I wanted to know what people's go-to colour for decorating was, so I created a quick poll on LinkedIn:
I wasn't surprised by the result: ‘Neutral’ came out top.
And I was OK with that, just! The right neutral is a great base (just not cold grey, please).
I was interested to see that green was a more popular choice than blue, as time and again I see landlords across the land are seemingly obsessed with dark blue paint (Farrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue, anyone?)
If this is you, I’d love you to take note... It’s not what people want!
Time for the science part...
Colour fact incoming... Green is the colour which our eyes take the least amount of effort to process. So green is quite literally easy on the eye. Without even knowing it, we’re drawn to it as a calm, safe and soothing place to be.
So next time you’re specifying paint for your decorating, particularly in an HMO or a property you’re staging for sale (you can get away with more in an SA) how about you think about choosing green rather than blue, as your go to colour in future?
Can't break away from blue...?
It can be hard to break the decorating habit of a lifetime. And to turn everything I just said on its head... The Benjamin Moore paint colour of the year for 2024 is….. blue!
To be precise, it's Blue Nova.
In all fairness, it’s a dreamy mid-tone colour that you can warm right up by pairing with other colours of the same strength - such as vibrant coral and burnt orange.
So if you’re sticking with blue, here are a few mid-tone blue paints you might like to use. But don't be shy - paint it on ALL walls! No feature walls, please ; )
Claybrook; Uniform Blue
Farrow & Ball; Berrington Blue
Little Greene: Grey Stone
Paint & Paper Library; Blue Blood
Go for it, and PLEASE send me a photo!
And finally, for my last tip...
Renting it out? Do your research!
This is something that very few people do for their SA and HMO properties, but it really makes a difference!
Researching the local area and checking out the competition will ensure that your design scheme offers a point of difference and stands out against all the other vanilla schemes out there.
I recently worked with investors on their Serviced Accommodation (SA) design in New Brighton on The Wirral. It's a part of the world that I’ve never been to before, and I had a brilliant day out researching the area with my clients.
Checking out the local area is SO important when you’re creating a new interior scheme for SA and HMO (House in Multiple Occupancy). You'll surprise and delight potential tenants or guests, and knock out the competition!
Inspiration on every corner!
Take a look at the pictures I took when out and about researching New Brighton....
Let's talk!
If you want to create a scheme that’s sympathetic to your property and appealing to your target market, you know who to call...
Louise x