One of the things I love about colour is that it can be used to make a style statement out of an otherwise nondescript part of an interior. I was browsing Decorating Warehouse for some DIY supplies last weekend when the idea came to me that it would be fun to make a colour statement from our radiators. My partner looked at me like I was mad, after all, how often to do you leave a home thinking about how stylish the radiator was?! So I went off in search of some bright and cheerful examples and today I’ve pulled together seven examples of stylish colourful radiators that have used hue to make a style statement – aren’t they brilliant?!
Whenever I post these round ups I find it so difficult to choose a favourite and that couldn’t be truer with today’s post on these colourful radiators because they each bring something interesting to the individual spaces that they’re part of. I feel drawn to the calm and soothing appeal of the pastel shades seen in Pastel Pretty and Sweetie Shades, where gelato hues create a soft and feminine feature out of something that is normally a heavy and masculine presence in a room. (Pretty awesome that simply adding colour can have that result, isn’t it?! OK, I’m geeking out now…) At the other end of the scale we see how painting radiators in brighter shades can result in a vibrant statement feature, such as Fiery Delight and Sunshine Statement. However, if you introduce an ombre effect to such shades, such as Ombre Sunset, you are able to soften a bold colour by pairing it with cooler shades from the same colour family. How about when it comes to more traditional spaces? Well, Contrast Cool is a fine example of how you can use colour to make a style statement in a more formal setting. Introducing a cool, powder blue hue across the radiator was a clever design trick as it mirrors the colour of the cornicing, which emphasises the verticals making the room appear higher. Finally, let’s focus on Minty Fresh, a look which (at a push) might just take the rosette for being Mr. Bazaar’s favourite. Granted, this is probably down to the fact that I just can’t quit the refreshing green shade but there’s no denying that painting the radiator mint completes the office space seen above. Imagine it with an unpainted radiator: the scheme just wouldn’t work. I really like how the mint looks against the stronger red and black colours in the space; a great example of how mixing up a palette and not making everything match can having winning results. Tell me, which of the seven painted radiator examples do you like best?
* // Photography by 1 | 2 | 3, Marianne Cotterill | 4, Angus Fergusson | 5 | 6 | 7, Christopher Baker
As I’m in Norway today shooting for the Bright.Bazaar book I thought it would be the perfect time to take a look at what’s hot in Norwegian design and colour right now. In fact, it’s perfect timing as Fargerike recently unveiled the new purple-centric decor of the Mikado suite at the Grand Hotel, Oslo, which is in honour of Norway’s colour of the year.
Let’s start our tour in the desk nook area where the Alto table by Andreas Engesvik and Fjordfiesta sits in a gorgeous indigo shade in front of a deep plum wall. Personally, I wouldn’t have thought to layer shades of purple in this manner but it totally works, especially with a splash accent of hot coral in the curtains to give the palette a vibrant lift. Speaking of bold colour accents, can you spot the Bunad throw by Andreas Engesvik? I waxed lyrical about it on the blog last year after it debuted at 100% Norway as part of London Design Festival, so I’m really excited to see it as part of the Mikado suite. I’m also delighted to see the Beacon Lamp by Magnus Pettersen because it’s such a simple yet beautiful piece that’s perfect for introducing a purple accent into a space. A new discovery for me was the Thibaut wallpaper, an exclusive design for Fargerike that I would bring into my home without second thought – I love it! I think the suite shows how versatile the colour purple can be when decorating: when using several shades in one scheme the key is to introduce a surprise accent hue from outside the purple colour family to bring visual interest to the room, or introduce pattern as a way to soften the stronger, more dramatic shades at the darker end of the spectrum. Have you ever decorated with purple? What inspires you about the decor of the Mikado suite?
// Photography by Sveinung Bråthen | Styling by Christine Hærra | via Fargerike
I’ve always been fond of Habitat as I worked for the brand while I studied at university, so I was left with a heavy heart when the brand closed the majority of their stores back in 2011. However, the wise move of bringing creative talent Polly Dickens onboard as Creative Director has seen the brand’s collections do a U-turn, with many claiming their offering is speeding back towards it’s former glory. Not only are the collections improving but the result of being bought by The Home Retail group means that you can now also buy their colourful large rugs from Argos as well as their stylish curtains. I’m excited to see what Habitat have to offer for A/W13 at their press show in a few weeks but for now I thought I would share some of my favourite finds from their current collection.
There are some great styling ideas to take from these spaces: firstly, consider bringing a glass tabletop into your dining room if you’re keen to keep the room feeling spacious. As well as keeping the space light and airy, this also allows you to make a design statement with the trestle legs you choose to support the top. Above we can see how a solid oak base pulls the dining table and chairs together as they are made from the same wood. Hanging a statement pendant above the table helps to draw the eye down to the focal point of the space, as well as making the dining area feel more intimate. How about when it comes to introducing pattern to a scheme? Taking the cool white bedroom above as an example, we can see how multi-coloured stripes have been introduced to the space to bring visual interest to the scheme. By using a consistent pattern style across all the textiles in the space – the bold stripes of the rug reference those in the bedding, tying the two elements of the room together – the resulting look is consistent and stylish. Another way to pull the soft furnishings of your scheme together is to use colour as the reference point in the scheme. This method has been used in the yellow and grey bedroom seen above, where the colours of the Pixelate bedding are pulled out and used as the palette for the rug. This works well here as replicating the busy pattern from the bedding on the rug would clash, whereas referencing the colours still pulls the two elements together. In other words, you can use colour to take a softer approach to achieving a co-ordinated scheme.
Mr Bazaar’s notable favourites are the Hester dining chairs that bring refectory-style dining into the home with a contemporary twist thanks to their flashes of modern colour, and the sumptuous beetroot hue of their blur rug. I’d love to place a set of four Hester dining chairs in different around my dining table to bring some playful dashes of hue to the space. I’d love to know which pieces are catching your eye, friends?
// Photography by Habitat
