Muddy Stilettos


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/warm-neutrals-dulux-heritage-copy-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95892" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/warm-neutrals-dulux-heritage-copy-2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/warm-neutrals-dulux-heritage-copy-2-600x450.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/warm-neutrals-dulux-heritage-copy-2-1000x750.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>How do you feel about colour? We think about it all the time in relation to fashion, knowing what suits us, and the kind of confidence it evokes whether that’s sexy vampy red, chic black, classy creams or ‘look at me’ brights.</p>



<p>When it comes to interiors though, it’s been safer to follow the trend, not the feeling. Just cast your mind back to the charge of Kelly Hoppen’s ubiquitous taupe in the Nineties, the Naughties obsession with sludgy Cotswolds green or even the current flirtation with all things pink and putty-ish. We’re less confident with interiors colours, perhaps because they stick around much longer than throw-away fashion.</p>



<p>Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux Heritage, spends her whole time thinking about colour. How our use of colour changes with global trends (for example, if more people live on their own in smaller spaces, what colours will ‘speak’ to them?), what colours work best where, but most importantly how colour makes us feel. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1636" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marianne-Shillingford-.png" alt="" class="wp-image-95893" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marianne-Shillingford-.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marianne-Shillingford--550x600.png 550w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marianne-Shillingford--917x1000.png 917w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marianne-Shillingford--1408x1536.png 1408w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Colour expert Marianne Shillingford </figcaption></figure>



<p>The current campaign for Dulux Heritage is all about choosing colour based on the very modern premise of self-expression and happiness – the acceptance of ‘you just do you’, creating your home to reflect your own mood rather than the number of likes it racks up on Insta.</p>



<p>As I’m about to launch my own daunting renovation /rebuild project (like, mega-gulp) I’ve been talking to Marianne about how to harness the confidence and creative freedom to make more personal choices in the home. Read on, she gives great advice!</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-choosing-a-paint-based-on-feelings-sounds-lovely-but-how-do-you-narrow-the-choices-down"><strong>Choosing a paint based on feelings sounds lovely, but how do you narrow the choices down</strong>?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2250" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jacalyn-beales-E5VqdtxLLMs-unsplash.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95894" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jacalyn-beales-E5VqdtxLLMs-unsplash.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jacalyn-beales-E5VqdtxLLMs-unsplash-400x600.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jacalyn-beales-E5VqdtxLLMs-unsplash-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jacalyn-beales-E5VqdtxLLMs-unsplash-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jacalyn-beales-E5VqdtxLLMs-unsplash-1365x2048.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>With so many thousands of paint colours out there, it can be tricky to choose the perfect scheme, so narrow your choices down to a curated collection and get real about the stuff you want to keep. Look at your room&#8217;s raw ingredients. Maybe there’s a sofa you love, lots of natural light or a cushion that means a lot to you. These things won’t change and they are the baseline of that room. Then from there, there will be something that makes you really happy in that space – it could be something you bought that day, or that you’re always taking with you into that space. The colours you are now looking at are the ones that make you feel happy and positive.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-still-a-bit-tricky-to-imagine-different-colour-schemes-though-there-are-literally-113-just-in-dulux-heritage"><strong>It&#8217;s still a bit tricky to imagine different colour schemes though &#8211; there are literally 113 just in Dulux Heritage</strong>!</h4>



<p>The Dulux Heritage collection consists of the very best colours from the early Georgian period to the present day. They have all earned their place in the collection not least because they work so beautifully in UK light and decorating styles. Just as you’ve worked out what you want to keep, temporarily move out the bits you’re not so keen on (easier if it’s a cushion rather than a sofa, admittedly!). Choose the closest match to the biggest item in the room and use the clever colour scheming tool on Dulux Heritage website to identify colours that scheme with it perfectly. Go old school and order testers to try out so you are 100% happy before you get the dust sheets out.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-brave-do-you-need-to-be-to-choose-an-unusual-paint-colour"><strong>How brave do you need to be to choose an unusual paint colour?</strong></h4>



<p>It’s more about understanding what makes you happy and also not overthinking things. You know, you can just paint over and start again! Also, there’s no need to over-commit to a colour – colour drenching is a bit of a trend at the moment (where you cover all walls and ceilings in the same shade) and looks incredible but a splash of colour or careful zoning can be just as effective, and gently impactful.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-tricks-with-clever-zoning"><strong>What are the tricks with clever zoning?</strong></h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1987" height="1490" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/split-room-painted-two-zones-dulux-heritage.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95897" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/split-room-painted-two-zones-dulux-heritage.jpg 1987w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/split-room-painted-two-zones-dulux-heritage-600x450.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/split-room-painted-two-zones-dulux-heritage-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/split-room-painted-two-zones-dulux-heritage-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1987px) 100vw, 1987px" /></figure>



<p>There’s nothing to say that you need to end a colour at the end of a wall. If one part of the wall has the sofa and the other part has a study area, why not use two different shades to create two separate spaces? It’s about being creative and creating a sense of space and differentiation. The other way you can use two colours is by having a big band of colour along the wall – maybe the bottom two thirds is a deeper colour and the other third of the wall is lighter and goes up to the ceiling. Or also really popular is colour rising up from the wall behind the bed and creating a ‘canopy’.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-smart-choices-for-north-and-south-facing-rooms"><strong>What are the smart choices for north and south-facing rooms?</strong></h4>



