How To Decorate With The Best Brown-Grey And Greige Paints And Accessories

If the thought of decorating with browns takes you straight back to ugly memories of the seventies, now is most definitely the time to think again. Able to act as both a neutral and a colour, brown is a hugely versatile shade which is happy to straddle a whole variety of looks.This month we want to take you on a tour of the best that fashionably-greyed browns (often referred to as greige, a cross between grey and beige) have to offer, and that Relics of Witney have picked out for our customers.

First of all, Let's talk paints. Today's browns come in a whole dizzying array of different hues - from the palest of caramels to the deepest, warmest chocolate. 

We think these are the best grey-browns:

Little Greene Attic II:

Farrow and Ball Charleston Gray:

Little Greene Silt:

Little Green Chocolate Colour:

Farrow and Ball Mole's Breath:

These are fantastic choices for adding depth to your decorating - by painting and distressing a favourite but tired pierce of furniture for a gentle feel, or for adding a bolder hit on feature walls. None of these are run-of the mill browns; they will all having you looking again and again, trying to fathom their moody hues. 

And now onto our accessories. We are huge fans of our rattan baskets...we have a large collection in a whole gamut of shapes and sizes. They are incredibly popular, and rightly so. Strong, tough and beautifully elegant: who knew such a combination was possible? Their thick-stranded woven texture will bring interest to any area needing a bit of a nudge style-wise. And the possibilities for use in your home? Oh, the possibilities! Just take a look at some of these images....

And, lastly, for those of you who are looking to add a tangible sense of vintage character to your home, we have a fantastic Bakelite range of switches, socket and ceiling roses, as well as traditional fabric-covered flex.

Who said brown had to be boring? They clearly hadn't seen our stock! Come into Relics of Witney, or shop online for all your decorating needs...

Images via: Farrow and Ball, Vanessa Arbuthnott, Little Greeene, Farrow and Ball, Little Greene, Little Greene, Little Greene, Little Greene, Farrow and Ball, Modern Country Style, Garden Trading, quickcrop, Pinterest, Claire Mee, stilinspiration, woondroom, cox and cox, room seventeen, Relics of Witney, Relics of Witney

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The Very Best Of Emerald Paints And Emerald Interiors

Welcome to July's blog post, where we'll be looking in depth at decorating with Emerald Green: more specifically, what are the best ways to introduce Emerald to your home, and which are the best Emerald Green paints to use?

When Emerald Green was announced as Pantone's Colour Of The Year for 2013, there was a flurry of activity: on the runway, at the shows, in the catalogues, and then, gradually, gently, almost imperceptibly, the look softened from the somewhat gaudy to the downright delicious. 

Our tip for introducing colour is to wait for trends to filter down in a more usable way, rather than letting your home become a slave to fashion.

Though let us be frank, Emerald Green has never really gone out of fashion. It's not particularly taxing to see why: it's royal jewel-like tones are synonymous with luxury, yet its soft echoes of lush, verdant gardens give Emerald a crisp freshness that is hard to rival. 

There are very few colours that can straddle this many looks so successfully. Emerald can turn its hand to the whole decorating spectrum, from country manor to beach shack, from grand castle to apartment chic.

Though it can look a little heavy if a room is decorated in its rich tones from top to bottom, so consider using Emerald in smaller touches: hints and accents to add a surprise pop of colour, adding something a little different, a dash of the unexpected.

Think this...

...not this...

Here, then, are ten ways to enjoy decorating with Emerald Green...

1. An Emerald Green Front Door

Make a smart entrance with the bold hues of Emerald. Warm and welcoming, smart and timeless.

2. Painted Furniture In Emerald Green

Emerald green takes kindly to being painted on furniture of all kinds, including kitchen units. Perfect for a retro, shabby chic or modern take - this is an incredibly adaptable colour.

3. Add Accessories In Emerald Green

A simple way to do this is by using sample pots to paint accessories, making a significant impact without a significant outlay.Consider vases, lamps, picture frames, etc...

4 Stencils

By using stencils, it's easy to bring in flashes of green, try concentrating your efforts on one strip for maximum wow-factor.

5. Emerald Green Feature Walls 

If an accent wall is introduced, all eyes will be drawn to that space, making it a perfect method to highlight parts of your room that deserve to be shown off.

6. Emerald Green Floor Paint

For a playful, rustic edge, use floor paint to introduce a large expanse of colour.

7. Children's Rooms 

The bright hues of emerald green function as a bold primary for youngsters but one that will grow with them as they get older.

