Now more than ever we will be considering the insides of our homes. We are all in them more and a lot of us will use this time to make simple improvements and get the paint pot out!
I first met interior designer Jane McIntyre online, as one often does. She came to my attention because Richard had been making some bespoke iron curtain poles for one of her clients. I took a look at her website and was immediately smitten. I loved her style and began following her interesting, colourful, quirky homeware objects that were appearing on her blog and instagram feed. The thing that was most apparent to me was her love of colour and her ability to use it to create luxurious spaces. Jane says herself:
“I hope to encourage my clients to be braver with colour, pattern and texture. I never push my ideas but I do so love it when clients thank me for steering them away from their comfort zone to a more exciting place.”
So, inspired by Jane I thought I would introduce a bit of colour to our own walls. Easier said than done! I found it impossible to make a decision, there are so many colours and variations of shades available that it made me scuttle back to the safety of an off white neutral. Knowing that Jane offers advice remotely I decided to call her and I’ve never looked back.
Finding the right paint for our old cottage walls was essential so on Jane’s suggestion I used the wonderful Pure and Original Paint from Holland, whose chalky depths – the result of much more pigment than a standard emulsion – sit particularly well with our beams and oak doors.
Fabulous to use, even though it prefers to be brushed and not rolled, this paint outshines any other that I have used and, surprisingly for a chalk paint, it is even washable once it has cured for two weeks. (Rather essential with two muddy boys!) The colours are remarkable, sultry, moody and gentle, all rolled into one. I took one very adventurous step (guided by Jane all the way) and painted the walls and ceilings the same colour in the children’s rooms – I was unsure at first but now we all love the way the room envelops you in a comforting feeling.
So far we have only finalised two rooms, but have started planning another three and I can’t wait to get started! Watch this space!
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