Put down the tin of white paint because in the world of interior décor, walls are going from bland to bold! Here are our notes on this trend…

1.

Be bold

When it comes to picking a colour, dark shades are often given a miss but more and more style-savvy homeowners are uncovering the secret of dark colours… they recede thereby creating an illusion of depth and space!

“If you’re nervous about using colour, paint one wall in a colourful shade complimented with paler shade walls in the rest of the room,� recommends Karina Palmer, interior designer and AMERICAN shutters’ marketing manager, “Then arrange treasured artworks, prints and framed photos on the boldly painted wall in order to further accentuate this wall and create an eye-catching feature.�

2.

We love how these artworks and prints stand out against the deep purple painted wall!

And it doesn’t have to be dark to be bold! In this bathroom, a striking contrast with the black and white sanitary ware is created by painting the walls sky blue.

3.

No wallflower

From bright colours, stripes, and patterned prints, wallpaper is a super way to give a room a whole new dimension! Increasingly popular is the intricate trellis pattern as seen here…

4.

The paint effect

Since sponging in the 90’s, few have dared to call paint effects ‘cool’ again but we predict the art form could be on the rise! We were spellbound by this honeycomb paint effect, a copy of David Hick’s hexagon wall paper design, created by Holly, a blogger.

5.

Holly’s use of metallic paint creates a luxurious effect, compliment by the room’s décor. This definitely is not your mother’s 1995 sponged kitchen!

6 & 7

So if you want ‘quiet walls,’ go ahead and paint them white. But if you want walls that talk, be bold with colour, paint and wallpaper and your walls will soon be screaming, “Fabulous!�

To find AMERICAN shutters or blinds for your home, visit our online showroom and request a quote online. Follow our interior décor and design inspiration on Twitter and on our Facebook fan page.

Image credits: 1. AMERICAN shutters, 2. Apartment Therapy, 3. House of Turquoise, 4. House of Turquoise, 5. Almost 40 year old intern 6. Lonny Magazine Dec 2010. Photography by Patrick Cline; Interior Design by Eileen Kathryn Boyd and 7. Ferreira Design