Decorating with colour

Despite the wealth of information available to us online, on TV and in books and magazines – it’s amazing how many people still don’t have confidence when it comes to choosing a colour scheme.

A common question is how to decorate a large open space area.  You could unify the space with one colour, or different shades of the same colour.  For example, a lovely blue duck egg in one zone could lead into a darker blue in a different one.  You can also use rugs to accentuate the different zones.   This will keep the open plan feel but will demonstrate new areas within the room.

Another common misconception is that ceilings should always be white – or derivatives of white – but believe it or not that’s not the law!  There is one general piece of advice on this though, if your room is on the small side a non white ceiling will only make it feel smaller so make sure you only venture away from white in large rooms with lots of natural light.  If you feel bold, swap your ceiling for a rich colour and make your walls white – it can really make a statement and to reflect the shade on the ceiling – choose a rug in the same shade - the perfect complement for high and low.

Grey is a really fashionable colour but people can be scared of using it because they think their room could look dull.   But grey is the perfect neutral and can be quite warm and cosy.    There are numerous shades of grey to chose from, pale blue greys can look really sophisticated while darker tones will give your room a grown up feel.  Here are some of our favourite greys.

Let's get warm and cosy with Scandi design

 As the weather turns cold, we wondered what it is about  #Scandinavian design that we love so much?

 Perhaps because its so dark and cold outside that the      Scandinavians seek to make their homes especially warm      and welcoming, a stylish retreat from the outside, a place        where they can wrap themselves up in style.

We Brits interpret Scandi style as minimalism with warmth.  It is unfussy, has clean, practical lines and thanks to the light colours favoured by Scandi style, it's perfect for making small British homes feel bigger.

Norway, Sweden and Finland, are known for their egalitarian societies which is why their designs are not showy and quite pared down.  For Scandinavians, home is warm and comfortable – it’s very much lived in, rather than a show home.  

Bare wood, sheepskin and leather are the core ingredients for the Scandi styled home and hints of red and blue are the colours of choice.

If you want to create the look in your home, we have four sheepskin rugs to choose from as well as our fabulous flokati rugs which are premium rugs that will stand the test of time.  If you want that hint of colour, our Basket Weave collection will fit the bill.

And fairy lights are not just for Christmas, throw a line on a shelf or on your fireplace, find some wooden ornaments, add some faux fur cushions and a few throws and you won't want to go outside for quite some time.

  

And so to bed

Soft thick rugs are ideal
by the bed

Having trouble sleeping?  Did you know your bedroom could cause problems nodding off?

Let’s start with the colour.  Experts say that colour really does have an impact on your mood and so while red, yellow and black may keep you awake at night, shades of blue and green are renowned for their calming and soothing features.

In most other rooms in the house, interior design experts will tell you to let the natural light flood in.  However, the opposite is true in the bedroom.  You need to make sure you have thick curtains that block out daylight.  Ideally have dimmer switches on your artificial lighting to keep them low as you climb into bed and turn them up high when you want to wake up and get dressed. 

These bright rugs are
great to help you
wake up.

Other accessories are just as relevant.  Texture is important in a bedroom as it is such a multi functional space.  By night, the place you wind down, relax and sleep and by day, the space where you wake up and prepare yourself for whatever the next 12 hours is going to throw at you.

And so use accessories and different textures to help zone the different areas. By the bed, soft, thick rugs are the perfect floor covering for when you get in and out of bed.

By day, why not put a practical, bright rug near your dressing table or wardrobe?  This will highlight the space as an area where you mean business as you prepare for the day ahead. 

Colour co-ordinate your rugs, curtains and bedding so that the room has an inclusive feel within the specific zones.

Night, night.

A colour to cherish

  

Cherished Gold

#Dulux has recently revealed its colour of the year for 2016 - Cherished Gold.  Their colour experts say this colour pairs well with ‘fresh pastels and rich jewel tones alike and its earthy quality make it easy to use and coordinate.’

