Most of us head straight for neutrals when buying furniture. Whether fabric, leather, wood or metal, neutrals seem like the ‘smart’ and ‘practical’ choice – and of course, they are! Neutrals are definitely timeless. But consider for a moment the glamour, panache and utter joy of colourful furnishings. No longer just for the rebel, sofas, tables, chests and more with unexpected pops of colour are becoming classics in their own right.

Belaire Contemporary Sectional

Here are our top 5 reasons why you should embrace colourful furniture for your space:

1. It creates an experience. Colour enables you to create a mood. Consider the sensuality of a rich purple sofa, the whimsy of a saturated blue arm chair or the elegance of a floral patterned accent chest. Equally important, different colours create different feelings. Compare the relaxing feeling of a soft blue sofa to the instant jolt of energy from a bright red sofa. Do you want your space to be ‘sunny’ yellow or ‘soothing’ citrus green? Choose your colourful furnishings accordingly.
   

   Sonora Loveseat

2. It reflects your personal taste. Colourful furniture reflects your individual sense of style. You’re terrific teal or maybe even bold red! Show your personality through colour. Colourful furnishings, by their very nature, say that you’re fashion forward and open minded. What a great place to start!
3. It provides a focal point. Every room needs a focal point to make it visually appealing and harmonious. A colourful piece of furniture draws in the eye and says ‘admire me!’ Place your colourful furnishings on a corner angle or in a prominent spot where they get the attention they deserve. It will make your space more inviting.
4. It can determine your colour scheme. Many people pick a paint colour for a room as the first step in choosing a colour palette, but decorators often suggest buying an item with a colour that inspires you and building your room around that. Could it be the pale purple of a sofa cushion or the tangerine of a metal kitchen chair? One piece of colour furniture can launch your entire decorating scheme!
   

   Timbuktu Collection

5. It isn’t all or nothing. Always remember, you can go gentle with colourful furniture. It doesn’t have to be bright to have impact. Pastels are trendy now and offer a more subtle aesthetic. You can also choose to select colour just for smaller pieces like your dining room chairs (crimson leather anyone?), an ottoman (with turquoise stripes!) or even a red chest of drawers for your bedroom.

Red Bombe Chest with 3 Drawers

Remember that colourful furniture is best displayed against a neutral backdrop. If, for example, you choose a cobalt sofa and accent chair, opt for taupe or grey walls and perhaps classic dark hardwood floors.

Experiment with a piece or two of colourful furniture in your space. You’ll be delighted with the impact on your senses. Enjoy!

Famous designer and home guru, Alexandra Stoddard, claims that every room needs a touch of yellow. She explains that yellow is the colour of sunshine and that it feeds our psyche. Is she right? We can’t be sure – but yellow certainly seems to lift our spirits and that is a wonderful thing!

Here are a few suggestions to inject a little (or a lot!) of yellow into your space. Try yellow on for size. I think you’ll be amazed at how warm and welcoming your home suddenly feels.

Start outside. You can have yellow in your garden virtually year-round. Daffodils in spring, day lilies in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn – and don’t forget a bright yellow front door is spectacular!

Update your hallway. A bouquet of yellow flowers is irresistible. Whether humble carnations, joyous sunflowers (this season’s pick!) or lavish long stemmed roses, yellow flowers in your foyer say ‘this is a happy home’.

Yellow walls. Yellow walls make for a cheerful room even on a gloomy day! There are many shades of yellow – from rich gold to icy pale; evaluate your lighting to find a yellow that’s perfect for your home and sensibilities. And don’t forget one of my favourite tricks – paint your ceiling something other than white! A soft yellow ceiling with white cornices makes every day sunny!

Largo Mandolin Bay Sofa Table

Keep it natural. A large bowl of lemons is so simple yet gorgeous! Keep a full bowl displayed on your countertop. It’s practical too – lemons are very versatile in the kitchen.

