How to use bright colours in your interior

Take a walk on the bright side – you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

The green light

Blue and green are traditionally cool colours that adjoin each other on the colour wheel. Combined, the two can create a stunning effect – provided they’re balanced with warmer colours. In this room, brown is used to provide that balance by means of cheerful curtains, scatter cushions and the coffee table. As brown is a neutral colour, it works well with the lime-washed wooden floors, off-white rug and chair to create a neutral base. Use various shades of blue and green in the accessories to add variety and interest to the look.

Into the blue

You can’t go wrong with blue and white. An old farmhouse kitchen takes on a marine mood thanks to a splash of pale blue paint on the tongue and groove cupboards and wall panels; the elegant tone is even carried through to the table and stool. Alongside the white walls and window frames, the look is classic, crisp and fresh. The old wooden floors were sanded to reveal their beautiful patina – perfectly befitting a farmhouse – and a striped, woven rug adds a playful and informal feel.

Red Alert!

It’s easy giving an old bathroom a new look without tackling structural changes. Red and white stripes create a bold, contemporary look, instantly brightening up the room. While old-fashioned floor tiles have been used, the small diamond-shaped blue tiles and a blue and white bathmat create a marine mood in the classic red and blue combination. The beautiful wooden door and cabinets have been sanded down to reveal their natural patina, providing the earthy colour needed to bring warmth to the bathroom. Combined with the retro basin and taps, they add to the character of the space.

Sweet Citrus

Orange continues to be a popular accent colour in our homes – Tangerine Tango is, after all, 2012’s Colour of the Year. Here, naartjie-red curtains and lime-green walls are balanced with neutral furniture and a light wooden floor. Straight lines and steel legs keep the look contemporary, while the large windows flood the room with natural light, creating a warm, homely atmosphere. The ceiling and recessed walls at the windows are the same white as the walls, adding depth to the room. A chequered rug provides added texture, while the bookcase and simply framed family photographs on the walls supply the dash of personality that’s vital in any successful living area.

Pretty Playful

Who says you have to stick to one focal wall? Here, the walls – and even the ceiling – have been painted pink, orange, yellow and green for a delightfully playful look. Not quite you? We’re sure your teenaged daughter will be wild about it though! And later you can simply repaint the room when its exuberant energy gets to be too much for her. The white shelves, shutters and frames provide points of calm, while the rug softens this thoroughly modern room. Contributing to the playful mood, silver circles were applied to one wall to reflect the pink curtains fronting the cupboard/wardrobe.

In black and white

This classic combination is equally at home in a stately Victorian residence and a contemporary studio apartment. Here, black and white striped walls take centre stage – but instead of vertical stripes, an interesting maze-like pattern has been created to keep it playful. Cream-coloured furniture with wooden legs provides the perfect neutral base, keeping a clinical atmosphere at bay, while something simple, such as a woolly rug, adds texture to the seamless white concrete floor. Greenery is essential in a monochrome room such as this; see how the large glass windows, sliding door and an indoor plant invite nature inside.