it instantly uplifts your confidence and creativity.
Being confident with colour and testing out a maximalist trend in your home will really help you determine your own unique style. It will also fill you with joy and help you on your renovation journey to make a house a home to be proud of.
My most asked questions often revolve around the topics of colour-confidence; How I cohesively put together a colour clashing scheme, or how I make two pieces from completely different trends work well together... Well, that's maximalism in a nutshell! Being brave with colour, thinking outside of the ‘trends’ box and overall just going for what your gut (and eyes!) loves.
Let's talk basics...
Don't be afraid to mix and match patterns
Pattern clashing is a must-try if you're wanting to step out of your comfort zone. I totally appreciate that for some this may be a challenge though! My best advice would be to start off small, with cushions for example before delving into more costly furnishings like wallpaper, curtains or blinds.
Take a scroll through this selection of cushions and hit ‘favourite’ on all of the cushions you are most drawn too. Do not think about whether or not they work well together, just add them all in to your wish list until you've viewed them all. I'll follow on from this later.
Pick a statement piece of furniture
I absolutely love the Tidder oak coffee table which is sitting rather proudly in my living room. Does it match perfectly with the rest of my furniture though? Nope. Do I care? Double nope! As soon as I spotted it I knew I needed to make it work. It's a large size, has plenty of shelf storage underneath, and it's a mix of black metal and wood - my favourite style.
So how did I make it work?
A mismatch of furniture CAN work, but only if you have multiple different pieces. For example, If you have a 5-piece matching set of pine cabinets and then decide to throw in a birch ply coffee table, it will undoubtedly stick out like a sore thumb and make the room feel.
But, if each piece of furniture in a room is different then this in itself will create a unique trend... Perfect for the maximalists!
Now, take a look through these furniture pieces and pick out one or two pieces that you'd love to have in your home, regardless of whether you think they match or not... Keep it in the wish list along with the cushions!
Accessorise with multiple styles
In my living room I have hit pretty much every trend in just accessories alone. Let's see what I have.
- Contemporary – black Salador metal tray
- Modern Retro - 'When In Doubt' wall art
- Boho – Yokou wall baskets
- Nordic – round wooden sculpture
- Country chic – set of 2 floral plant pots
To put it plainly, every trend can work in a maximalist scheme, if done correctly! Take a browse through this selection of home accessories and favourite some of the pieces you like the most. Take into consideration other existing elements that are already in the space; colours, patterns & materials. Try to pick out pieces that will compliment these other factors.
Now it's time to make a mood board!
Above is an example of a mood board I made for my living room when planning the scheme for it... See how it all comes together?
Mood boards are a great way of helping you visualise what a space may feel or look like. Now that we've selected furniture, accessories & cushions, it's time to be creative and put all of the items in your wish list together, to see how it all looks!
Screen grab a picture of each item, pop the images into a document and see for yourself what your unique style is beginning to look like... Do you like it?
Hopefully now you're feeling a little bit more confident with pulling a maximalist & colourful scheme together. Give it a go and try if for yourself, it's really good fun and is a great way of experimenting with different styles & trends to help you become a colourful & confident designer in your home.
We would love to see how you incorporate colour in to your home! Looking for more inspiration? Head over to the hub to see how Poppy Marples uses pastels to create a restful space.
