The single colour look

This weekend I’m painting the ceilings on my ground floor the same colour as the walls. Gone or about to go is down pipe, a colour that I’ve loved for years to be replaced with an up and coming rather tantalising hue – a new kid on the block if you will. You know how it is when something snazzier comes along that knocks you for six and takes your breath away you kind of just have to go with it. The colour in question is probably one of the most beautiful I have ever seen called Lave its by the French company Ressources. Not the easiest paint to get hold off since it resides slap bang in the middle of Paris and the company in question won’t courier out (you have to send your own). Luckily I know a man with a van so next week he is picking up oodles of the stuff so I can turn all the ceilings, floors andwalls in my pad into this tantalising grey with a dash of lilac and a splodge of taupe thrown in – sounds not so good but believe me its heavenly.

It’s strange as whenever I suggest such a scenario to clients there is always a sharp intake of breath as if it’s the most outlandish thing in the world to do. Odd as when you paint the ceiling the very same colour as your walls you soften those dramatic architectural details as well as creating a cosy, inviting space. A clear demarcation between walls and ceilings creates unnecessarily junctions  – instead we want cohesiveness, we want to be enveloped in colour we want glamour, glamour, glamour.  Having the trim, the mouldings the ceiling in a pale hue is sooooo traditionally boring.You probably won’t believe me (as nobody ever seems to) but if you go for the single colour look in small rooms especially it literally simplifies them turning them into super snug hangouts as you’ve eliminated all those contrasts. Amazing hey!

Some images below all taken from my book A Girls Guide To Decorating (photography Graham Atkins Hughes) to inspire.

The ceiling picks up the hue in the wallpaper – very cool.

A bijou kitchen suddenly doesn’t feel quite so small when the wall colour gently blends into the ceiling.

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