<p>North facing rooms are generally cool and they need warming up, so you need to choose colours have warm hints in them &#8211; yellows, golds, pinks. They will also help us to sense warmth. South facing rooms with lots of light, by contrast, can often feel eel very hot and sticky when the sunshine comes out. – so go for cooler shades (think blues and greens). </p>



<p>They are visually receding, so they make the walls that you paint them a bit further away. It actually makes smaller, hot spaces appear bigger, cooler and much more tranquil.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-take-your-own-advice-to-feel-your-way-to-the-right-colours-in-your-own-house"><strong>Do you take your own advice to feel your way to the right colours in your own house?</strong></h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cherry-Truffle-wall-Dulux-Heritage-copy-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95895" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cherry-Truffle-wall-Dulux-Heritage-copy-2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cherry-Truffle-wall-Dulux-Heritage-copy-2-600x450.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cherry-Truffle-wall-Dulux-Heritage-copy-2-1000x750.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cherry Truffle </figcaption></figure>



<p>Totally. I’m quite a hyper sort of person and it takes a lot to calm me down, so I like dark colours. They make me happy, and they also have the advantage of making all the collected mismatching junk you have in your life look great because dark walls are a wonderful backdrop!&nbsp;<a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/en/colours/1780011/cherry-truffle" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cherry Truffle</a>&nbsp;is on my walls from the Dulux Heritage range and it’s a beautiful, sensual colour.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s a classic colour from the Seventies, but this idea of warm earthy tones is very modern – we’re seeing a lot of browns and earth neutrals at the moment, as they’re connected to nature, and feel grounded and happy.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s a colour from the Seventies, but this idea of warm earthy tones is very modern – we’re seeing a lot of browns and earth neutrals at the moment, as they’re connected to nature, and feel grounded and happy. The colour works with my room being north facing – helping it feel cosy, looks amazing at night and, it works with my dark wood furniture. Cherry Truffle features in every house I move to.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-about-your-bedroom-is-that-dark-as-well"><strong>What about your bedroom? Is that dark as well?</strong></h4>



<p>No, the opposite! At the moment it’s in a bit of a transitional stage – just white walls and lots of paintings everywhere. But I&#8217;ve have some really bright yellow bedding, and I&#8217;m thinking of painting the whole thing in a gorgeous Dulux Heritage <a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/en/colours/1780008/masters-gold" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Masters Gold</a>, a sort of old, mustard gold. It’s beautiful. Then in my bathroom it&#8217;s very playful &#8211; I painted a pink flamingo mural on the wall using <a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/en/colours/1780076/fitzrovia-red" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fitzovia Red</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="996" height="776" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-07.08.11.png" alt="" class="wp-image-95898" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-07.08.11.png 996w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-07.08.11-600x467.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 996px) 100vw, 996px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marianne&#8217;s bathroom</figcaption></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-any-other-colours-that-you-re-particularly-drawn-to"><strong>Any other colours that you’re particularly drawn to?</strong></h4>



<p><a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/en/colours/1780101/powder-colour" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Powder Colour</a> is like a very fine pink face powder, and it works with absolutely everything. Depending on what you pair it with, it can bring out the pink, or just it becomes a really soft, warm super-neutral. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1061" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780101-living-room-copy.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95900" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780101-living-room-copy.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780101-living-room-copy-600x424.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780101-living-room-copy-1000x707.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Powder Colour</figcaption></figure>



<p>I also think <a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/en/colours/1780071/dh-oxford-blue-heritage" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DH Oxford Blue</a> is absolutely divine. It’s a very old colour with an intense pigment, but it has a hint of red, so it has a richness to it. People worry that blue will feel cold but this one is intense and warm.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1061" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780071-hallway-copy.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95901" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780071-hallway-copy.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780071-hallway-copy-600x424.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1780071-hallway-copy-1000x707.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">DH Oxford Blue</figcaption></figure>



<p>Another blue, Dulux Heritage&#8217;s <a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/en/colours/1780109/sky-blue" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky Blue</a> has been sneaking up on me recently to. It’s been around since the Georgian period, but is somehow inherently modern. It also captures that essence of summer – fresh, cool and looks amazing painted on furniture. It blows you away.</p>



<p>Finally, for a glorious shade that’s between white and a soft grey, there&#8217;s a colour called <a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/en/colours/1780025/romney-wool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Romney Wool </a>and it works brilliantly with UK light for some reason! It looks effortlessly elegant, I love it.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1124" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/romney-white-dulux-heritage.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-95896" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/romney-white-dulux-heritage.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/romney-white-dulux-heritage-600x450.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/romney-white-dulux-heritage-1000x749.jpeg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Romney Wool </figcaption></figure>



<p><em><a href="https://www.dulux.co.uk/en/articles/dulux-visualizer-app?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw4ri0BhAvEiwA8oo6Fz9J_E9zP-PSAN7yOBUz8XNQga615LL4qRw6I79zxjULi3Xc5fa7vBoCnqwQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Download the Visualiser app</a></em>.</p>



<p><em>See the full <a href="https://www.duluxheritage.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dulux Heritage</a> range</em>.</p>


You feeling it? How to choose the right paints for a happy house

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