Interior Design: The Power Of Colour – Why You Need To Evoke Your Bold Self!

In this new column Ann Marie Cousins takes a look at using bold colours in the home.

Colour plays an inherent part in the human psyche. There are widely held beliefs that colours can evoke emotions ranging from the positivity of yellow to the anger of red, to the pacifying tones of green, but, as a long-time admirer of bold, bright colours, I feel there is a second force at play – the power of colour memory.

For some, their school days remind them of friendships made and lessons learned, but for others, like me, it brings back memories of muddy brown uniforms. Brown skirts, brown shoes, brown jumpers - a veritable mud bath of brown. And it is from here that I believe my strong dislike of the colour, and love of all things bright and bold, really began.

For me, colour is at the heart of what makes me tick, and therefore, AMC Design’s offering. When I set up the design agency in 2014, my ethos was to encourage our clients to be bold and brave, especially with colour. We know that each use of colour, be it brown or bright pink, will instil a feeling and emotion, and our passion as an agency is to identify the source of a client’s own style and channel that into beautiful design.

We want to encourage our clients to be brave; to use bold colours in combination with more neutral tones, which we hope will have a positive influence on their everyday lives. A splash of orange against a navy background for example makes people feel like they’re being radical, without it being too much.

There is no question that we are subconsciously influenced by fashion and interior trends. Before paint manufacturer Little Greene launched its navy collection almost a decade ago, our designers received a lot of push back from clients when we suggested the colour. Now it is by the far the most popular colour requested as a starting tone. Navy is a fantastic core colour as the backdrop to more bold and bright colour accents. It’s been fascinating to see the change in client’s opinions as the colour has become more à la mode.

From the walls to hero pieces of furniture, I believe that the use of bright colours and pattern doesn’t need to be drastic; it can be an accent – a flush of energetic, powerful drama amidst the more calming tones of a space, which reflect its owner’s personality, will bring a sense of happiness at every turn.

Be bold, be bright – I promise, you’ll love it!