Inside doors. How about a soft, pastel yellow for all your interior doors? Frame them in bright white trim and adorn them with gold-toned knobs and hardware to make every room entrance appealing.

Speaking of gold tone. Warm metallics like gold, brass and bronze relay the same warmth as yellow. Look for beautiful furnishings like accent tables and chairs with the glow of yellow-toned metal to bring yellow’s charm to your space.

Furnishings. Yellow is flexible and works perfectly with neutrals like grey, beige, brown and taupe. It can look bold and modern with black and industrial décor or traditional with rich woods. Consider a gorgeous yellow sofa, a yellow side chair, yellow breakfast stools or a hall table with a bright gold front.

Janet Collection

Yellow pattern. Maybe solid yellow isn’t for you. No worries! Yellow and gold patterned upholstery is on trend. Whether you like florals, geometrics, plaids or stripes, there are lots of opportunity to work a little yellow into your palette.

Nature Themed Contemporary Chair

Accessories. Of course, the easiest and most affordable way to add yellow is in your accessories. How about yellow bed linens, yellow and white striped draperies, a yellow vase or beige/yellow lamp shades with a gold base? You’ll find plenty of inspiration when you go shopping!

With summer coming to a close, now is a perfect time to bring the season inside with yellow. Whether mellow or vibrant, we’re confident it will make you feel good. It seems Alexandra is right after all!

Designers often speak of the importance of having a focal point in a room – but the truth is – many of us may not know exactly what that means or how to achieve it. So let’s start with a definition. The focal point of a room is the element to which the eye is naturally most drawn. It garners the most attention and often, the most compliments!

Why is it so critical? A room without a focal point is visually unappealing. The eye wanders; things compete against one other. It’s unsettling, whereas a room with a focal point is more pleasing and inviting. Everything else in the room accentuates the focal point, creating harmony and balance.

But how do you find a focal point? And then how do you highlight it? Here are our suggestions:

Embrace a natural focal point. Some rooms are blessed with ‘good bones’, whether it’s a cathedral ceiling framed in cornices, an impressive stone fireplace or a large window with a beautiful view. If that’s your space, lucky you! Make the most of it. Paint that ceiling a gorgeous pale pink or add a glamourous multi-tiered light fixture; hang bold abstract art above the fireplace; frame the window view with minimal curtains in a soft gauzy fabric.

Jonathan Louis Rhodes Living Room

Create an architectural focal point. If your home lacks character, add it yourself! Install wood beams to a ceiling for instant panache; add a brick wall to your space and display an interesting collection of black and white photos on it; install pillars where the living meets the dining room, framing beautiful French doors. How about wall to ceiling bookcases with not only books but artfully displayed bric a brac? It’s surprising easily to make any room look like it has a pedigree by adding an attention-grabbing focal point.

Modern Organics Entertainment Console

Make art a focal point. Whether it’s a large sculpture, a large single wall hanging or a grouping, art is not only a great focal point, but also a great conversation starter. For groupings, stick to a theme (sunsets for example) or frame all your art similarly (black frames with white mattes for example). For a single piece, be adventurous. Choose something stunning that makes a statement. Remember you want all eyes to fall on this element and to love it!

Furnish with a focal point. Choose an outstanding piece of furniture and make it the centre of your room’s universe! Larger pieces work best of course, based on sheer size, but also consider colour and style. How about a unique side/accent table in grey or turquoise? How about a sofa in red? What about a Victorian-styled settee or a large traditional armoire in a modern room?

Janet Collection

Avoid this one focal point! Many living rooms are dominated by a large TV and while it’s fun, it’s not aesthetically very pleasing. Attempt to ‘override’ the television with a different focal point – perhaps a glorious painting on the opposite wall or a spectacular chaise in a bright colour.

Cast a critical eye over your living space. Is there a focal point now? Do you love it? If not, it’s time to put your creativity to work. Have fun!