If you like to keep up to date with the latest interior design styles then you need to start thinking about how you can introduce this new shade to your home without breaking the bank.  The smart interior designer understands how, by replacing just a few key pieces, their home will remain bang on trend.

As we never get tired of saying, one of the quickest, cheapest and easiest ways to give any room a fresh new look is by introducing a new rug.  And if you’re looking for a rug that features this must have colour - we’ve got a few designs which incorporate our interpretation of gold, which I think you’ll like 

For the discerning home, the fine Indo Persian gold rug (above) offers exceptional detail thanks to a superb level of craftsmanship and is one of our finest rugs. Also above, the Pakistan Bokhara offers a plain gold centre and is perfect for a lounge or dining room, while we think the traditional Afghan design would work well in a bedroom.

For those on a budget, we love the City Range Design (below) which features a bold gold floral motif that will take centre stage in a living room.  Or, how about the Gabbeh rug which would look great in any room in the house?

Let's go for gold in 2016.

  

Trend Watch: Burnt Orange

Trend Watch

A new trend for autumn is burnt orange.  This is set to become a key autumnal shade and is a lovely colour for adding warmth to your home.  It’s important to realise that is has more brown than yellow tones which means you should go for darker rather than lighter complementary shades.

If you start with a burnt orange accent wall you can create a chic or a cosy mood.  If you’re going for contemporary chic, white walls and wooden floors work well.  Try white curtains, brown sofas and then splash your orange around on cushions, throws and with a rug like this one.

Going for cosy?  Use natural textiles and wooden furniture.  A log burner, a large chandelier and window treatments in burgundy or chocolate shades will create the mood you want.   This rug will look great in front of the log burner.

For more of a cool, Scandinavian vibe, another colour that works really well with burnt orange is pale blue.  This is a grown up look which has  quite a minimalistic feel.

How are you using orange?  We’d love to know.  

Interior design trends

A new survey by George Home reveals that 95% of people are happy to experiment with bold colours in the home and the age of magnolia and off-white are long gone.  Its three best selling colours are grey, green and blue and so we’ve had a look at some rugs that we think would complement these best sellers.

Going grey? It just so happens that part of our new collection, Yeti by Brink & Campman, features this modern and versatile colour.   Made in Nepal by some of the world’s most skilful master rug weavers Yeti offers meticulous attention to detail and quality. Each rug features a subtle speckled abrash effect and is constructed with the finest quality 100% new wool pile.

Green for go. Green is a particular favourite of our customers and features heavily in our traditional rug designs.  This Royal Yelmi circular rug is perfect for the traditional home but the green in this Pakistan Bokhara would work well in either a modern or period home.

Feeling blue?  Midnight blue is bold colour that suits larger spaces.  Combine with brilliant white or a splash of pale grey for a contemporary statement.  These Ella Claire designs are exclusive to FrithRugs and you won’t find them on the High Street.

                                       

Interior design technology

Thanks to the glossy images inspired by websites like Pinterest.com and Houzz.co.uk, theoretically it should be easier than ever to pull a room’s interior décor together.  However, often these images have been carefully crafted by professional interior designers who make it look so easy.  But you can get further inspiration from a range of great interior design apps and we’re recommending a few of the best.

Photomeasures is really useful as it saves measurements on to photos of your rooms. You simply take a photo, add the measurement and you can zoom in or out.  It’s really handy when you are thinking about new furniture, like a rug for example and you can see whether or not it will fit.

We all know how important it is to create a mood board and MAGPIE keeps everything that inspires you in one place such as video and pictures.  You can also make your own notes and then print out your collections as moodboards. 

Peppermint2 is useful when you are not sure about colours and tones.  You may think your blue rug will go with your blue sofa, but if you get the shades wrong it can really clash rather than complement.  This app lets you try different combinations and shades.

And, there is of course the old fashioned way.  We frequently get customers bringing in bits of wallpaper, cushions or curtains to confirm the rug they want will match their design scheme.   

What do you prefer?