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Removing the blindfold. The gasp. “Wow, it looks so different, I love it!”.
That moment of joy doesn’t require a full renovation. Sometimes, the right colour does it all on its own.
For years, so many of the renovations we see online or on TV are based on the most dramatic transformations, which can make it feel like a big investment is the only way to get a home you love.
This just isn’t true.
We meet so many clients who think that they can’t get the space they want without getting the builders in, but in reality, nearly half of our kitchens are installed in an existing room, with no extra building work needed. Smaller kitchens can easily take on a new lease of life in a style that just feels more you, without knocking down walls, building a big kitchen island, or contending with planning permission.
At Tom Howley, we’ve been thinking a lot about the transformative power of colour as part of our new spring colour launch.
Armed with imagination, design expertise, and a bit of colour theory know-how, we’ll be sharing our favourite ways to help you escape the “safe” kitchen and reshape your home in colour, with no hard hats required!
When we utilise colour in the home, we often experience a change in how the space feels, not just how it looks.
Colour is not just décor. It interacts with your nervous system, your hormones, and your brain, every single day.
As we spend more time thinking about how we want our homes to feel, not just how they look, homeowners are being bolder with colour, something we’re incredibly excited to see more of at Tom Howley. Our designers are encouraging homeowners to be brave with their colour choices to create a room that feels renewed, and sparks an emotional response, be that happiness, calm, energy, or comfort.
Our spring colour launch is all about embracing colour, feeling its transformative power, and helping our clients escape a home of only cool greys and neutrals – what we call the “safe” kitchen.
Our spring collection introduces four new shades, each with its own personality and story, with one in particular injecting a real statement into the Tom Howley palette.
Sloeberry is a dramatic aubergine purple, inspired by the deep, lustrous tones of hedgerow berries.
Designing with Sloeberry is all about depth, confidence, personality, and character.
Connie Sharpe, one of our designers, says:
“The colours in the new collection have a real sense of depth and a heritage feel to them, which is so important when we’re designing for timelessness.
I think colour can always be timeless when the depth and pigment has been considered, while handles and hardware can be used to complement the scheme. In my opinion, committing to a colour you love always feels more timeless than just using it as a feature accent. Personally, I say go big or go home!”
From a subtle pop to a full commitment to colour, these are some of Tom Howley designers’ favourite ways to use the big, bold colours from our Spring Colour Launch in the kitchen.
Colour drenching is having a relatively recent revival. Commonly found in Victorian stately homes, this technique involves painting everything in a room in one bold colour – the walls, ceilings, skirting boards, doors and doorframes, and radiators all included.
Colour drenching, particularly with a darker shade like Sloeberry, can feel counterintuitive at first. Traditional sentiment tells us that dark colours = room feels smaller, but with colour drenching that’s not necessarily the case.
What’s really happening in a colour drenched room is a visual blending of the edges and lines in a room, opening up the space and giving your eye more to look at in the highlights and shadows. Instead of shrinking a room, they provide a more immersive, dramatic and atmospheric feel.
Two-tone cabinetry is something we’re seeing pop up more and more in design forward homes.
While it’s not the most common design statement in kitchens, there’s no rule that says cabinetry all has to be one colour! Two tone cabinetry does what it says – by using a deeper shade on lower level cabinetry, and complimentary lighter tone above, the illusion of extra space and higher ceilings is created. Plus, it means more colour in the kitchen, which we’re always a fan of!
Colours like Sloeberry work brilliantly as that lower-level colour. Its rich tones mean it pairs incredibly with the blush of Pink Salt for a colourful, feminine space, or with a soft neutral like Tansy or Anise. If you’re really embracing colour, the combination of Sloeberry with a contrasting blue like Iris or Azurite creates a true statement space that doesn’t feel overwhelming. Above, we use the deep, earthy red of Sumac with Pink Salt for a two-tone kitchen that has both warmth and character in spades.
A classic for a reason, small pops of colour are the best introduction to colour if you’re feeling a bit nervous about a shade, or don’t want a certain shade to overpower the space. Take this example, where the blushing Pink Salt peeks out from the back panels of Sea Smoke green cabinetry.
Pops of colour can be effective in lots of places in the kitchen:
If you’re really not sure about choosing a bolder colour, our designers recommend thinking about your favourite colours – they often don’t change from childhood, so they probably always have been shades you like! Alternatively, take a look in your wardrobe to see the colours that jump out at you – if you wear them every day, the chances are that you’ll be happy to see them in your home every day too.
More than ever, our clients want a kitchen that feels personal. Your home should feel like you, and that starts with the courage to choose a colour you truly love.
Ultimately, remember that it’s just paint, and it can be changed. So, be brave and escape the “safe” kitchen – our designers will be here to help and support you every step of the way.
Discover our full spring colour collection, or speak to a local designer to see how we can help you inject colour into your home.