Home visit: a colour-block home

Start with coloured furniture

A piece of furniture in a colour you love is an easy way to start experimenting with colour. Then build it up in layers – with accessories, textiles and paint – to see what combinations you like living with. ‘I tend to go for clashing primary colours,’ says Toni. ‘All the shades you shouldn’t put together are what I like!’

Use colour to show your personality

‘I want a home that’s welcoming and full of personality, not a place that looks too cool or like it could belong to anyone,’ says Toni. ‘Our approach to life is relaxed, our front door is always open. I’m happy when friends feel they can come and go as they please. Practical things help, like a stack of extra chairs and a fold-out table, but so does the warmth of the colours we live with.’

Choose a scheme that inspires you

‘In the loft, I painted each wall a different colour – red, yellow, blue, green – and picked furniture in colours that clash or contrast, to make the space feel bright and happy. We do a lot of different things in the loft and colour is a great way to zone the room. I feel inspired being surrounded by so much colour – it’s a creative boost.’

Use colour to set the mood

‘I wanted this room to look inviting and feel like a place where you can chill out,’ says Toni. ‘The soft pink-and-white palette gives it a feeling of calm. I still have fun, changing the headboard cover depending on the season, and swapping round my pictures and trinkets.’

Toni’s tips for living more colourfully
1. ‘Don’t be afraid of colour. Neutral shades have always been popular. But we don’t have to follow the crowd – we can have fun with our living space, and if it doesn’t work, paint over it, or re-cover it and try again!’
2. ‘Create a theme with accessories. I love cushions – you can never have too many! They help tie a room together and are perfect for adding colour on a smaller scale.’
3. ‘Remember the detail. Useful doesn’t have to mean boring. Bring colour into all corners of the home, including to functional items, like lighting and storage.’

House of colour Toni lives in a terraced house with an added double-height extension at the rear. Downstairs is the living space and kitchen. Two bedrooms and a bathroom are on the first floor and Toni’s workspace and gaming zone is in the loft.

We love to see our customers get creative with our products. Go for it! But please note that altering or modifying IKEA products so they can no longer be re-sold or used for their original purpose, means the IKEA commercial guarantees and your right to return the products will be lost.

Made by

Interior stylist: Åsa Dyberg
Photographer: Polly Wreford
Follow Toni on Instagram: @incolourfulcompany