My Colours for 2016

Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2016 is off to a cracker start for you. I spent a week or so over at our family lake house and I really enjoyed the lack of wifi, and just good ole fashion 'chilling out'. But I'm back home now and really excited about what this year will bring. I have exciting plans for my home and for the growth of my business, Bibby + Brady (with Dael Brady), and look forward to sharing it all with you.

In 2016 I continue to (and will always) love white interiors layered with colour, pattern and texture. Shibori, denim and a contemporary take on tartan are favourites of mine. Zhush up your occasional chair by reupholstering the back cushion only in a gorgeous fabric.

This year I will also be embracing lots of dark walls - think glamorous not gloomy. Layer on warm wood tones, peachy pinks, and shots of brass and copper. Blue is definitely the new black. We use it a lot with our clients and I hope to bring you some of our examples in the near future.

Texture will never go out of fashion and I love the use of panelling on walls to add subtle texture and interest. There are so many fabulous examples that I think I'll have to do a whole seperate blog post to showcase my faves.

Mexico, India and Morocco have the most influence on my style and they do colour so well.

In 1956 fashion editor Diana Vreeland declared that "pink is the navy of India". I absolutely adore hot pink teamed with their slightly muddier tones of cobalt and aqua. The patina of those walls is divine!

If you're not ready to embrace that kind of colour into your home, don't feel you have to go black, white or beige. Try soft grey, dusky pinks and lilacs, chalky whites and mustard.

What ever you do in 2016, make sure it's "you"! Forget fads and trends, it's all about creating the best possible home for you. Somewhere you will be happy, somewhere you look forward to returning to, a place you love.

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Why It Works

Last year I did a blog post on different interiors I love and why they work. I fully intended to carry these posts on as a regular feature as I thought it could be useful to you, my awesome readers, to help you style and decorate your own homes. It's taken a while to continue the theme, but today I have chosen three quite different looks with my thoughts on "why they work".

First, my all-time hands-down favourite interior designer, Anna Spiro, is a master of colour and pattern. How does she mix so many patterns and have so much happening in this vignette without it looking out of control? To start with, having the wallpaper with a small print in black & white means it doesn't fight with the bolder colours in front. Anna has pulled colours from the Otomi picture on the right and repeated them throughout the collection which unites everything. Your eye is drawn to the bright orange vase first and moves up to the Otomi print, then naturally around the setting. Some solid blocks of colour, like the blue shade, the orange vase and the butterfly background give your eye a place to pause. Each item is grouped neatly - books are perfect to use in vignettes to add height to a piece and ground it.

If you are more of a neutral person, to keep your space from looking bland make sure you add lots of texture. This room photographed by Jeroen van der Spek uses subtle tones of white, cream, and soft brown to add dimension. The pattern introduced in the cushions is also subtle but helps to add interest. The stripes echo the panels on the wall behind.

If you want to add a touch more colour, take a leaf out of another of my favourite designer's books. Emily Henderson favours a colour palette of blues and greens, whites and greys, and adds warmth with the natural tones of wood, leather and brass. The painting here sets the palette for the rest of the room. A large neutral rug adds texture, warmth, and anchors the furniture. The round coffee table and poufs help to soften all the straight lines of the windows, fireplace, art etc.

Look out for more "why it works" posts in the near future, and let me know if there are any specific areas you would like me to address.

Inspired by Petra Bindel

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Swedish photographer, Petra Bindel, I have featured her work before on the blog, here and here. The interiors she photographs always inspire me with their unique style.

I love the dark walls and crisp white trim in this room (below) looking through to the gorgeous teal room beyond. The touches of teal and green in the foreground room provide a link to the room behind.

I'm particularly drawn to the dramatic moody colour palette of charcoal, teal and indigo blue at the moment. Soften with white and bring warmth with wood and metallics.

Also high on my list of current faves is a modern take on traditional plaids and checks. I love taking something old and giving it a new twist.

To see more of Petra's work check out her website, and also Cameralink, I'm sure you'll be as inspired as I am.