Jennifer Sheahan: Climate and surroundings help inform our home colour schemes
Cheery yellows bring sunshine into Irish homes. Picture: Moya Nolan
The right answer to “what colours should I decorate my house with” is “whatever colours you like”. When it comes to your own home there’s no right or wrong — it’s your home, design it however you wish! That said, with an overwhelming array of options it can help to consider some guidelines to narrow your choices.
When I was putting together my (many) Pinterest boards, I noticed I kept adding images influenced by wherever I had just been. Following a trip to Paros I was temporarily obsessed with the vibrant pink bougainvillea and cheery blue-and-white of Greek homes.
When I came home from a ski trip in Norway I was fully set on incorporating the classic red-painted wood of Norwegian cottages. All these notions wore off after a few days, of course, when I realised that I wasn’t a Norwegian fisherman and that Greek blue is really only cheery in bright sunshine.
Sometimes a dose of reality can be a good thing, and we are lucky in Ireland to have an environment of verdant landscapes, charming stone walls, and deep Atlantic blues. There is a lot that works well with our natural colours and lighting, and focusing on these complementary options can result in a home that feels harmonious with its surroundings — especially if you're blessed with a view.
Here are some suggestions for connecting with our beautiful environment when considering your interior colour scheme.
I’ve written before about the versatility of using green in your interior colour scheme — see my article from March 16 for more. Green is a beautifully calming colour that works extremely well with our climate.
Choosing a warm green undertone in your base paint works very well in north-facing rooms. Green as a kitchen cabinet colour has surged in popularity in recent years, and green velvet couches have yet to go out of style.
Bringing in green through plants and accents is a great way to harmonise your home with the surrounding landscape.
There are few things cosier than relaxing into textured, neutral-coloured blankets and pillows. Warm greys, stoney beiges, and soft creams are timeless shades that embrace our cloudy skies and rainy days.
Paired with natural wood and stone, neutrals provide the perfect base that complements our climate and allows you to layer on any colours you like. Bring in local textures such as wool and linen for maximum Irishness!
Nobody is ever far from a body of water in Ireland. While the vibrant Greek-home blue might be unusual in Ireland, we do have a wide range of softer blues in our environment — grey blues, deep stormy navy blues, and seafoam green blues are most prevalent.
These shades are deeply serene and calming and work beautifully as accent colours in Irish homes. Even better, they pair perfectly with earthy neutrals for an overall calm and sophisticated effect.
Every Easter for as long as I can remember, I drive across the country to Achill Island. One of my favourite things in the world is to see the beautiful sunny furze (or gorse) bursting across the green landscape.
I adore yellow, it’s my favourite colour, and — for a few months at least — it’s very much a colour found in the Irish landscape.
Yellow is cheerful and stimulating, making it an excellent choice to add to your colour scheme. It brings a sunny warmth to Irish homes on those days when the clouds just won’t let up.
While yellow can be a bit much for large surfaces, you can bring in yellow accents with paint, furniture, and accessories — I have it on the inside of my front windows and doors, my couch is yellow, and my dining area lampshade is yellow.
Other accent colours that are synergistic with the Irish climate are what I like to think of as “Irish foliage” colours. These are the rich pinky-reds of Irish berries, the deep blue purples of blackberries, the rusty crimson of beetroot, and the browny-russet of red potatoes.
These colours provide the perfect accents for Irish homes, through rugs, pillows, throws, lampshades, and artwork.
I’m stretching with this one because I’ll take any excuse to bring in a metallic accent, but Ireland does have an abundance of quartz and granite, both of which have at least flecks of metallic throughout.
During the Celtic Tiger, I’ll admit that we went too far with chrome, but we have learned from those mistakes and it’s now safe to bring in brushed brass hardware, copper pots and pans, gold-leaf tiles, gilded frames, and mirrored backsplashes. Metallics reflect light, and we need a lot more of that, so don’t hold back!
- Got a question for Jennifer Sheahan? Email home@examiner.ie
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