8. Patterns

Emerald green can take on the world when it comes to pattern. Bold stripes, chevrons, or even damask. Classic, playful or opulent. It's your choice.

9. Lighting

For those of us who are slightly less bold with colour, lighting is a fantastic way to take your first, tentative steps into, literally, brighter shades.

10. Shelving

Introduce a peek-a-boo element of surprise by painting the backs of your shelving. Watch as snatches of colour come out to play hide and seek with your accessories.

The great thing about Emerald is that, as with many greens, it goes with most colours: just look at any garden, any pastoral view and let your eyes take in the range of colours that nestle next to green. 

Working well in the warmer months, with its springy freshness, and then metamorphosing into something warmer, snugger and cosier, Emerald Green has the magic to work with each and every season.

Our favourite emerald green paints, all available in Relics of Witney, include:

Sanderson Sherwood Green

Dulux Emerald Delight

Little Greene Garden

Dulux Heritage Grass Green

Sanderson Evergreen

Farrow and Ball Arsenic

Dulux Weathershield Buckingham

Dulux Trade Village Maze

Acryllic Colourant in Emerald

There are a myriad of different ways to add a bit of bold to your decor without having to redecorate entirely. Look around your home to see where might need a little freshening up, and focus your Emerald efforts there.

And, as always, if you need advice on picking out colours, or choosing contrasting shades then please don't hesitate to contact us at Relics of Witney. We're always glad to help.

Images via:

etsy, Goeyefordesign, wgsn hbl, decorpad, whomes, houzz, richimagedotme, blackmilk clothing, pinterest, designaddictmom, pinterest, Elle Decor, kristen ellis, 6th street design school,, country living, etsy, bhg, inspiration for home, design milk, house beautiful, house beautiful,, house beautiful, the urchin collective, trendland, birchandbird, martha stewart, ingerstedt,  Dominique Decoratrice, house beautiful, sara sarna

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Farrow and Ball Paint and Old Made Pop-Up Shop In Relics Of Witney

This month, Farrow and Ball are encouraging all of us to think more creatively about decorating and adding colour to our homes through their Find It, Paint It, Love It campaign. Farrow and Ball say that we tend to focus on the walls, often leaving the trim and furniture as an afterthought. 

When it comes to interiors, it pays to get creative with paint. By custom-painting furniture pieces, or introducing colour to your interior trim (such as skirting boards, banisters, door frames or dado rails) you can inject personality and interest to your decor.

At Relics of Witney, we've long been fans of helping our customers pick out paint colours to bring out the best in their homes. We think this means allowing homes to reflect their owners passions and personalities: what you truly love, not just having a magazine-beautiful space to tiptoe about in.

Two people who have this gift in spades of injecting personality into any space are Lee and Kate, owners of Old Made. 

We're very excited at Relics to be hosting them at what we believe is Witney's first ever pop-up shop. 

They sell an exquisitely curated collection of artsy, fifties-inspired pieces. Yet, let us be clear: this is no run-of-the-mill vintage shop.

Old Made has a unique take on interiors that is hugely influenced by Lee and Kate's combined background in graphic design and textiles, with a definite nod to Modern Rustic and light touch of Industrial style.

Think 'Last Tango In Paris' and eclectic apartment living, think jazz record covers by Reid Miles and Picasso's atelier, and you'll be half way there to understanding just what it is that makes Old Made so special.

Old Made love to work with local design/makers, such as these lovely cushions by Mabel and Bird who are based in chipping Norton.

Lee and Kate adore illustration, fabrics, maps and colour. They cite Farrow and Ball Cinder Rose and Blue Ground as some their favourite paints, as well as the monochrome hues of Lamp Black by Little Greene and White by Earthborn Claypaints.

So why did they choose Relics to launch Old Made? Quite simply because they love our vision too. We asked what their favourite Relics' buys are: 'We recommend Relics cup handles for adding a quirky twist to unloved pieces of furniture. The Bakelite light switches for a slightly retro take.  And it has to be Black Bison wax for perfect sprucing!'

Lee and Kate's blend of experience, as well as their obvious talent, combines to create a look that is different from anything we've seen before.

Find Old Made on their website, Twitter and Pinterest, and, for one more week at Witney's first pop-up shop in Relics! Then, in the near future, they'll be over at Love Your Plane in Oxford.

We wish them all the very best.

Make sure you come and visit. 

{You can find Old Made in Relics of Witney until Saturday 28th June.}

  

Relics of Witney Limited

Tel: 01993 704611

Fax: 01993 380029

www.relicsofwitney.co.uk

www.twitter.com/relicsofwitney

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