Windows. They are so often left unloved and undressed, which is such a shame because they are the ideal opportunity to not only invite colour into a space but also create a stylish design statement. I’ve teamed up with Hillarys this season to hunt for Britain’s most creatively coloured home. Before I share the details of how you can enter (and what’s up for grabs!), I thought it would be fun and useful to share some inspiring examples of creatively coloured windows.
1. GREEK DREAM | First up is my take on the classic blue and white colour combination. This is one of my all time faves and after an inspiring trip to the Greek Islands I knew this was the type of space I was keen to style for Hillarys. The aim was to style a space that felt soothing, calming and restorative thanks to a classic blue and white colour scheme. The hanging rope lighting was a great way to add a subtle nautical edge the space: it really helped conjure up the sounds of the ocean and lapping waves. Further textural interest was added by juxtaposing a whitewashed wooden floor with cool white painted walls. This provided a stylish and refreshing primary palette onto which I could layer in the vivid Greek blues that are seen across the Greek islands. I did this via the hero blue shutters that frame the windows making the view feel like a work of art in itself. A patterned rug injects pattern into the scheme, while also bringing tactility under foot. Dressing the bed in soft blue and white sheets helps make the bedroom set look comfortable and cool. This classic white and blue colour contrast is what makes the look so striking. A peppering of organic elements, such as a stone vase and a glass full of cut blooms by the bed were the perfect finishing touch. Click through to see nine more inspiring ways to dress your windows with colour, and to enter the Creative Colour competition!
2. NEW NEUTRAL | I called this look the New Neutral because in the past two years blue-green hues have been seen as, well, the new neutral. Such shades pair perfectly with stone, oatmeal and white shades. Here we see how all over soft teal walls paired with off-white shutters to create a subtle contrast that marries with the gently dressed bed.
3. HOTEL CHIC | If you love to up the luxe factor, this is the approach for you. Sophisticated furnishings and oversized coffee table ottomans join forces with grand wood shutters painted in rich tones to create a cozy and dramatic overall look.
4. FAMILY PLAYFUL | Completely different to the previous look, this approach sees the brightly coloured blinds take centre stage in a light, bright and cheerful breakfast room that’s perfect for families. Keeping the rest of the space white allows the splashes of hot hue the opportunity to shine.
5. PEPPERMINT CRUSH | Along with Greek Dream, this approach to adding colour via window treatments is my favourite. I’ve been crushing (excuse the pun!) on ombre design treatments for several years, and this minty green folding shutter approach is colour perfection. I could move in without changing a thing – love!
6. GRAPHIC PATTERN | As well as colour, I’m always partial to a splash of eye-catching pattern. Here, an otherwise non-descript dining space is brought to life by the statement window blinds. The geometric pattern references the colour accents seen across the space to create a cohesive and stylish overall look.
7. COOL & COLOURFUL | Sometimes it’s better to let the window treatments take a quieter seat in the auditorium that is your room. This space is a fine example of that: the black and yellow palette has such high contrast that trying to compete with it would result in a busy scheme where the eye doesn’t know where to rest. By using white wooden shutters over the windows, the treatments don’t complete with, but rather they compliment, the overall scheme.
8. ACCENT COLOUR | If you currently have a neutral space and you are keen to add in an interesting splash of colour then your windows present the ideal opportunity to layer in an accent colour. Here a warm hit of yellow is added via the blinds to instantly take the space from drab to fab!
9. RAINBOW DARKS | A multi-coloured approach to colour doesn’t have to mean zingy shades all round. Here we see how choosing an array of darker shades of colours and lining them up in bifold shutters can add drama and occasion to a moody space.
10. MIAMI BRIGHTS | Rounding out the list of ten is this vivid and energetic dining space that takes a tonal approach to its colour palette – i.e. decorating with different shades of the same colour across the whole space. The lime green shutters pop against the turquoise walls and make for a lively and memorable room.
Creative Colour Competition
Are you proud of your home’s perfect palette? Perhaps you are confident about the clever cocktail of colour in your living room? Hillarys and I would love to see your masterpiece in the running for Britain’s most creatively coloured home – if you enter you could win shutters for your home worth up to £1500! Up for it? Great! Click here to upload your creative colour picture, along with your name and email address, and tell us what inspired your scheme, in no more than 50 words. Hillarys will display your lovely picture on their gallery and announce the winner on March 25th 2016.
// Posted in partnership with, and photography by Hillarys, used with permission.
20 Comments
Oh I love these so much! Especially the peppermint crush – the stools look perfect in front of those ombre shutters.
@Gabriella – Right? It’s just stunning!
Will, the bedroom space you styled is gorgeous. You have a wonderful eye!
@Dee – Thanks so much! 🙂
Thanks for this I learnt a lot. Accent colour is the look I like the most I think.
@Colin – Great choice, I love that yellow and grey combo!
Wowwwwwww! I need the mint one in my home! 🙂
@Suzie F – YES!
Beautiful as always…the blue and white look and the patterned one are my choices.
@Juliana – Thanks very much. I love your choices! 🙂
All for a graphic pattern to spice up a room, especially in an otherwise simple setting!
Josh | The Kentucky Gent
http://thekentuckygent.com
@Josh – Right? Totally agree!
I so love plantation shutters, I have them in every room in my house! Never ever go back! Great post!
@Maison – I hope to have them in my own home one day too!
I love the colorful shutters. Ours are on the outside of the house, though, and really insulate against the heat and cold. I keep meaning to write about how the French use shutters instead of air conditioning.
francetaste.wordpress.com
@Taste of France – Ah, smart!
Drapery be gone! Wonderful design ideas, Will.
@Mary Beth – Thank you!
Wow! Lovely colours, I’ve always had white drapes in my house. It got kind of boring, though. Pretty inspiring ideas!
@ProfessionalPainters – Thank you!