Greens & Whites
When I'm not decorating, I'm often to be found pottering in my little garden. At this time of year it really comes into its own, and there is always some watering, weeding or deadheading that I can turn to. The truth is, though, I don't really need a reason any more than I just love being in it.
It's inevitable that, as someone who spends their working life thinking about colour, I notice it here too. Not just in the flowers, but in the foliage. What first appears to be a sea of green quickly becomes something much more interesting. Nature rarely presents any colour as a single, fixed shade. Look closely at a rose petal, a piece of weathered stone or even a cloudless sky and you'll find variation everywhere. The difference is that we tend to notice it more readily with green because we're surrounded by so much of it.
It is perhaps no surprise then that so many people are drawn to green for their homes. It feels familiar, reassuring and deeply connected to the natural world beyond our four walls. But in selecting a single green for our walls, we cannot possibly recreate the richness and variation that exists outside. Thankfully, light remains an enthusiastic collaborator. As the day unfolds, it reveals different sides of the same paint colour, albeit on a reduced scale.
Light, however, is not the only thing influencing how we perceive colour. The colours around it have their part to play too. We often think we're choosing paint colours one at a time. In reality, we're choosing relationships.
When we choose a green for our homes, we rarely choose it in isolation. Whether it's for woodwork, ceilings or adjoining walls, another colour will almost always become part of the scheme. Despite the growing popularity of colour drenching, that supporting role is still most often played by white, making it one of the decorating decisions I see homeowners wrestle with most. Which white? Will it go with the walls? Will it make the room feel warmer, fresher or softer?
Place one green beside different whites and each pairing reveals something different. The green itself hasn't changed, but our perception of it has. One white may encourage us to notice its softness, another its freshness or depth. The colours themselves remain the same, but our perception of them changes according to the company they keep.
Sometimes those relationships are built on harmony, where the colours share a similar character. At other times, it's balance that creates the most satisfying relationship. A common misconception is that a white has to contain something of the green to work with it. In my experience, that's rarely the case. Some of the most successful pairings come from colours that bring something different to one another. A white with the slightest hint of red or orange, for example, can provide a counter balance to a green, allowing it to feel richer, softer or more settled without ever competing with it. A good white isn't simply a match for the green; it helps you see the green in the way you hoped you would when you first chose it.
Of course, reading about colour relationships is one thing. Seeing them unfold in front of you is quite another.
To bring these ideas to life, I've painted three Cotswold Hue greens alongside three carefully chosen whites. In the short video on Cotswold Hue social pages, I place the boards side by side and talk through what each pairing does for the other. Our perception of them shifts according to the white beside them.
When you choose colours for your interiors take a moment to notice which combinations feel right to you. The relationship between the colours is only part of the story but your relationship with them matters just as much.