How to make the most out of small spaces using bright colours, according to interior designers
Combat the temperamental British weather and topsy-turvy news cycle with brightly-coloured walls — even in the smallest of spaces.
When American couple Linda and Ory Eshel bought their home near Paris, the kitchen was nothing to write home about with its outdated cabinetry and insufficient storage space. The solution? To bring in Pierre Pensec of Neptune Paris, who created a modern cooking space using custom cabinetry that seamlessly blended in with the historical parts of the property, and with their inherited items of furniture, including an American enamel kitchen table, from the 1920s.
Linda and Ory were keen to colour match their new Neptune Henley cabinets to the original floor tiles which date to 1914, and landed on a warm and buttery shade of yellow called Saffron.
‘We debated a long time about the yellow and were worried it would be too strong for such a small space,’ says Linda. However, almost from the outset, it was clear that they had made the right choice. ‘We love it,’ she says. ‘We especially appreciate the warmth of the colour scheme under the grey skies of the winter months.’
According to Neptune, more and more of their customers are requesting yellow kitchens, something that Pierre, and many other designers, attribute to people using their own homes to feel positive and energised. An antidote to the outside, topsy-turvy world.
‘Yellow feels particularly relevant at the moment because people are looking for interiors that feel uplifting and optimistic,’ says Hattie Hansard, interior designer at Joanna Wood. ‘There’s also something inherently nostalgic about yellow — it has a familiarity that feels both comforting and joyful, but also quite brave.’
You don’t need oodles of space for your good-feeling cocoon. In fact, small spaces are often the perfect places in which to make bold decisions, according to interior designer Nicola Harding. ‘A small space demands you get especially creative, to give it personality and purpose beyond the sum of its footprint,’ she says. ‘Yellow prompts us to smile in a space that might otherwise be dull.’
HollandGreen recommends using shades of yellow in rooms that don't benefit from a lot of natural light. This softer shade goes particularly well with the exposed wood and brick.
However, yellow should be used with care. Pierre recommends opting for softer, richer yellow, instead of anything too bright or acidic. ‘Shades like saffron, ochre or muted buttery tones work beautifully because they add warmth without overwhelming the room,’ he says. ‘They also respond well to natural light, creating a cocooning effect rather than making the space feel stark or overly vibrant.’
Balance is also key and Hattie suggests pairing yellow with neutral materials such as woods, linens and stone to temper it. ‘Lighting should always be considered carefully as yellow can shift quite dramatically depending on whether it’s seen in natural or artificial light,’ she adds.
And on the topic of light, yellows work particularly well in darker rooms by helping to life the light levels, as seen in the pantry of this barn project, by the multi-disciplinary architecture and design practice HollandGreen.
‘We wanted the pantry to be an unexpected and joyful moment,’ says the firm’s interior design lead, Tori Young. ‘The key was finding the perfect shade; Hay by Farrow & Ball is a gentle yellow that works in harmony with the historic timber beams, adding character without being overwhelming.’
The interior designer and antique dealer Max Rollitt is a fan of yellow in bijou bathrooms: ‘‘They’re especially good when combined with sparkly or shiny elements, like nickel and mirrors. It’s so dependent on the setting and the light in a room that we don’t have a “go-to” yellow as such, but Sudbury Yellow and India Yellow, both from Farrow & Ball, are wonderful colours.’
Yellow, of course, isn’t your only option. When a small room comes with added complications such as sloped ceilings or wonky corners, interior designer Christian Bense goes by the mantra that a single colour wash is always best. He drenched this guest cloakroom, in a country cottage project, in a vibrant pea green. ‘The room always feels fresh and bright, even on the rainiest of Somerset days,’ he says.
And, if you want a pop of sunshine as opposed to a full-on glare, Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene, suggests working with wallpapers with subtle elements of yellow — or using yellow as a colour highlight on woodwork, a door or skirting boards.
